Finding a solution to Jakarta's lack of adequate housing<\/p>\n
From a center of intensive agricultural activity, Jakarta
\ngraduated to manufacturing and is redefining itself as the
\nfinancial and commercial capital of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
For decades, city planners have been involved in housing
\nprograms to cope with the growth of urban populations while
\nkampong improvement activities are in full swing to improve
\nconditions in existing areas.<\/p>\n
To accommodate the growing number of people belonging to the
\ninternational community, Jakarta has expanded immensely,
\nespecially toward the south, to provide expensive housing for all
\nthose looking for a home away from home.<\/p>\n
However, much of the city remains a patchwork of different
\nkampongs that are veritable villages within the big village of
\nJakarta, a home to many Indonesians who migrated from the rural
\nareas of Java as well as other parts of the archipelago.<\/p>\n
Jakarta's kampongs have in recent times multiplied into
\nself-contained urban villages with names that reflect the origins
\nof the residents; for example, Kampong Bali, Kampong Makassar and
\nKampong Melayu. These kampongs are generally overcrowded, noisy
\nand consist of extremely modest dwellings that are placed
\nextremely close to each other.<\/p>\n
But across a narrow lane, just a stone's throw away from a
\ncongested kampong, are vast areas of greenery and naked land
\nwhere villas, which often accommodate a single family, usually
\nstand.<\/p>\n
Despite such glaring disparity, Jakarta has avoided the
\nbulldozing of most kampongs unlike other developing countries.<\/p>\n
Instead, a kampong improvement program exists, and although it
\ntakes its time to implement changes, it has made life somewhat
\neasier for many in the city's worst slums.<\/p>\n
The idea is to use the support of residents to clean up life
\nin a kampong instead of getting the population to relocate
\nto new homes.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the city is also being converted into a megalopolis
\ncalled Jabotabek, an acronym of Jakarta, Bogor in the south,
\nTangerang in the west and Bekasi in the east, which are to be
\nincluded in the capital.<\/p>\n
Jabotabek is planned as an immense city of more than 7,500
\nsquare kilometers, which will absorb the adjoining population
\ncenters.<\/p>\n
It is hoped that the plan will relieve the pressure on the
\ncentral core, where 90 percent of the population is now living,
\nby reducing the concentration of people to 63 percent by 2005.<\/p>\n
Through various incentive schemes, new industrial and
\nresidential projects are being relegated to Jabotabek's
\nperipheral areas.<\/p>\n
Traffic pressure is expected to ease this way and expansion
\nonly to the south of Jakarta will also be halted in the long run.<\/p>\n
It is hoped that new residential areas will become as popular
\nas the southern spheres of Kemang and Pondok Indah and industries
\nand office complexes will also choose to station themselves in
\nthe eastern and western parts of the capital city.<\/p>\n
Despite the belief that the construction of high-rise
\napartments is not the only solution for low-income housing
\nproblems as people here traditionally like living close to the
\nground, the city does have an ambitious plan to provide more and
\nmore low-cost housing of very simple accommodation to the
\nsprawling mass of slum dwellers.<\/p>\n
Rumah Susun, the high-rise housing complex in Pejompongan, may
\nnot be a palace but it is considered a haven by many residents of
\nformer slums.<\/p>\n
For 30 years Darmy had lived by the intercity railway line
\nalong with hundreds of rural immigrants who had no access to
\ntoilets or running water.<\/p>\n
Now she lives in a tiled room fitted with electricity.<\/p>\n
In the early 1990s this slum area was burned down and three
\nresidential blocks, each nine stories tall with 30 apartments on
\nevery floor, were constructed.<\/p>\n
Each of the 21-square-meter accommodations with a balcony,
\nkitchen, attached toilet and bathroom was sold for Rp 12 million.<\/p>\n
For those like Darmy, who were brought up in tin shanties, to
\nwake up each morning at Rumah Susun is indeed a new dawn.<\/p>\n
However, Andri Sutandinata, a property development expert told
\nThe Jakarta Post that if a glut in a certain kind of housing is
\nto be prevented than developers should first find out what
\ncustomers want before committing to mass construction.<\/p>\n
Andri is against forcing an imported lifestyle on residents
\nhere who may not be able to afford all the luxuries available at
\ncertain serviced apartments here.<\/p>\n
The lesson learned from the economic crisis is that the
\nproperty market must indulge in less speculation in the future.<\/p>\n
\"We must start to build homes for real customers and not
\ninvestors,\" warned Andri. (Mehru Jaffer)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/finding-a-solution-to-jakartas-lack-of-adequate-housing-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}