Abandoning the city?

Abandoning the city?

The historic drop in Jakarta's population was happily greeted by Governor Sutiyoso quoted in Sept. 20 The Jakarta Post as saying "Whatever the reason, it gives us fewer problems and people to take care of". Unfortunately this celebration might be short-lived as this news may prove to be a case where, to paraphrase, for every silver-lining there is a cloud.

For the past few decades the political leadership and private developers of Indonesia have guided the urban development of Jakarta based in a large part on American models of automobile- dependent suburban sprawl. Unfortunately, the appealing image of suburban life in the United States as presented on television is not balanced by an understanding of the social, environmental, traffic, and financial problems that suburbanization has caused, even in the land of low population densities, empty land and lots of money.

If Jakarta is indeed following in the footsteps of American cities then it would do well to study the history of problems there. If there is any similarity to the American urban crises since the 1960s, the people moving out of Jakarta are those who can afford to buy the California-style houses in the real estate developments of the Bogor, Jakarta and Bekasi area (Botabek). The population shift to Botabek will be followed by the shopping malls and then the service sector jobs. As a poorer population becomes more concentrated in Jakarta , the Governor's headaches are likely to get worse rather than better. As people, shopping centers and businesses move out, the tax base decreases, public transportation quality decreases, and air pollution and traffic problems worsen as more and more people choose to drive into and around Jakarta in their own cars. They won't necessarily be going to somewhere in Jakarta but will instead be passing through from Tangerang on the way to Bekasi or Bogor. This cycle will turn into a vicious circle driving more of the rich out of Jakarta.

Since independence, Indonesia's leaders have dreamed of making Jakarta into a "modern metropolis" like the cities of the developed world. The Governor is likely to be rudely awakened from this dream only to find that it has become a nightmare. If Jakarta's leaders were to look at what American cities are trying to do to turn the urban crisis around they would realize that it is much better to build on and enhance Jakarta's own strengths of compact local communities, dynamic small-scale entrepreneurs and extensive paratransit -- three things that we American urbanists wish we had.

ROBERT COWHERD

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