BTN and KAI to Develop Five TOD Residential Towers, These Are the Targeted Station Areas in Jakarta

PT Bank Tabungan Negara (Persero) Tbk (BTN) and PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) are exploring the development of transport-based housing or transit-oriented development (TOD). In the initial phase, the project targets the construction of at least five residential towers in strategic station areas. BTN President Director Nixon LP Napitupulu stated that this collaboration is a concrete step in addressing land limitations in large cities, particularly Jakarta. “We will start with a minimum of five towers,” Nixon said during a media briefing in Bandung, West Java, on Thursday (9/4/2026). According to him, this integrated housing project will focus on several major stations such as Senen, Manggarai, and Tanah Abang. In the future, a similar model will be developed in other large cities on Java Island, such as Bandung and Surabaya. Nixon assessed that the construction of vertical housing is an urgent need amid population growth that is disproportionate to land availability. “Jakarta’s land does not increase, but the population keeps growing. Therefore, housing in large cities must indeed move towards vertical housing,” he said. He emphasised that vertical housing development is also important for environmental sustainability, including protecting productive land and water recharge areas. “If we continue to force landed houses, productive land and rice fields could be depleted,” Nixon stated. BTN Consumer Banking Director Hirwandi Gafar added that proximity to public transportation is a key factor in the success of vertical housing. “If it’s far from transportation, it’s usually quiet. But if it’s close to the station, people will be more interested because it’s more efficient,” Hirwandi said. Nevertheless, BTN acknowledges challenges in developing vertical housing in Indonesia, one of which relates to public preferences for unit sizes. “The problem with vertical housing in Indonesia is that the studio types are too small,” Nixon remarked. BTN views the development of integrated housing with transportation as a long-term solution to meet urban housing needs while enhancing community mobility efficiency.