Implementation of new city planning 'must be delayed'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration must delay
\nimplementation of its ongoing spatial plan, while observing the
\nimportance of involving the public in the decision making process
\nand to making them aware of the abundance of urban problems in
\nthe capital, observers said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Marco Kusumawijaya, an expert on city spatial planning, said
\ncurrent spatial planning was disoriented as it didn't touch the
\nmajority's interests.<\/p>\n
"The city administration is planning to build subway tracks
\nthat will connect Fatmawati area in South Jakarta to the downtown
\nKota area on the border of Central Jakarta and West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"But, who will benefit from the project? Certainly not the
\nmajority of workers, who live in the eastern and western parts of
\nthe capital," Marco said while addressing a seminar on city
\nspatial planning.<\/p>\n
"The budget should, therefore, be used for the construction of
\nlow-cost housing for workers," he added.<\/p>\n
The old spatial plan of Jakarta, initially designed for the
\n1985-2005 period, has been replaced by a new one named Jakarta
\n2010, which was enacted in June 1999. The current spatial plan is
\nvalid for the 1995-2010 period.<\/p>\n
Danang Priatmodjo, a lecturer at Tarumanagara University's
\nSchool of Architecture, said similarly that the administration
\nhad failed to involve people in the decision making process.<\/p>\n
"The city administration cannot just convert ground floors of
\noffices along the city's thoroughfares Jl. M.H. Thamrin and Jl.
\nSudirman into pedestrian pathways.<\/p>\n
"The administration must obtain approval from the building's
\nowners and consider security arrangements for the buildings as
\npedestrian tracks are accessible to all people," Danang said.<\/p>\n
Slamet, a pedicab driver and activist of the Urban Poor
\nConsortium (UPC), said the administration didn't pay much
\nattention to the poor community in the capital.<\/p>\n
"The city administration only promotes high-rise buildings for
\nthe international community, but ignores development plans for
\npoor residents, like me," he said.<\/p>\n
Head of the City Planning Agency Ahmaddin Ahmad defended the
\nnew spatial plan claiming it has been designed to comply with
\nguidelines issued by the ministry of home affairs and regional
\nautonomy.<\/p>\n
"One of the priorities of the current spatial plan is the
\nwaterfront city development in the city's northern coastal area,
\nwhich was not covered in the previous plan," said Ahmaddin.<\/p>\n
Marco, however, questioned the importance of the waterfront
\ncity project, citing various violations on land permits issued by
\nthe city administration.<\/p>\n
"The reclamation projects of coastal areas in North Jakarta,
\naimed at building housing complexes, have damaged the mangrove
\nforest and ecosystems in the area," he said.<\/p>\n
When asked about the planning of green space in the capital,
\nAhmaddin said the city administration has planned to develop at
\nleast 9,544 hectares of green space by 2010, which is about 13.9
\npercent of the total area in the capital.<\/p>\n
But, Danang said that most green spaces had been converted to,
\namong others things, gas stations and commercial areas.<\/p>\n
"All these criticism and suggestions will be included in the
\nevaluation of the city spatial plan in 2004. I hope residents,
\ntogether with city administration officials, can formulate new
\nideas to monitor city development," Ahmaddin said. (07)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/implementation-of-new-city-planning-must-be-delayed-1447893297",
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