Mall regulation needed: Property expert
<p>Mall regulation needed: Property expert</p><p>Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta</p><p> The absence of a regulation on shopping centers has sparked
disorder in their development, turning Jakarta into an unpleasant
place to live because of serious traffic congestion.</p><p>Property consultant Panangian Simanungkalit said shopping
centers had mushroomed out of control without such a regulation
to check their development.</p><p>"The city administration needs to draft a regulation on
shopping centers so that there is a legal basis to order the
development of such facilities, particularly in already-crowded
areas," he told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.</p><p>Previously, head of the city economic agency Sukri Bey said
the administration would allow businessmen to build shopping
centers in any commercial area.</p><p>"The Jakarta City Planning Agency will issue permits for new
shopping centers as long as they are built in areas allocated for
commercial purposes," he added.</p><p>Panangian said public criticisms against the development of
shopping centers was sparked by concern about their construction
in inappropriate locations, including designated green areas.</p><p>He said Greater Jakarta, with a 27 million-strong population,
had around 2.2 million square meters of shopping centers with an
average occupation of around 85 percent. New shopping centers
were thus still needed, he added.</p><p>In comparison, Singapore had around 6 million square meters of
shopping centers to service a population of only around three
million.</p><p>Panangian said around 2.5 million square meters of new
shopping centers would be constructed in Greater Jakarta by 2007.</p><p>"It means the growth of shopping centers is nothing to worry
about ... as long as the new facilities are constructed in the
proper locations," he said.</p><p>Sukri said the administration had not known how much space for
shopping centers would be needed in the city, and that the
economic agency would hold a study on the demand for malls.</p><p>"Hopefully, the study will be completed by the end of this
year," he said, adding that the city had 73 shopping malls, six
wholesale centers, 116 department stores, 125 supermarkets and
151 traditional markets.</p><p>Urban sociologists have criticized the administration that
while it facilitated the rapid growth of shopping malls, it had
ignored the lack of open and green spaces.</p><p>They said the condition only encouraged people to spend their
leisure time in shopping centers, and thereby cultivated
consumerism.</p><p>City data shows that only 30 percent of visitors make a
purchase at malls, while the majority 70 percent do not.</p><p>Environmentalists have often criticized the administration for
issuing permits for the construction of shopping centers, even
though the city suffers from a serious shortage of open green
spaces.</p><p>Green areas now amount to less than 10 percent of the 650
square kilometers that make up the capital. Under the 2010 City
Master Plan, green areas are to be expanded to 13.94 percent, but
no concrete efforts have been made to implement the plan.</p><p>In addition, the proposed expansion of green areas is still
far from the ideal -- 30 percent of the city area.</p>
disorder in their development, turning Jakarta into an unpleasant
place to live because of serious traffic congestion.</p><p>Property consultant Panangian Simanungkalit said shopping
centers had mushroomed out of control without such a regulation
to check their development.</p><p>"The city administration needs to draft a regulation on
shopping centers so that there is a legal basis to order the
development of such facilities, particularly in already-crowded
areas," he told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.</p><p>Previously, head of the city economic agency Sukri Bey said
the administration would allow businessmen to build shopping
centers in any commercial area.</p><p>"The Jakarta City Planning Agency will issue permits for new
shopping centers as long as they are built in areas allocated for
commercial purposes," he added.</p><p>Panangian said public criticisms against the development of
shopping centers was sparked by concern about their construction
in inappropriate locations, including designated green areas.</p><p>He said Greater Jakarta, with a 27 million-strong population,
had around 2.2 million square meters of shopping centers with an
average occupation of around 85 percent. New shopping centers
were thus still needed, he added.</p><p>In comparison, Singapore had around 6 million square meters of
shopping centers to service a population of only around three
million.</p><p>Panangian said around 2.5 million square meters of new
shopping centers would be constructed in Greater Jakarta by 2007.</p><p>"It means the growth of shopping centers is nothing to worry
about ... as long as the new facilities are constructed in the
proper locations," he said.</p><p>Sukri said the administration had not known how much space for
shopping centers would be needed in the city, and that the
economic agency would hold a study on the demand for malls.</p><p>"Hopefully, the study will be completed by the end of this
year," he said, adding that the city had 73 shopping malls, six
wholesale centers, 116 department stores, 125 supermarkets and
151 traditional markets.</p><p>Urban sociologists have criticized the administration that
while it facilitated the rapid growth of shopping malls, it had
ignored the lack of open and green spaces.</p><p>They said the condition only encouraged people to spend their
leisure time in shopping centers, and thereby cultivated
consumerism.</p><p>City data shows that only 30 percent of visitors make a
purchase at malls, while the majority 70 percent do not.</p><p>Environmentalists have often criticized the administration for
issuing permits for the construction of shopping centers, even
though the city suffers from a serious shortage of open green
spaces.</p><p>Green areas now amount to less than 10 percent of the 650
square kilometers that make up the capital. Under the 2010 City
Master Plan, green areas are to be expanded to 13.94 percent, but
no concrete efforts have been made to implement the plan.</p><p>In addition, the proposed expansion of green areas is still
far from the ideal -- 30 percent of the city area.</p>