Jakarta as a Global City Must Be Safe and Cultured

Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta Rano Karno has stressed that in carrying out its new role as a global city, Jakarta is not solely focused on strengthening its economic and infrastructure aspects. More than that, Jakarta is also committed to building attractiveness, identity, security, and international networks. “Therefore, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government continues to develop tourism, culture, the creative economy, and historic areas as new interaction spaces for citizens, as well as attractions for tourists,” Rano said in Jakarta on Monday (22/6). Rano mentioned that efforts to strengthen the city’s identity are being carried out through the development of the Kota Tua area and the revitalisation of Setu Babakan as the Betawi Cultural Centre. In addition, the DKI Provincial Government is also strengthening Pasar Baru as a historic trading area, as well as arranging other strategic areas such as PIK and Pulo Gadung as new hubs for economic activity and public spaces. Beyond physical development, various sports, cultural, religious, and international-scale events are also continuously being presented. This step is taken to strengthen Jakarta’s position as a lively, open, and cultured city. In line with these steps, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is also encouraging the strengthening of Betawi customary institutions so that local values are maintained amidst modernisation. “This step is important so that the Betawi community increasingly plays a role as a strategic partner of the government in maintaining the city’s identity, fostering unity, strengthening cultural values, and supporting Jakarta’s future development,” Rano said. Rano stated that the city’s attractiveness must be supported by a sense of security and modern governance. To achieve this, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is now strengthening the use of technology through the integration of CCTV cameras into a real-time city monitoring system directly connected to security forces. This step is part of an effort to present city governance that is more adaptive, measurable, responsive, and data-based. He added that all efforts to strengthen mobility, connectivity, security, and city governance have so far yielded positive results. This is reflected in the improvement of Jakarta’s ranking from 74 to 71 in the Global City Index, as well as its position as the second safest city in Southeast Asia. Rano also appreciated the cross-sector collaboration that made these achievements possible. “All the achievements that have been made cannot be separated from the support of the DKI Jakarta Regional House of Representatives which oversees various development agendas, including accountable governance and regional financial management,” he concluded.