Metropolis still a pseudo concept<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Over 1 million people working in Jakarta have no better choice
\nbut to reside in the suburbs of Greater Jakarta, which in fact
\nfall within the jurisdictions of West Java and Banten provinces.<\/p>\n
Besides the fact that a house with a backyard in the suburbs
\nis more affordable -- even though it may take 10 to 20 years to
\nfinish paying off the installments -- it can also be a good
\ninvestment thanks to the rapid development of industrial and
\ncommercial premises in each of the new towns.<\/p>\n
However, according to urban planners, the mushrooming
\ndevelopment of satellite cities has gone off track from its
\ninitial concept of self-contained settlements that are supposed
\nto take the burden off the capital.<\/p>\n
\"What at first were expected to be buffer towns to absorb
\nJakarta residents have turned into dormitory settlements,\" urban
\narchitect Darundono told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.<\/p>\n
He pointed to the influx of thousands of vehicles into the
\ncapital as well as spiraling fuel consumption and emissions as an
\nexample of the adverse impacts of the rapid growth of the new
\ntowns.<\/p>\n
The first concept for a Greater Jakarta came to light in mid
\n1980s when the central government authorized banks to support
\ndevelopers who had plots of land of more than 500 hectares to
\ndevelop.<\/p>\n
Imitating the development of new towns in some European
\ncountries and the United States, where residential areas were
\nmoved to the outskirts, the Jakarta administration designed the
\nexpansion of the city to go as far as Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and
\nBekasi: \"Jabodetabek\" for short.<\/p>\n
Each buffer town was expected to have its own function --
\nwhether it was designed as industrial area with housing complexes
\nor a residential area with a business district -- equipped with
\nall the public facilities of a real town, such as parks, schools
\nand a public transportation system.<\/p>\n
The first one built was Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) in 1987 in
\nTangerang, about a one hour drive from the city. This was
\nfollowed later by the development of Lippo Karawaci, also in
\nTangerang.<\/p>\n
The booming housing development business at that time had
\nunfortunately given opportunities for unscrupulous officials to
\nrake in fortunes by allowing any company to develop even 20
\nhectares of land into housing complexes without appropriate
\npublic facilities.<\/p>\n
Another urban planner from Tarumanegara University, Suryono
\nHerlambang, pointed to the existence of several other small
\nhousing complexes in between BSD and Lippo Karawaci as an example
\nof deviations to the grand plan.<\/p>\n
\"The idea was to separate each of the centers of growth with
\nan area of at least 20 to 30 kilometers of green, productive area
\nto be used as, for example, agricultural farms by the residents
\nin a bid to create a self-sustaining town. Moreover, there should
\nhave been a public transportation system to connect each of the
\ntowns.<\/p>\n
\"But as we can see now, the whole area has turned into a
\nconcrete jungle where residential areas are confronted with
\nshopping malls,\" he told the Post.<\/p>\n
Suryono has suggested that all related administrations start a
\nredesign of Greater Jakarta, in order to reduce the numbers of
\npeople traveling into and out of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Darundono also highlighted the fact that the uncontrolled
\ndevelopment of new towns along the green belt area has also made
\nGreater Jakarta even more prone to flooding.<\/p>\n
\"The administrations should work together to establish mass
\nrapid transportation system and stop the development of new
\ntowns,\" he asserted.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/metropolis-still-a-pseudo-concept-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}