People friendly road for Kuningan: City planner

JAKARTA (JP): Pedestrians along Jl. Prof. Satrio in Kuningan, South Jakarta, will be protected from rain and heat in new plans for the road, the head of the city architecture team said yesterday.

Mohammad Danisworo, also chairman of the Bandung Institute of Technology's Center for Urban Design Studies, said pedestrian facilities were the main feature of plans for the road.

"All buildings are advised to set up arcades at least three meters wide for pedestrians, so their activities can continue even when it is raining," Danisworo said.

"Sidewalks are to be at least 5.5 meters wide where two rows of trees should be planted to form canopies" to protect pedestrians from the heat, he said.

The city planning agency commissioned the Center for Urban Design Studies to do the study.

A project for the city's new diplomatic center, Mega Kuningan, on the same road was launched earlier.

The road in the Karet district is the city's first road to be designed as an uninterrupted road of shopping facilities.

But the main feature of Jl. Prof. Satrio is its "pedestrian- friendly environment," Danisworo said.

"We presented the concept to Governor Surjadi Soedirdja on Tuesday," he said.

The Ciputra Group recently launched its project, Mal Ciputra I, which will be built on Jl. Prof. Satrio.

The project consists of a mall, two hotels, and sidewalks about seven meters wide, which is wider than the city's recommendation.

"The concept combines the experience of Orchard Road, Singapore, The Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain, Champs-Ellysees in Paris, France and The Bund in Shanghai, China" among others, Danisworo said.

Orchard Road is well known among Indonesians for its shopping facilities. The Ramblas is an ancient path heading toward the sea which includes an open-air market.

The Bund is a boulevard near the Huangpu River with skyscrapers on one side and public gardens on the other.

The road in Kuningan will have sidewalk cafes, information centers for local and foreign tourists and art displays.

"Therefore it is hoped that the commercial strip of Jl. Prof. Satrio will also be a socio-cultural strip, for all the city's social groups," Danisworo said.

Danisworo said the road would be inspired by characteristics unique to several roads across Indonesian cities.

He said earlier the city was drawing up several plans to make the city more friendly for its citizens.

Guidelines for new superblocks include public access to buildings and surroundings.

"A new city rule says bonuses and incentives are provided for building owners who provide public access in their buildings for 15 hours," Danisworo said. (anr)