Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has highlighted the\nimportance of building cities oriented towards public health through the\nprovision of green spaces and strengthening the walkable city concept.\nThis approach is seen as a strategic and efficient step to curb\nlong-term healthcare costs.<\/p>\n
He reminded that regional development should not only focus on\nshort-term economic growth but also consider the impacts on public\nhealth and quality of life. This was stated by him at the Indonesian\nCity Governments Association (APEKSI) forum in Banda Aceh on Monday\n(20\/4\/2026).<\/p>\n
\u201cBy building many parks, plenty of green spaces for sports\nactivities, and pedestrian areas, it is far cheaper than the costs of\nsubsidising people who fall ill,\u201d Tito said in a written statement on\nTuesday (21\/4\/2026).<\/p>\n
He explained that the walkable city concept encourages the creation\nof comfortable urban spaces for walking, exercising, and social\ninteraction. According to him, cities designed with this approach will\ncontribute to improving public health as well as residents\u2019\nproductivity.<\/p>\n
Tito also cited best practices implemented in Singapore, which has\nsuccessfully integrated green spaces and public facilities into its city\nplanning. He assessed that investments in parks and pedestrian paths\nhave proven to yield significant economic benefits, including reducing\nthe burden on healthcare financing.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Tito reminded of the importance of maintaining a balance\nin urban space utilisation. He urged local governments (Pemda) to\ncontinue preserving open green spaces as part of the environmental\nbuffer system.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t let everything be converted into purely commercial areas. All\nresidential. If it\u2019s all converted into residential areas, what happens?\nFirst, there are no green spaces as buffers. Suddenly what? Flooding,\u201d\nhe said.<\/p>\n
According to him, consistency in spatial planning policies is key to\nmaintaining urban development sustainability, while also preventing\nvarious environmental problems such as flooding and ecosystem quality\ndegradation.<\/p>\n
As an illustration, he mentioned the development of Banyuwangi\nAirport, which adopts an environmentally friendly concept by maximising\nnatural ventilation and minimising air conditioning use. He assessed\nthat commitment to maintaining this concept demonstrates the importance\nof policy consistency in achieving sustainable development.<\/p>\n
He added that the presence of green spaces plays an important role\nnot only aesthetically but also as water absorption areas and\nenvironmental balance buffers. Without good spatial management, various\nrisks such as river narrowing and potential flooding can increase.<\/p>\n
\u201cI invite regional heads to view the city as a living space that\nsupports overall community welfare, not merely as a centre of economic\nactivity,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/home-affairs-minister-urges-local-governments-to-implement-walkable-city-concept-for-creating-healthy-cities-1776768732", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }