Decree needed to demolish walls, fences

JAKARTA (JP): A gubernatorial decree is needed to enforce the city's plan to demolish walls and fences separating high-rise buildings on the main thoroughfares, a councilor says.

Deputy spokesman of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction, Djenny Suharso, said that once the decree was issued, a provincial decree would be needed to implement the plan.

He said he believed building owners would not resist the plan if all the legal requirements were met by the administration.

"The administration should also tell building owners the purpose behind the plan," Djenny said.

The plan was first aired last year by the Indonesian Architects Association. It said Jakarta's architectural design had failed to retain the characteristic of a friendly Asian city.

The association criticized the planners for failing to leave spaces between buildings to allow office workers to spend more time outdoors.

In response Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said last year that a decree would be issued to support the idea.

He said the administration did not want an inhuman city with unfriendly high-rise buildings separated from each other by walls.

"But, it is not that easy to implement. Building owners are mostly reluctant to demolish their walls and fences, for security and financial reasons. The administration cannot force building owners to demolish their fences," he said.

Surjadi also said there would be no walls or fences separating high-rise buildings in the future.

"We have decided that no fences or walls will go up in the new developments in some areas, including Kuningan, South Jakarta," Surjadi said.

In the future, he said, there would not be a clear border between one building and another, only small gardens or paths, and people would not have to leave one block just to enter another building because there would be walkways connecting the buildings.

He said pedestrian flow would be high because people would be able to easily go from one building to another.

"Under the plan, the public would be able to enjoy the green areas that will replace the walls," Surjadi said.

Deputy governor of economic and development affairs Tb. M. Rais said earlier the city would implement the first plan along Jl. Thamrin, Central Jakarta.

Rais said it might also ease traffic because people could park their cars at one building and walk to the next. (ste)