As cities in Southeast Asia grow denser and take on waves of foreign investment, they are experiencing mega-urbanization with an outward sprawl of expansion. This trend is especially clear in cities like Kuala Lumpur, where the population within city limits now represents just a quarter of Greater Kuala Lumpur. This trend provides businesses with new avenues for expansion, looking beyond traditional CBDs to emerging districts that offer accessibility, liveability, and long-term growth potential.

In Malaysia, regional developer Gamuda Land is meeting that need through mindful masterplanning—an approach that integrates homes, workplaces, leisure, education, healthcare, and nature into cohesive, future-ready townships. Its flagship projects—Gamuda Cove in the south and Gamuda Gardens in the north of Greater Kuala Lumpur—aim to become magnets for global brands, investors, and talent.

Masterplanning with the long view

Gamuda Land’s unique approach lies in how it builds towns from the ground up—not just housing, but an intentional masterplan that supports a thriving community and business base.

Infrastructure is planned and delivered in phases so that schools, parks, retail, offices, and public transport are in place as the township grows. Sustainability is embedded from the start: Gamuda Cove, for example, is Malaysia’s first private township to receive the nation’s highest certification for low-carbon city framework—the 5-Diamond Low Carbon City 2030 rating—recognizing its commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 45% by 2030.

This long-term planning creates the conditions for businesses to flourish within a built environment designed for resilience, connectivity, and well-being.

Strategic location, deep talent pool
Strategically located for growth, the 1,866-acre development of Gamuda Cove places businesses within 15 minutes of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, along with convenient access to Cyberjaya (‘Malaysia’s Silicon Valley’) and Putrajaya, the federal administrative capital, providing access to a workforce of over 300,000 professionals and 50,000 tertiary students in business and technology.

Additionally, its frontage along the ELITE Highway, one of the country’s busiest expressways, ensures high brand visibility and strong customer reach.

Gamuda Gardens in the northern hub meanwhile, spans 1,342 acres and offers a strategic location along the North–South Expressway and is just 30 minutes from Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC).

Partnerships that prove the model

Gamuda Land’s masterplans are not just about creating intentional infrastructure and design; they aim to cultivate the right environment for partners who share its long-term vision. By collaborating with like-minded organizations, the townships bring together innovation, sustainability, and community well-being to enable each development to grow into future-ready destinations.

This collaborative approach has attracted globally recognizable names—businesses and investors who share the same ambitions to shape a better future.

When Thailand’s Dusit International selected Gamuda Cove for its first signed hotel project in Malaysia, it was as much about the township’s comprehensive masterplan as the location.

"Gamuda Cove is the perfect setting for our ASAI Tropical concept. Its location next to the 90-acre Wetlands Arboretum and the 1,111-acre Paya Indah Discovery Wetlands, combined with the township’s integrated infrastructure—including leisure, retail, and transport—enhances the eco-tourism appeal and creates a seamless, nature-integrated guest experience", Gilles Cretallaz, Chief Operating Officer, Dusit International.

Gamuda Land worked closely with Dusit International to support site selection, planning approvals, and integration within the wider leisure precinct.

ASAI Gamuda Cove, slated to open in early 2026, is the first hotel under Dusit’s expanded ‘ASAI Tropical’ model, specifically tailored for properties located in areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Similarly, Taylor’s Education Group, operator of one of Asia’s top-ranked universities, is opening international schools in both Gamuda Cove and Gamuda Gardens. “The maturity of Gamuda Land’s infrastructure allowed us to share facilities, reduce capital costs, and make international education more accessible,” says Dato’ Loy Teik Ngan, chairman of Taylor’s Education Group.

In addition to educational and hospitality partners, Gamuda Gardens has become a hub for leisure and tourism with New Zealand-based Skyline Luge establishing itself in the Malaysia market.

"Since opening in December 2023, Skyline Luge Kuala Lumpur has achieved over 2.3 million rides, demonstrating strong consumer demand. Gamuda Gardens’ integrated infrastructure, expanding residential base, and well-planned commercial developments provide a platform for scalable leisure operations, signaling significant long-term business and tourism potential", Logan Chandler, General Manager, Skyline Luge Kuala Lumpur.

Skyline Luge Kuala Lumpur is located in Gamuda Gardens, featuring luge and zipline adventures.

ESG leadership as a business asset

Globally, ESG credentials are increasingly influencing investment decisions. Gamuda Berhad, Gamuda Land’s parent company, is the first and only Malaysian engineering and construction company with net-zero science-based targets validated and holds ISS ESG Prime status. The group was also ranked second in Asia for overall ESG by Institutional Investor Research in 2024.

Developments are designed according to market and stakeholder standards and can be delivered to BREEAM, LEED Platinum, and WELL benchmarks—providing corporate tenants with measurable, internationally recognized ESG credentials to report to investors and stakeholders.

In a competitive regional market, Gamuda Land’s townships offer more than just real estate, but an environment that encourage people to work, live, and play locally, along with a strategic foundation for business continuity, brand growth, and long-term value creation—all within communities built to stand the test of time.

For strategic partnership opportunities, explore further here.