International Journal of Property Sciences (E-ISSN: 2229-8568)

Exploring Public Perceptions of Urban Resilient Design: Insights from Mental Mapping

Shuai Yuan — 2025-08-29

Urban resilient design is a crucial strategy in urban sustainable development, which needs to be understood by the public. However, misunderstandings surrounding resilient design often impede its effective implementation and impact. This study explores public perceptions of urban resilient design characteristics and the factors influencing such perceptions. Through interviews and mental mapping of 14 participants between the ages of 18 and 65, the study was analysed based on landscape perception theory, combined with mental mapping and field interviews. Our findings reveal personalised painting mechanisms influenced by subjective factors and explore participants’ experiences and feelings in depicting natural and built elements, as well as route reviews. The results highlight how participants’ perception of resilient design manifested itself in the routes and key elements they described, with subjective factors such as age, identity and familiarity playing a key role. Moreover, the study describes how experience shapes public perceptions of robustness, adaptability, redundancy, efficiency, and connectivity, while familiarity influences perceptions of diversity and modularity. Based on these insights, the study proposes strategies to optimise resilient design characteristics, which have important implications for promoting sustainable urban development.

A Document-Based Study of Strategic Decision-Making in Real Estate Investments by Government-Linked Investment Companies (GLICs)

Fatin Aziz — 2025-08-29

This study critically examines institutional investors’ role and strategic approaches in Malaysia’s real estate market, with a particular focus on Government-Linked Investment Companies (GLICs). These entities, encompassing pension funds, mutual funds, special purpose funds, and sovereign wealth funds, function as state investment arms, wielding significant influence over the nation’s economic trajectory. Despite their substantial financial resources and policy-driven mandates, GLICs allocate a disproportionately modest share of their portfolios—typically between 5.3% and 20%—to real estate. This raises critical questions about the underlying constraints, risk perceptions, and structural inefficiencies that may impede a more assertive real estate investment strategy. This research systematically analyses 34 documents, including annual reports, regulatory frameworks, and legislation, and examines the governance and decision-making structures that shape GLIC’s investment strategies. The findings highlight a multi-tiered and strict hierarchy involving Boards, Investment Panels, Shariah Compliance Committees, and Real Estate Departments, employing both top-down and bottom-up approaches. While this structure ensures regulatory compliance and risk mitigation, it may also introduce bureaucratic inertia, limiting responsiveness to market opportunities and emerging asset classes. Furthermore, legislative mandates such as the Employees Provident Fund Act 1991, the Retirement Fund Act 2007, the Tabung Angkatan Tentera Act 1973, and the Tabung Haji Act 1995 impose distinct constraints and investment thresholds that potentially restrict agility in portfolio expansion. A key paradox emerges, despite real estate’s ability to hedge against inflation and provide stable returns, GLICs prefer more liquid asset classes. Their limited allocation to real estate, even with diversification across traditional and non-traditional sector globally, suggests a preference for alternative investments. This trend rises questions about whether regulatory rigidity or cautious investment culture limit the potential of real estate as an asset class. The findings underscore the need for policy recalibrations, governance reforms, and strategic realignments to unlock the full potential of institutional real estate investments. These insights hold significant implications for policymakers, market participants, and researchers at the intersection of finance, governance, and real estate development.

Understanding the Influence of Property Stigma on Overhang in Selangor’s Real Estate Market

Norulelin Binti Huri — 2025-08-29

This study examines the impact of various forms of property stigma: environmental, social, geographical, psychological, public, minimal, and physical, on property overhangs in Selangor. Property overhang, characterized by unsold properties despite completion, presents a significant challenge for developers and policymakers in rapidly urbanizing regions. The research utilizes Spearman's rank correlation analysis to explore the strength and direction of associations between these stigma types and the likelihood of unsold properties. Data were collected from 161 respondents, all potential property buyers, in Selangor, providing a diverse perspective on how stigma affects market outcomes. The results reveal statistically significant positive correlations between all forms of stigma and property overhang, with environmental stigma showing the strongest correlation (rs = 0.497, p < .001). These findings emphasize the complex, multi-dimensional nature of property stigma and its significant role in influencing buyer perceptions and the marketability of properties. The study highlights the need for real estate professionals and policymakers to address physical and non-physical stigma factors, such as environmental hazards or social perceptions, to reduce property overhang and improve the absorption of unsold properties in the market.

A Framework of Media Architecture Elements in Redefining Urban Environments

VITHYASRE A.NAGARAJAN — 2025-08-29

Media architecture integrates media technology with the built environment, transforming structures into communicative surfaces through digital displays, interactive installations, and dynamic lighting. Despite its innovative nature, research on media architecture's impact on human behaviour and urban experiences remains limited. Lacking unified design principles, this study aims to identify key elements of media architecture and assess their influence on user experience. The study recognizes the absence of standardization and regulations and thus explores how identified elements can lead to innovative, functional designs integrating digital media with physical environments. Proposed conceptual framework was initially tested through case studies of two internationally recognized buildings. Addressing the limited research on media architecture within Malaysia, the framework was then applied to Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. Findings reveal the framework's utility in assessing the integration of built form and digital information, the socio-spatial impact of media architecture, and the balance between commercial and community-oriented content. The study underscores the importance of harmonizing design with context to promote engagement and enrich urban experiences.

Malaysia Vision Valley 2.0: Potential Impacts on Labu’s Development

Nur Izatilrahima Mat Rahim — 2025-08-29

The study examines the impacts of Malaysia Vision Valley 2.0 (MVV 2.0) on the growth and development of Labu. Leveraging the spatial triad theory and the concept of a sense of place, it explores the relationships between urban spaces and Labu’s economic and social development, emphasising how changes in the built environment influence local livelihoods, social cohesion and identity. The methodology involves archival spatial mapping and interviews with the local community to capture historical trends, community perceptions, and potential challenges. The literature review establishes a theoretical framework highlighting the significance of perceived spaces in shaping urban identities. Findings reveal positive correlations between economic growth and community development, particularly where planned MVV2.0 projects align with existing community needs and capacities. The spatial triad theory guides the interpretation of existing urban spaces, while the concept of a sense of place informs the exploration of Labu's unique identity. Furthermore, the research uncovers challenges related to planning and community engagement, including gaps in coordination between stakeholder and limited opportunities for inclusive participation. This study enriches the discourse on urban development by synthesising theoretical frameworks with empirical data, underscoring MVV 2.0's potential to influence Labu's growth positively, contingent upon carefully considering the city's unique socio-cultural and spatial dimensions. The research recommends for a sustainable approach that balances economic growth with community well-being, preserve Labu’s heritage, and protects the environment, ensuring MVV 2.0 creates a vibrant and resilient community true to Labu’s identity.

Assessment of the Effect of Anticipated Factors on Real Estate Investment Performance of Insurance Companies in Nigeria

Inuwa Mohammed Danlami — 2025-08-29

Nigeria has a severe housing shortage of almost 28 million units, which is impeding social stability and economic prosperity. The National Housing Fund (NHF) Act and other legislative frameworks require insurance companies to invest a percentage of their premiums in real estate; nonetheless, the sector's actual investment is still quite small. To determine and rank the internal and external factors influencing Nigerian insurance firms' success in real estate investments, this study combines Factor Analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and the Relative Importance Index (RII) in a novel way. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 44 insurance companies, yielding solid, industry-specific insights. A methodological strength that improves the efficiency and clarity of interpretation is the PCA's ability to reduce 24 variables to six essential components, which together account for 83.32% of the total variance. While external variables like infrastructure, governance, and investor perception were shown to be significant but less dominant, internal factors like capital volume and fixed assets had the strongest influence (RII > 0.87). The study provides a new, empirically supported paradigm for identifying investment obstacles by fusing RII and PCA. By addressing the discrepancy between policy expectations and actual investment behaviours, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing specific recommendations for infrastructure planning, institutional capacity building, and policy reinforcement. The results offer a calculated plan for employing insurance cash to alleviate the housing situation in Nigeria.