Holtorf's atlas best guide to Jakarta
Holtorf's atlas best guide to Jakarta
Jakarta, Jabotabek (Jakarta and Greater Jakarta)
Street Atlas & Index of Names
By Gunther W. Holtorf
11th Edition, Falk Verlag, Hamburg, 1997,
355 pages
Rp 58,000 (US$23.85)
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta's skyline has changed a lot in the past
10 years as new apartment buildings, office complexes and hotels
have appeared. Old hotels have been renovated, with some also
undergoing name changes. New toll roads have been built linking
the city's outlying areas and splitting the metropolis with its
network.
Jakarta's surrounding areas have kept up with the developments
in the city. Just look at the burgeoning areas in Bekasi and
Cikarang in the east, Serpong and Karawaci in the west, and
Depok, Cibinong, Sentul and Jonggol in the south. From luxurious
residential estates down to simple housing units, all have grown
substantially in number as though intended as a fortress around
Jakarta.
It is not surprising that the flow of motor vehicles from
Jakarta's peripheries into the city is seriously congested every
morning. The same traffic snarl occurs in the opposite direction
in the evening. A resident must be wise to the shortcuts to take
to avoid the interminable jams on the major thoroughfares. These
shortcuts, dubbed "mouse roads" in local parlance, are great for
cutting down on travel time. The traffic jams are not limited to
the city street network only but are ubiquitous in the peripheral
areas as well.
How to avoid being trapped in traffic jams in Jakarta? How to
use the narrow maze of roads which serve as vital shortcuts and
not find oneself hopelessly lost? A must for Jakartans and many
adventurous visitors in solving these problems is a handy and
detailed street atlas.
The best guide currently available is Gunther W. Holtorf's
Jakarta, Jabotabek, (Jakarta and Greater Jakarta): Street Atlas
and Index of Names, which was recently published in its 11th
edition. The first edition came out in 1977.
The maps in the new edition, designed by Holtorf and based on
topographical data of the National Coordinating Board for Surveys
and Mapping, are notable for several additions and improvements
from the previous version of 1993.
At least three countries - Germany, Hungary and Indonesia -
were involved in the production of the book. The publisher of the
atlas is Falk Verlag, a leader in map production based in
Hamburg. The setting of the maps was done in Munich.
Hungary handled the cartography. Indonesia was responsible for
the printing through PT Intermasa, and distribution by PT
Djambatan, especially for Indonesia.
There are 85 new maps in this edition. These cover Bebelan,
Bogor, Bojonggede, Cibinong, Cikarang, Cileungsi, Cipondoh,
Dadap, Depok, Gunung Geulis, Gunung Putri, Jombang, Kaliabang,
Karawang, Parung, Pulau Seribu, Puspitek, Sentul, Setu, Tambun
and Tigaraksa.
There are 54,000 entries in the index of names (pp. 204-352),
an increase of 19,000 from the previous edition.
The edition is trilingual, in Indonesian, English and German,
which widens considerably its accessibility to users.
The edition also refers to kelurahan (district offices) in
Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi, known by the acronymn
Jabotabek, complete with their zip codes. This is a helpful
addition in locating complete postal addresses.
The index lists the many apartment buildings in Jakarta and
its surroundings, real estate areas, official housing complexes,
low-cost housing developments, and housing complexes developed by
state housing company Perumnas.
A reference guide on museums, parks, recreational venues,
plazas and malls in Jakarta and its surroundings is contained in
the index.
The atlas also allows for plans for new roads, including toll
roads. Although the Serpong-Jakarta (Bintaro) toll road is still
in the developmental stages, the proposed road is included in a
map. This is also the case with the Pondok Pinang-Meruya outer
ring road and the Ciawi-Bogor toll road. These inclusions are
helpful because people can anticipate developments in an area and
plan accordingly.
The guide is necessary for those unfamiliar with Jakarta's
environs. Foreigners residing in Jakarta, both long-term
residents and those newly arrived, will certainly need this
atlas. The guide is useful for pinpointing the location of one's
residence to acquaintances and friends. The atlas will also be
useful for people living in Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi.
Some minor errors in spellings and names do not detract from
the guide's overall value.
The publisher should consider an index with separate listings
grouping street names, apartment buildings, housing complexes,
shopping centers, and the like for the next edition. This will
round out this already invaluable help in getting around in the
city.
-- Pamusuk Eneste