A place to stay

A place to stay

A teenager was being driven through a clean, tidy residential
area on the Jakarta's outskirts and said, "Hey I could live here,
how come it's not macet?", referring to Jakarta's dreadful
traffic jams. Bliss is a single day here without congested roads,
and she had been living a whole week of it. She saw wide shady
roads and morning joggers in the park, accessible eateries, signs
to public swimming pools and welcoming, colorful banners --
although they were distracting to drivers in their spirited
promotion of new clusters of homes and an automotive bazaar.

The atmosphere showed that things are alive and well and
growing in the satellite cities after the economic crisis peak in
1998, as the recent series on the subject in this newspaper
suggests.

Long before 1998, we had seen the rapid growth of these new
towns, drawing controversy over the buying out of low-priced land
from locals, and criticism over the self-claimed labels of
"satellite cities" as they were far from "self contained" -- a
key criteria for a satellite city -- with their commuters
actually causing even more congestion. They also drew ridicule
over some of their concepts, gaudy designs and for naming the
housing estates after European cities.

But the areas have no doubt proved to be an alternative for
families sick of crowded provincial capitals and for new and
retiring couples, with schools and hospitals being within easy
reach. They have become living laboratories of behavioral change
with property development companies intent on, for example,
keeping the streets clean. If Indonesians are made to feel
embarrassed about throwing food and trash out of their trendy
sedans, it is only because they sense they are residents of a
reputable area, then this is progress indeed.

More sensitive is the experiment on how the cities can balance
the needs of the rich and poor, in their own interests of keeping
the peace, not only within the towns, but also with residents of
the kampongs, which are their closest neighbors. Such experiences
should become valuable lessons for any other residential areas
where some posh locals try to distinguish themselves by various
means from the "kampong people."

Indeed the property development companies also expects the
government to do more of its share, such as building and
maintaining major roads and providing comfortable public
transportation for everyone. One property manager once spoke for
many others when he said that there is only so much the private
sector can do, pointing to Kuala Lumpur's satellite city of Putra
Jaya -- now Malaysia's proud administrative capital -- which
benefited from early government-provided infrastructure.

But commuters in filthy, crammed trains should be forgiven if
they feel that the property management companies, who must have
profited all these years from their big estates and satellite
cities, could do much more, other than provide reliable, decent
trains only for the well to do. It is essential to these growing
towns that the poor are not left out, which becomes the
unintended message if public facilities are perceived to be only
directed at those who can afford to pay for it.

And with the introduction of regional autonomy, the private
companies in charge have the extra challenge, and opportunity, of
helping to facilitate the cooperation between competing
authorities flush with new-found powers. In their locations
bordering poor regencies and provinces, the residents would be
caught in between if local authorities blame each other on issues
of flooding, for instance.

Like several of the world's cities, satellite cities are
inevitable and even can become new, vibrant areas. In the towns
popping up all around Jakarta, international schools have moved
into the new towns and new universities have sprouted up. On the
road, heads turn in envy at the sight of comfortable buses plying
the route to and from the new towns.

The residents can thank the development companies and also
their designers for their brilliant vision, meticulous planning
and monitoring of the construction of the cities. With continued
dedication -- and sensitivity -- the areas will hopefully be real
satellite cities, where most residents also work in them, and
where poor locals do not feel alienated outside the malls and
mansions, and 10-meter high walls.