Blok M district to be renovated: Urban planner<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Blok M district in South Jakarta will be
\nrenovated in anticipation of two upcoming mass rapid transit
\nprojects -- a subway system and a three-tier transit system, an
\nurban planner said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Mohammad Danisworo, head of the Center for Urban Design
\nStudies, said the renovation would be based on city urban design
\nguidelines.<\/p>\n
Danisworo of the Bandung Institute of Technology said that
\nrenovating the Blok M area was badly needed because many shops in
\nthe area were empty or being neglected by their owners.<\/p>\n
\"Blok M used to be an important business area, but it's
\nslowing down now. The renovation is expected to help maximize the
\nuse of existing facilities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The renovation project will include, among other things, the
\nconstruction of necessary facilities, such as comfortable
\npedestrian facilities, he said, but declined to give details.<\/p>\n
He just said that it was uncomfortable for pedestrians in Blok
\nM because there was no protection from rain and heat.<\/p>\n
\"It's already uncomfortable to walk around there,\" said
\nDanisworo, who is also head of city's architecture consultancy
\nteam.<\/p>\n
The 730-hectare Blok M area currently accommodates markets,
\ntraditional and modern shopping centers, a bus terminal, malls,
\noffice buildings and entertainment spots.<\/p>\n
The city is planning to build two mass rapid transit systems
\n-- a subway system connecting Blok M to downtown Kota in West
\nJakarta, and a three-tier transit system connecting Bintaro in
\nSouth Jakarta to Kota. A main station of the three-tier transit
\nsystem will be located in Blok M.<\/p>\n
\"The completion of the mass rapid transit projects will
\nattract an increasing number of visitors to Blok M. Therefore, it
\nis time to prepare for them now,\" Danisworo said.<\/p>\n
In 1949, the Blok M area was originally designed as a
\nresidential area. In the 1960s, it was only known for its busy
\nbus terminal and market.<\/p>\n
The Blok M market was later built by former governor Ali
\nSadikin to accommodate traders from nearby Blok A and Mayestik
\nmarkets. In the early 1990s, the existing terminal was renovated
\ninto a modern terminal along with an underground mall by former
\ngovernor Wiyogo Atmodarminto.<\/p>\n
Danisworo said that besides the renovation of Blok M, some
\nother projects were currently under construction based on urban
\ndesign guidelines. The projects include a superblock prioritizing
\npedestrian facilities on Jl. Prof. Satrio and Mega Kuningan
\nsuperblock in Kuningan, South Jakarta, and Central Business
\nDistrict on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"We haven't finished evaluating all guidelines yet,\" Danisworo
\nsaid. The evaluation, he said, was necessary to accommodate rapid
\ndevelopment changes in the city.<\/p>\n
\"The guidelines, for example, should accommodate development
\nprogress for at least the next five to 10 years,\" Danisworo said.<\/p>\n
He said the guidelines were expected to give certain areas in
\nthe city specific characteristics, which would enable people to
\nnotice differences once they were there.<\/p>\n
On Jl. Satrio, the city is currently developing a pedestrian-
\nfriendly environment, in which pedestrian facilities were the
\nmain feature of the plans. The project will consist of a mall,
\ntwo hotels, and sidewalks between six and 10 meters wide,<\/p>\n
The project combines the experience of Orchard Road in
\nSingapore, The Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain, Champs-Ellysees in
\nParis, France and The Bund in Shanghai, China.<\/p>\n
Danisworo said that by implementing the guidelines, Jakarta
\nwas expected to be able to compete with other large cities
\nabroad.<\/p>\n
Deputy Governor of Economic and Development Affairs Tb.M. Rais
\nsaid the guidelines did not only focus on land use and width of
\ndevelopment projects, but also on a building's size and height,
\nand the depth of its basement.<\/p>\n
\"It's not enough if we depend on city planning alone, the
\nguidelines are more specific,\" Rais said yesterday.<\/p>\n
He said the municipality expected to implement the guidelines
\nthroughout the city soon. (ste)<\/p>",
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