Governing with precision: A framework to close the implementation gap in Kuala Lumpur’s urban housing regeneration

Urban housing regeneration (UHR) in developing economies is seldom impeded by a shortage of technical models; rather, its founders on governance structures that cannot translate plans into legitimate, equitable, and sustained outcomes. This paper investigates the structural conditions that have constrained UHR in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by (1) identifying ambiguities and conflicts in government policies, (2) determining factors influencing effectiveness, (3) examining issues and challenges, and (4) developing a framework to improve project efficacy. The study employs three interconnected lenses: a systematic analysis of the proposed Urban Renewal Bill (URB 2025); a comparative assessment of cognate statutory frameworks in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United Kingdom; and qualitative fieldwork comprising content analysis, expert interviews, and in-depth case studies of five housing schemes. Malaysia’s regeneration difficulties are not isolated project failures but the predictable output of three interlocking governance deficits: constitutional ambiguity over land jurisdiction, a persistent crisis of procedural legitimacy, and institutional fragmentation that disables financial and technical delivery. In response, this paper proposes the Precision Urban Housing Regeneration (PUHR) framework, a five-pillar policy architecture that integrates institutional, spatial, financial, social, and economic instruments within a data-informed, closed-loop governance system, offering a context-specific and constitutionally sensitive pathway for Malaysian cities to achieve sustainable, equitable urban housing renewal. The PUHR Framework advances the concept of precision urbanism from a technological aspiration to a practical governance instrument.