Satellite towns not yet self-sufficient: Expert

JAKARTA (JP): They may claim to be "self-sufficient" but an urban expert says most of the new towns that have mushroomed around Jakarta are nothing but satellite cities.

A self-sufficient city (Kota Mandiri) should be able to provide not only housing, but an economy of its own, including industries which can generate jobs for its residents, Muhammad Danisworo of the Bandung Technology Institute said yesterday.

In short, it could exist independently of Jakarta, Danisworo told The Jakarta Post.

He said only Depok, of the many new towns developing around Jakarta, came close to the description.

There is a tendency for developers to mix up the term "self- sufficient city" with "satellite city", Danisworo said.

A satellite city is one whose existence relies on the major neighboring conurbation, he said. People live in satellite cities, but commute daily to the major city to work, he said.

Self-sufficient cities should be at least 60 kilometers away from Jakarta.

Most of the towns being developed are too close to Jakarta, and some are even built within Jakarta and yet they still carry the tag Kota Mandiri, he said.

He described these towns as "sleeping cities" because people sleep there but work in Jakarta.

He warned that the mushrooming of satellite towns around Jakarta could eventually pose a huge burden on the capital.

"The city administration has to think about the environmental impact created by the growth of satellite cities," he said.

He warned that Jakarta would not be able to build roads fast enough to accommodate the growing number of private cars owned by people living in the satellite towns.

Jakarta is also losing potential tax revenue because people in satellite towns pay taxes to administrations under the West Java provincial government, he said.

Danisworo said these satellite towns must be developed to eventually become self-sufficient cities with enough jobs for their residents.

"People then won't have to commute to Jakarta and this will reduce the burden on the capital city," he said. (07)