JAKARTA is preparing itself ahead of its 500th anniversary in 2027.\nHowever, a multitude of tasks still shadow the city\u2019s future. The\nJakarta Provincial Government must work hard to realise the dreams of\nits residents. So, what steps must be taken?<\/p>\n
Firstly, Jakarta must be flood-free. Flood control must be focused,\ncarried out gradually and consistently, and yield measurable results.\nThere are three types of flooding: upstream floods, local floods, and\ntidal floods. Upstream floods occur due to the shrinking capacity of\nriverbeds caused by land-use changes for settlements along riverbanks.\nTherefore, widening riverbeds, dredging river depths, and land\nacquisition\u2014followed by the relocation of residents to decent vertical\nhousing\u2014are necessities. If two rivers can be rehabilitated per year,\n1s3 rivers could be completed within the next seven years.<\/p>\n
Local flooding requires the rehabilitation of all the city\u2019s drainage\nchannels. With only 33% of drainage channels currently functioning well,\nand a target of improving 7% per year, the drainage system will function\noptimally within the next 10 years. As for tidal flood management, this\nincludes the restructuring of the northern coastal areas. Settlements\nprone to flooding must be relocated to the nearest vertical housing, and\nland should be greened as a giant mangrove wall for coastal protection.\nThe development of a Water Supply System (SPAM) pipeline network serving\n100% of North Jakarta, followed by regulations limiting groundwater\nextraction, will significantly slow the process of land subsidence.<\/p>\n
EXPANDING GREEN OPEN SPACES<\/p>\n
Secondly, increasing the area of Green Open Space (RTH) from 5.6% (in\n2025) to 30% (by 2030) must be a commitment from all parties. RTH serves\nas a water absorption area to reduce flooding, while also acting as the\ncity\u2019s lungs to absorb air pollutants, cool the microclimate, and\nproduce oxygen. Various global indices for the best liveable and\nsustainable cities always demonstrate abundant RTH availability. Cities\nsuch as Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide have RTH areas of 40% each.\nSingapore has 39% RTH (and targets 56% by 2050). London, Paris,\nAmsterdam, Brussels, Stockholm, and Copenhagen have long been\nestablished as the best garden cities in Europe.<\/p>\n
Potential RTH can be maximised by developing lakes, ponds, and\nreservoirs, such as Waduk Pluit and Situ Lembang. Riverbanks and railway\nembankments can be converted into long, winding green corridors\nconnecting various RTH areas, serving as green corridors for wildlife,\nincluding bird migration paths. The areas beneath flyovers can be\ntransformed into parks and public interaction spaces, such as\nskateparks. The opening of 24-hour parks would provide inclusive public\nspaces open to all ages and social strata as a global city.<\/p>\n
Thirdly, Jakarta must be congestion-free. To achieve this, there are\ntwo strategies: encouraging residents to switch to public transport and\nlimiting private vehicle movement. The development of the public\ntransport network must be the backbone of future urban development.<\/p>\n
The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) south-north corridor from Lebak Bulus to\nBundaran Hotel Indonesia (HI) will soon extend to Monas (2027) and Kota\nTua (2029). For the west-east line, the MRT is preparing the\nTomang-Medan Staria corridor (northern Jakarta) and the Lebak\nBulus-Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) corridor (southern Jakarta).<\/p>\n
The Light Rapid Transit (LRT) Kelapa Gading-Velodrome will soon\nconnect to Manggarui (2026) and Dukuh Atas (2028). Meanwhile, the LRT\nfrom Kelapa Gading to the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS), Ancol,\nPantai Indah Kapuk, and Kosambi (PIK) is currently under technical\nstudy.<\/p>\n
Trans-Jakarta service development already covers 91% of Jakarta (as\nof 2025) and is targeted to reach 95% by 2030. Additionally, the\ndevelopment of new Transjabodetabek services (8 routes, 2026) is\nattracting residents from the greater Jakarta area, with hopes for\ncontinuous new route openings. The Transjabodetabek loop line is planned\nto run orbitally, connecting the borders of the Jabodetabek region.\nFurthermore, the plan to develop Jakarta Sea Transport to the Sribu\nIslands (TJ 1000) must be realised as a beautiful gift for the residents\nof the Thousand Islands.<\/p>\n
Fourthly, limiting private vehicle movement can be achieved by\nimplementing electronic road pricing (ERP), progressive electronic\nparking (increasingly expensive towards the city centre during work\ndays\/hours), low emission zones, vehicle-free zones, and\nTransit-Oriented Development (TOD) areas such as Blok M, Dukuh Atas,\nManggarai, and Kota Tua.<\/p>\n
The construction of pedestrian infrastructure (cable-free pavements,\npedestrian bridges\/tunnels, and building connectors) and cycling\ninfrastructure (lanes, signage, markings, parking, changing rooms, and\nworkshops) will make citizen mobility easier, safer, and more\ncomfortable.<\/p>\n
The Golkar Faction of the Jakarta Regional Legislative Council (DPRD)\nis urging the Provincial Government to curb the use of private vehicles,\nwhich is the primary cause of the capital\u2019s congestion.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/weaving-the-dreams-of-jakartas-residents-1782438616", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }