Expert warns that revitalisation of Gedung Sate-Gasibu should not be merely short-term

Bandung (ANTARA) - Professor at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering (FTSL) ITB, Harun Al Rasyid Lubis, has warned the West Java Provincial Government that plans to unify the Gedung Sate and Gasibu Field areas should not be based on fleeting ideas without a solid Urban Design Guideline (UDGL). This comes in response to the Rp15 billion revitalisation project launched by West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi to transform the iconic area into an integrated public plaza. Harun emphasised that the arrangement of historical areas must refer to a comprehensive hierarchy of area design planning, not just sporadic projects. “Don’t suddenly make it like (Teras) Cihampelas, for example, by adding something. Was there planning first? If not, then plan it, and don’t just focus on that one point,” Harun said when met after an infrastructure discussion in Bandung on Friday. Harun stressed that Bandung has interconnected colonial-era historical assets, from the Post Office to the railway area. According to him, the government should carry out macro-level arrangements for public historical buildings to maintain the city’s identity while ensuring modern functionality. However, he deemed it acceptable if the Governor wants to create a spacious plaza akin to the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) concept, but the absolute requirement is the availability of integrated spatial and transport plans within a clearly defined area diameter. “Planning involves high-level spatial planning, then spatial plans, transportation, and at the lowest level, urban design. Has that been done so far?” Harun questioned. Previously, West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi stated that integrating Gedung Sate-Gasibu is one of the aims to break the chronic congestion on Jalan Diponegoro, especially during protest actions. Under the plan, the existing Jalan Diponegoro that separates Gedung Sate and Gasibu will be closed, and vehicle flow will be redirected to loop towards a new Jalan Diponegoro that will cut through Gasibu Field in front of the Pullman Hotel. Dedi emphasised that even though the roads are rearranged and public space is expanded, residents’ rights to voice opinions will still be allowed and fully respected without severely sacrificing Bandung’s traffic flow.