A place to stay<\/p>\n
A teenager was being driven through a clean, tidy residential
\narea on the Jakarta's outskirts and said, \"Hey I could live here,
\nhow come it's not macet?\", referring to Jakarta's dreadful
\ntraffic jams. Bliss is a single day here without congested roads,
\nand she had been living a whole week of it. She saw wide shady
\nroads and morning joggers in the park, accessible eateries, signs
\nto public swimming pools and welcoming, colorful banners --
\nalthough they were distracting to drivers in their spirited
\npromotion of new clusters of homes and an automotive bazaar.<\/p>\n
The atmosphere showed that things are alive and well and
\ngrowing in the satellite cities after the economic crisis peak in
\n1998, as the recent series on the subject in this newspaper
\nsuggests.<\/p>\n
Long before 1998, we had seen the rapid growth of these new
\ntowns, drawing controversy over the buying out of low-priced land
\nfrom locals, and criticism over the self-claimed labels of
\n\"satellite cities\" as they were far from \"self contained\" -- a
\nkey criteria for a satellite city -- with their commuters
\nactually causing even more congestion. They also drew ridicule
\nover some of their concepts, gaudy designs and for naming the
\nhousing estates after European cities.<\/p>\n
But the areas have no doubt proved to be an alternative for
\nfamilies sick of crowded provincial capitals and for new and
\nretiring couples, with schools and hospitals being within easy
\nreach. They have become living laboratories of behavioral change
\nwith property development companies intent on, for example,
\nkeeping the streets clean. If Indonesians are made to feel
\nembarrassed about throwing food and trash out of their trendy
\nsedans, it is only because they sense they are residents of a
\nreputable area, then this is progress indeed.<\/p>\n
More sensitive is the experiment on how the cities can balance
\nthe needs of the rich and poor, in their own interests of keeping
\nthe peace, not only within the towns, but also with residents of
\nthe kampongs, which are their closest neighbors. Such experiences
\nshould become valuable lessons for any other residential areas
\nwhere some posh locals try to distinguish themselves by various
\nmeans from the \"kampong people.\"<\/p>\n
Indeed the property development companies also expects the
\ngovernment to do more of its share, such as building and
\nmaintaining major roads and providing comfortable public
\ntransportation for everyone. One property manager once spoke for
\nmany others when he said that there is only so much the private
\nsector can do, pointing to Kuala Lumpur's satellite city of Putra
\nJaya -- now Malaysia's proud administrative capital -- which
\nbenefited from early government-provided infrastructure.<\/p>\n
But commuters in filthy, crammed trains should be forgiven if
\nthey feel that the property management companies, who must have
\nprofited all these years from their big estates and satellite
\ncities, could do much more, other than provide reliable, decent
\ntrains only for the well to do. It is essential to these growing
\ntowns that the poor are not left out, which becomes the
\nunintended message if public facilities are perceived to be only
\ndirected at those who can afford to pay for it.<\/p>\n
And with the introduction of regional autonomy, the private
\ncompanies in charge have the extra challenge, and opportunity, of
\nhelping to facilitate the cooperation between competing
\nauthorities flush with new-found powers. In their locations
\nbordering poor regencies and provinces, the residents would be
\ncaught in between if local authorities blame each other on issues
\nof flooding, for instance.<\/p>\n
Like several of the world's cities, satellite cities are
\ninevitable and even can become new, vibrant areas. In the towns
\npopping up all around Jakarta, international schools have moved
\ninto the new towns and new universities have sprouted up. On the
\nroad, heads turn in envy at the sight of comfortable buses plying
\nthe route to and from the new towns.<\/p>\n
The residents can thank the development companies and also
\ntheir designers for their brilliant vision, meticulous planning
\nand monitoring of the construction of the cities. With continued
\ndedication -- and sensitivity -- the areas will hopefully be real
\nsatellite cities, where most residents also work in them, and
\nwhere poor locals do not feel alienated outside the malls and
\nmansions, and 10-meter high walls.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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