'It would be good to have a park in city'

'It would be good to have a park in city'

The city administration plans to convert the Menteng Soccer
Stadium into a park, which would include cafes and a jogging
track. This despite the fact that the capital, home to about nine
million people, has only five large sports stadiums open to the
public. The Jakarta Post asked residents for their thoughts on
the plan.

Yvette Worang, 30, works as a public relations officer for the
Pura Indah Group at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. She
lives in Tebet, South Jakarta:

It would be a great idea to have a park in the heart of
Jakarta. Taman Senopati is not really a park that children can
play in because there are no supporting facilities.

Jakarta is too full of malls. There are no outdoor facilities
for children. Even if there are, they are usually in the suburbs.

Considering that many people live in apartments now, the idea
of a park is a very good one because it would gives children the
opportunity to run around outside.

Options for outdoor sports are limited to swimming and soccer.
We need to be under the sun rather than exercise inside air-
conditioned rooms.

I would take my children to the park if the management could
ensure it was secure, had proper facilities and was clean.

Irene Pingkan Umboh, 28, manages the Australian Education
Center in South Jakarta. She lives in Bintaro, South Jakarta:

I think the idea of a park in Menteng is a good one because we
do not have a public park in the center of the city.

People today go to malls for entertainment and recreation. But
I doubt this will last long because Indonesians tend to destroy
public facilities.

I do not think we lack outdoor facilities because housing
estates are very comfortable for jogging, especially in Bintaro,
where I live. There are still trees and it is nice to take my dog
out for a walk. Therefore, I would not go all the way to Menteng.

I would be concerned about my safety. I might go to the
opening ceremony and that is about it. Unless they could really
ensure that the park was comfortable, clean and safe, I do not
think I would go there.

--The Jakarta Post