Bianpoen finds Jakarta is getting worse<\/p>\n
By Rita A. Widiadana<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The 71-year old scholar Bianpoen felt bitter and
\ndesperate when he saw his beloved city of Jakarta inundated by
\nwater last week.<\/p>\n
\"I have never experienced such a bad situation. Jakarta is
\npresently in a dilapidated condition. We should be ashamed to see
\nthat our capital city is chaotic,\" lamented Bianpoen, an expert
\nin urban planning and the environment at the University of
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
For most Jakartans, flooding is a daily occurrence in the wet
\nseason. When the rains pour on Jakarta, unquestionably most of
\nthe city's streets are filled with dirty water and terrible
\ntraffic congestion, while piles of garbage and stinking odors
\nfollow suit.<\/p>\n
\"This is not about rains or water drainage systems which do
\nnot work properly; rather it is about poor city planning by an
\nineffective city administration,\" said Bianpoen, an avid
\nurbanist.<\/p>\n
Born in Mojokerto, East Java, in l930, Bianpoen graduated
\nfrom the University of Technology, Hanover in Germany in l961. He
\ntook his degree as doctor of economic sciences from Erasmus
\nUniversiteit, Rotterdam in the Netherlands in l983 where he wrote
\nhis doctoral thesis entitled Research and Development for Urban
\nManagement, Case-study Jakarta.<\/p>\n
His professional career started in l961 when he joined the
\nCity Planning Office of Hanover in Germany.<\/p>\n
He returned to Indonesia in l962 and became a lecturer of
\narchitecture at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).<\/p>\n
From l963 to l986, Bianpoen served as an expert staff member
\nfor city planning at the Jakarta administration and the director
\nof the Jakarta Research Center for Urban and Environmental
\nPlanning and Development.<\/p>\n
He is now a lecturer in urban environment, culture,
\narchitecture and cities at the University of Indonesia's post-
\ngraduate study. He also teaches architectural design at
\nUniversitas Pelita Harapan.<\/p>\n
Serving as an urban planning expert at the Jakarta government
\nagency for more than 20 years made him understand how difficult
\nit was to convince the city authority to properly implement a
\nwell-planned system and to abide by the existing city's master
\nplan for the good of the city and its society.<\/p>\n
Bianpoen said it is impossible to have a coherent, let alone
\nbeautiful city, without ideas and vision.<\/p>\n
He believes that the present Jakarta administration -- the
\ngovernor, his staff and the city council -- posses no vision at
\nall about how to create Jakarta as livable city.<\/p>\n
They are busy building shopping malls, business centers,
\nluxurious housing complexes and other unnecessary things, he
\nsaid. The city government and city councillors are competing with
\neach other to get the best facilities -- official cars, housing
\nand allowances.<\/p>\n
Self-interest<\/p>\n
\"Why don't they think of improving public transport and road
\nfacilities which are now very bad, and low-income housing rather
\nthan thinking of their own interests?\" Bianpoen angrily asserted.<\/p>\n
\"In my opinion only Ali Sadikin had a good vision of how the
\ncity should be,\" Bianpoen judged. During his term, he said,
\nJakarta was developed into one of the most prestigious cities in
\nAsia. The building of cultural venues like Taman Ismail Marzuki
\nArts Center, youth centers and also public schools were all Ali's
\nmain priority as well as business centers. He transformed the old
\nJakarta into a metropolitan city.<\/p>\n
\"Of course, he also had shortcomings. He moved too fast while
\nmany of his staff could not keep up with his pace. He also
\nprevented outsiders from coming to the city, which was in fact
\na violation of human rights,\" said the grandfather of three.<\/p>\n
But, at least, Jakarta could be proud. \"Ali succeeded in
\ncreating a respected city administration, that was one of his
\nimportant legacies,\" Bianpoen said.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, his successors could not continue Ali's
\ndevelopment programs probably because they did not share a
\nsimilar vision and capability to turn them into actions and
\npolicies.<\/p>\n
The results were dismaying. Jakarta has been growing into a
\nhuge slum with inadequate public facilities, uncontrolled
\ntransportation systems, a high level of air pollution and higher
\ncrime rates.<\/p>\n
\"Jakarta is probably comparable to Yangon in Myanmar in terms
\nof the city's physical condition. Don't compare Jakarta with
\nSingapore and Kuala Lumpur, we have lagged behind in many ways,\"
\nBianpoen said.<\/p>\n
Bianpoen does not see any strong force and political will from
\nthe city governor and his staff.<\/p>\n
\"The governor should not master all technical matters but he
\nshould become the driving force to improve the condition of the
\ncity,\" he said.<\/p>\n
It is his staff and experts who should carry out the tasks.
\nThe city council is also responsible for preparing the legal
\napparatus to control any development projects carried out by the
\nexecutive.<\/p>\n
\"The government and legal structures affect cities for good or
\nill. And the quality of urban design has something to do with the
\ngovernment,\" Bianpoen said.<\/p>\n
He went on to say that actually we cannot expect any governor
\nto dramatically improve the condition of a city during his term
\nof office which spans only around five years.<\/p>\n
\"What can you do in five years? Every governor wants to stamp
\nhis mark which is always one that has commercial priorities but
\ndestroys the master plan and the environment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The most important thing is to create good and honest
\ngovernance and solid legal system. \"It is the government staff,
\nexperts and the city councillors who actually play important
\nroles in the implementation of any policy,\" Bianpoen argued.<\/p>\n
Based on his experience in serving a number of governors,
\nBianpoen arrived at the conclusion that honest and capable staff
\nare much more significant than a one-man show or weak-willed
\ngovernor.<\/p>\n
\"There was a governor who was not so 'smart' but was willing
\nto hear advice from his subordinates and experts. Another
\ngovernor was too haughty to accept ideas,\" he remembered.<\/p>\n
Bianpoen said planning a city is not solely the responsibility
\nof the government. It also incorporates the community, private
\nsectors, non-government agencies and related parties.<\/p>\n
\"If we (academicians and scholars) criticize them, it is for
\nthe good of Jakarta and its society,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The government, he said, should not be blind and deaf to
\ncriticism but should have strong conviction about a vision that
\nis ideal for future generations, and maintain the crux of a
\nprogram that is aimed at carrying out city development in an
\nintegrated and visionary way.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bianpoen-finds-jakarta-is-getting-worse-1447893297",
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