Better City, Better Life?<\/p>\n
The older Jakarta gets, the more disorderly it becomes. A
\nbefitting statement, perhaps, as the capital celebrates its 477th
\nanniversary this month.<\/p>\n
While many cities across the globe have grown better managed
\nand more civilized with age, Jakarta is not yet on the right
\ntrack to becoming a real \"home\" for its nine million inhabitants.<\/p>\n
Continual conflicts of interest between the city management
\nand citizens have almost brought development to a standstill.<\/p>\n
Unclear policies regarding the city's management have
\nfrequently led to tragedy, especially for the poor. The
\ndemolition of shanties and illegal houses, as well as the
\nevictions of roadside vendors, could be cited as examples.<\/p>\n
Shanties, especially those along riverbanks, have been blamed
\nfor causing floods, while roadside vendors are said to cause
\ntraffic chaos. This is unfair, as the shanties are not the sole
\ncause of flooding, and roadside vendors are not the only party to
\nblame for traffic congestions. However, there will always be
\nscapegoats.<\/p>\n
Lately, demolitions have often been \"spiced\" with physical
\nclashes between public order officers and residents, a phenomena
\nthat suggests the authorities are not ready to humanely carry out
\ndemolitions. Nor can they find a better solution to deal with
\nthese \"illegal\" city dwellers.<\/p>\n
Evicted from one area, the poor move to another, and then to
\nanother. Houses are torn down for the lack of a permit, families
\nbecome drifters.<\/p>\n
It is an episodic story and, given the steady number of
\nincoming migrants, no resolution is in sight.<\/p>\n
The time has come for the administration to give the urban
\npoor -- who mostly work in the informal sector, including as
\nroadside vendors -- new opportunities, options even.<\/p>\n
It must find a way to protect the informal sector and, if
\npossible, adapt it to become an integral part of the national
\neconomic system. In this way, their role in the national economy
\nwould be acknowledged and secure.<\/p>\n
As for their place of residence, by necessity, the poor are
\nmostly squatters. It is interesting, in this context, to mull the
\nsuggestion of Wardah Hafidz of the Urban Poor Consortium: To
\nadapt the success stories of Thailand and India, whose
\ngovernments made plots available to poor families, and asked them
\nto buy the land in installments. A strong political will,
\nhowever, is the key.<\/p>\n
Development in Jakarta at present would seem far from
\ndirectional. Shopping malls, plazas, whatever you want to call
\nthem, cast a gloomy shadow. The program to alleviate poverty has
\nnever been consistent, nor well-planned, but if the
\nadministration fails to provide appropriate ways to deal with
\npoverty, the myriad of existing problems will not be resolved.<\/p>\n
The gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider and
\nwider. Many people can afford to buy a one-billion-rupiah car,
\nwhile others can hardly make even Rp 500,000 a month. With the
\nunemployment rate still high, the number of hungry people cannot
\nbe expected to diminish. This could lead to jealousy resulting in
\nsocial unrest. The steady crime rate is another indicator of the
\ndistressing economic situation suffered by so many citizens.<\/p>\n
For the moment, Jakartans can only hope that regional autonomy
\nwill work properly -- which would comprise the provision of jobs
\nby other provinces for their own citizens. That way, provincial
\njob seekers would no longer need to knock at Jakarta's door.<\/p>\n
If this could be achieved, Jakarta would be able to raise
\nitself up as a more humane and more secure city. Unfortunately,
\njudging from the current scenario -- and without good guidance or
\nan integrated plan -- becoming a better city is a tall order.
\nThus, we fear that Governor Sutiyoso's motto \"Better City, Better
\nLife\" will remain an empty slogan. It seems that 477 years is too
\nshort a time for Jakarta to develop.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/better-city-better-life-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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