Surabaya becomes a progressive metropolis<\/p>\n
Surabaya has always been known as a trading city. Indian, Chinese
\nand Arab merchants brought their goods to the city by the Kalimas
\nRiver. Then some of these traders decided to form their own
\ncommunities and settled in areas close to the river.<\/p>\n
They lived in harmony with the indigenous residents and many
\nmarried locals. This acculturation led to the establishment of
\nthe Arabic settlement area in Ampel and in Pecinan (Chinatown).<\/p>\n
Today, Surabaya has developed into an industrial and trading
\nhub. In 2003, the city's average economic growth was 4.8 percent,
\nand this year that figure is expected to rise to 5.5 percent.
\nProjected figures for 2005, 2006 and 2007 are 6.5 percent, 7.6
\npercent and 8.2 percent, respectively.<\/p>\n
The period between 2003 and 2004 were witness to the bright
\nprospects for trading in the city, with shopping centers and
\nretail shops mushrooming.<\/p>\n
Some of the new shopping centers are Maspion Square, Pakuwon
\nTrade Center, Supermal Pakuwon Indah, Sungkono Trade Center,
\nDarmo Trade Center (DTC) and Carrrefour Hypermarket in Golden
\nCity. Some of the older shopping centers include Tunjungan Plaza,
\nJembatan Merah Plaza and Surabaya Plaza.<\/p>\n
New office buildings were also put up in 2003 and 2004, such
\nas Graha Wonokoyo and Menara Standard Chartered. Older office
\ncompounds include Plaza Bumi Mandiri, Plaza BRI and Wisma
\nDharmala Surabaya.<\/p>\n
Ray White property consultant Edy Suwanto said the large
\nnumber of malls and shopping centers in Surabaya indicated that
\nthe prospects for the property business in Surabaya were bright.<\/p>\n
\"Highway facilities and the construction of the Suramadu
\n(bridge connecting Surabaya and Madura) greatly support the
\nretail business in Surabaya,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In his opinion, the presence of a large number of shopping
\ncenters also indicates the stronger purchasing power of the
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
Eighty percent of the some 1,000 units in the six-floor DTC,
\nwhich occupies 45,000 square meters of land and will be opened
\nfor operation on Oct. 31, 2004, have been sold. Each unit costs
\nbetween Rp 80 million and Rp 900 million.<\/p>\n
\"This shows that the market for trade centers is still bright
\nin Surabaya. Please note that the buyers have come from as far
\naway as Ujung Pandang and places in Kalimantan,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the intensified construction of shopping
\ncenters and industrial buildings has led to the demolition of
\nmany cultural sites and increased pollution in the city.<\/p>\n
In 1998, the number of motorized vehicles in the city stood at
\n923,633 and in 2000\/2001 that figure was down to 909,131.
\nHowever, in 2002\/2003, the figure rose by some 50 percent from
\nthe previous year.<\/p>\n
This increase in the number of motorized vehicles has led to
\nan imbalance between the condition of the roads and the number of
\nvehicles on these roads.<\/p>\n
Data compiled by the Surabaya traffic and highway service
\nshows that every day 11,370 motorized vehicles pass along Jl. A.
\nYani, the city's main street.<\/p>\n
This means about 3,000 motorized vehicles each hour or 50
\nevery minute pass along the street. However, the street was
\ndesigned to accommodate no more than 10,164 motorized vehicles a
\nday. Similarly, Jl. Wonokromo, which also can accommodate 10,164
\nmotorized vehicles a day, sees 11,126 motorized vehicles pass
\nalong it every day.<\/p>\n
As a result, pollution has become a major problem for
\nSurabaya. A report on the results of air pollution measurements
\nin the city found that the city's air can be considered good only
\nfor 27 to 51 days of the year.<\/p>\n
This means that most of the time (83 percent of the year),
\nSurabaya residents breathe polluted air. Most (some 70 percent)
\nof this pollution comes from motorized vehicles. Only 30 percent
\nof the pollution is attributed to industrial and household
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
Despite the pollution, Surabaya residents believe the city is
\na good place to live, earn a living and invest. A survey of
\nconsumer expectations conducted by Bank Indonesia backs up this
\nstatement.<\/p>\n
Between March 2003 and March 2004, the consumer confidence
\nindex was at 91 points, the consumer expectations index stood at
\n95 points and the economic condition index had passed 87 points.<\/p>\n
-- Indra Harsaputra<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/surabaya-becomes-a-progressive-metropolis-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }