Blok M district to be renovated: Urban planner

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)