'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