Govt to limit town development

Govt to limit town development

BANDUNG: State Minister of Public Housing Akbar Tanjung said
Saturday that the government plans to limit the development of
new towns.

"The government will tighten rules on town development," Akbar
told reporters after opening a seminar called Planning for and
Control of New Town Development.

He did not elaborate on the rules but maintained that
development should be aimed at establishing self-contained
cities.

"Future towns should be self-contained cities that are able to
provide their residents with everything they need," he said.

He said that the new towns should be able to act as supporting
cities for larger cities.

"New towns should be able to curb the movement of people to
large cities and draw them away from crowded urban centers," he
said, citing the successful development of new towns in Java such
as the 6,000-hectare Bumi Serpong Damai complex in the suburbs of
Jakarta.

"We do not want the towns to be developed as an extension of
the big cities," he said.

Akbar was referring to a statement made by former environment
minister Emil Salim, who has suggested establishing a Greater
Jakarta Coordinating Board to solve the social and environmental
problems that affect the cities of Jakarta, Bekasi, Bogor and
Tangerang. (17/imn)