alan,
bandar botanic won a prestigious award for its town planning design. it's one of the first for a developer to win it. on top of that, utilities are also well thought of. u dont see power lines on the street, its all underground. the sewerage system connects to a centralised sewage treatment plant, and a lot more.
the so-called 'ponds' have a dual (or more) duty, they act as water retention/detention ponds, they're designed to be aesthetic so that people can have a 'lake side' environment and they also indirectly help with 'regulating' temperatures of the surrounding area.