Mayor Farhan: Bandung's Cicadas street vendors redevelopment adopts a humane approach

Bandung City Government (Pemkot Bandung) has completed the arrangement of Pedagang Kaki Lima (PKL) at the iconic Cicadas area. Unlike typical evictions, the process proceeded peacefully without repression, prioritising lengthy dialogue that yielded a mutual agreement between the government and the traders.

Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan emphasised that the key to the success of the Cicadas redevelopment is intensive communication. The evacuation completed in the early hours of Tuesday, 19 May 2026, was marked by traders voluntarily dismantling their stalls.

‘If you want to evict someone, you must talk first. The process is indeed slow, but the result is better,’ Farhan said in Bandung on Thursday, 21 May 2026. He added that this humane approach was taken to ensure the interests of the poor were safeguarded while restoring the function of the public space.

After the Cicadas area was cleared of stalls blocking the sidewalks, the Bandung City Government through the Water Resources and Public Works Agency (DSDABM) promptly took steps to repair basic infrastructure. The main focus was the normalisation of the drainage system.

The success at Cicadas provides a blueprint for the Bandung City Government to organise other areas. Farhan disclosed that the Cipadung Street section would be the next target for redevelopment using a similar method.

The move also received full support from the West Java Provincial Government. Farhan praised the role of the West Java Governor who provided strong encouragement so that the phased redevelopment could be implemented effectively.

The Cicadas PKL redevelopment proves that enforcing spatial planning rules can be aligned with humanitarian aspects. By prioritising dialogue and active involvement of traders, Bandung is now preparing to welcome a new look for Cicadas that is neater, flood-free, yet still friendly to the people’s economy. (Ant/I-1)