Why Was Menteng Tenggulun Chosen as a 'Gotong Royong' Village?
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The slum area of Menteng Tenggulun in Central Jakarta is being transformed into a culinary hub called ‘Gotong Royong’ Village.
The Director General of Housing and Urban Development at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PKP) said that Menteng Tenggulun was chosen as the site for this project because of the high poverty rate in the area.
“Based on data from the 10 ‘RW’ (neighbourhood units) here, six of them are densely populated residential areas,” said Sri during a visit to Menteng Tenggulun on Tuesday (24/02/2026).
Sri added that although Menteng is known as an elite area, the majority of homes there are uninhabitable or in slum conditions.
The redevelopment is being carried out through the renovation of uninhabitable homes, the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and the improvement of alleyways and infrastructure in the area.
“There will be 52 homes renovated. So, we will renovate uninhabitable homes to make them habitable,” said Sri.
Of that number, 23 units are homes of residents who have businesses. In addition, there are 10 other MSMEs whose homes are already in good condition, but will still receive support.
Sri said that of the 52 homes planned for renovation, two units have been completed. The remaining homes are still in the design phase, including the concept for the alleyway redevelopment, which will include murals and nationalistic messages.
This program is funded through corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds and involves various parties, including the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, the Indonesian Institute of Architects (IAI) Jakarta, and banks.
The target is to start the work after Eid and it is hoped that it will be completed around the middle of 2026.
“God willing, we will start after Eid, hopefully around June or July, and we can complete it gradually,” she said.
According to Sri, the concept of a culinary tourism destination was chosen based on the existing potential in the area, where many residents sell food, especially in the evening.
“Almost every few houses here have food stalls. Especially after sunset,” she said.