Open, green spaces continues to disappear: Agency<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Planning Agency said in a preliminary evaluation of
\nthe city's 2000-2010 master plan that open and green spaces in
\nthe capital had decreased by 14 percent in the last 19 years.<\/p>\n
According to the agency, open and green spaces in Jakarta
\ncurrently account for 21.5 percent of the city's total area of
\n65,680 hectares. That figure is smaller than in 1996 when there
\nwere 16,361 hectares of open and green space, or 24.9 percent of
\nthe total area of Jakarta. Nine years earlier, green space
\naccounted for 18,910 hectares, or 28.8 percent of the city's
\narea.<\/p>\n
\"This declining trend is not in line with our 2000-2010 master
\nplan,\" the report said.<\/p>\n
The agency held a workshop on Monday to discuss the issue. The
\nworkshop was attended by city councillors, city administration
\nofficials, non-governmental organizations and scholars.<\/p>\n
The 2000-2010 master plan requires the administration to
\nmaintain the city's open and green spaces -- including parks,
\nstreet greenbelts and riversides -- at 13.94 percent of the
\ncity's total area.<\/p>\n
Environmentalists have repeatedly said that ideally, green
\nareas should account for about 30 percent of the city's total
\narea to help ease flooding and reduce air pollution.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Parks Agency reported earlier that over 300
\nproperties -- including gas stations, police posts, power relay
\nstations, shops and kiosks -- had occupied green areas.<\/p>\n
The administration revised its 1985-2005 master plan in 1999,
\ncreating what is now the 2000-2010 master plan. The revision
\nallowed more green space to be converted into business and
\ncommercial centers.<\/p>\n
In its preliminary evaluation, the planning agency says
\nsquatters are partly responsible for the disappearance of green
\nspaces, adding that the administration should also share some of
\nthe blame for its weak control over land use.<\/p>\n
\"The banks around many small lakes in South Jakarta and rivers
\nin West Jakarta have been occupied by squatters, examples of
\nillegal occupation,\" the report said.<\/p>\n
The agency said many developers had illegally constructed
\nbuildings without first obtaining land use or building permits
\nfrom the administration.<\/p>\n
\"In addition, many open and green spaces have been occupied by
\nstreet vendors,\" it said.<\/p>\n
Open and green spaces include areas like parks, city forests,
\nmedian strips, rivers and small lakes. Some of the spaces are
\nowned by private parties and therefore subject to conversion to
\nother purposes.<\/p>\n
Urban planning expert Marco Kusumawijaya said the
\nadministration's failure to protect the city's green spaces was
\nsymbolic of its shortcomings.<\/p>\n
\"It is related to the administration's absence of a far-
\nsighted vision and comprehensive planning to manage the space
\nprofessionally in accordance with its relevant functions,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"The administration must have accurate and valid data on the
\nreal situation of the land as well as its functions. Otherwise,
\nhow they can manage it in accordance with the master plan?\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/open-green-spaces-continues-to-disappear-agency-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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