Blok M district to be renovated: Urban planner

JAKARTA (JP): The Blok M district in South Jakarta will be renovated in anticipation of two upcoming mass rapid transit projects -- a subway system and a three-tier transit system, an urban planner said yesterday.

Mohammad Danisworo, head of the Center for Urban Design Studies, said the renovation would be based on city urban design guidelines.

Danisworo of the Bandung Institute of Technology said that renovating the Blok M area was badly needed because many shops in the area were empty or being neglected by their owners.

"Blok M used to be an important business area, but it's slowing down now. The renovation is expected to help maximize the use of existing facilities," he said.

The renovation project will include, among other things, the construction of necessary facilities, such as comfortable pedestrian facilities, he said, but declined to give details.

He just said that it was uncomfortable for pedestrians in Blok M because there was no protection from rain and heat.

"It's already uncomfortable to walk around there," said Danisworo, who is also head of city's architecture consultancy team.

The 730-hectare Blok M area currently accommodates markets, traditional and modern shopping centers, a bus terminal, malls, office buildings and entertainment spots.

The city is planning to build two mass rapid transit systems -- a subway system connecting Blok M to downtown Kota in West Jakarta, and a three-tier transit system connecting Bintaro in South Jakarta to Kota. A main station of the three-tier transit system will be located in Blok M.

"The completion of the mass rapid transit projects will attract an increasing number of visitors to Blok M. Therefore, it is time to prepare for them now," Danisworo said.

In 1949, the Blok M area was originally designed as a residential area. In the 1960s, it was only known for its busy bus terminal and market.

The Blok M market was later built by former governor Ali Sadikin to accommodate traders from nearby Blok A and Mayestik markets. In the early 1990s, the existing terminal was renovated into a modern terminal along with an underground mall by former governor Wiyogo Atmodarminto.

Danisworo said that besides the renovation of Blok M, some other projects were currently under construction based on urban design guidelines. The projects include a superblock prioritizing pedestrian facilities on Jl. Prof. Satrio and Mega Kuningan superblock in Kuningan, South Jakarta, and Central Business District on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Central Jakarta.

"We haven't finished evaluating all guidelines yet," Danisworo said. The evaluation, he said, was necessary to accommodate rapid development changes in the city.

"The guidelines, for example, should accommodate development progress for at least the next five to 10 years," Danisworo said.

He said the guidelines were expected to give certain areas in the city specific characteristics, which would enable people to notice differences once they were there.

On Jl. Satrio, the city is currently developing a pedestrian- friendly environment, in which pedestrian facilities were the main feature of the plans. The project will consist of a mall, two hotels, and sidewalks between six and 10 meters wide,

The project combines the experience of Orchard Road in Singapore, The Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain, Champs-Ellysees in Paris, France and The Bund in Shanghai, China.

Danisworo said that by implementing the guidelines, Jakarta was expected to be able to compete with other large cities abroad.

Deputy Governor of Economic and Development Affairs Tb.M. Rais said the guidelines did not only focus on land use and width of development projects, but also on a building's size and height, and the depth of its basement.

"It's not enough if we depend on city planning alone, the guidelines are more specific," Rais said yesterday.

He said the municipality expected to implement the guidelines throughout the city soon. (ste)