Jakarta Vertical, Jakarta Affordable

Jakarta, December 10, 2018 - The School of Business and Management of the Bandung Institute of Technology (SBM ITB), together with the Jakarta Property Institute (JPI) and architectural firm PDW Architect, held a discussion entitled “Building Jakarta Upwards”. This public lecture discussed the importance of vertical development in Jakarta with its increasingly limited amount of land.

Through panel discussions with government representatives, experts and practitioners, it also tried to explore options for providing affordable vertical housing and green open space in Jakarta. One of them is through the principle of transit-oriented development (TOD).

Dr. Yudo Anggoro as Deputy Director of SBM ITB Jakarta Campus said that this discussion can be useful as a forum for experts, government and practitioners from various backgrounds to exchange ideas to build a better Jakarta. “As an academic institution, it is an honor for us to be able to facilitate this panel discussion. We believe this discussion can produce new insights that are useful for the progress of the city,” said Yudo, who was also the moderator during the event.

The discussion began with the presentation of Ir. Dwi Hariyawan as Director of Space Utilization from the Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning / National Land Agency. He explained about the Regulation of the Minister of ATR / Head of BPN No. 16 of 2017 which became the Guidelines for the Development of TOD Areas as a legal umbrella for the realization of TOD areas.

The station, as one of the areas designed to integrate transit functions with urban activities, is expected to optimize commuters' access and connectivity to their homes and activities. Or if possible, the station becomes a center where all activities are concentrated and can be reached only on foot.

Gito Wibowo, Associate Director of PDW Architect said in his presentation session, that with the right mechanism, the TOD concept can also be a solution to the lack of affordable housing and green open space in Jakarta.

“Density in Jakarta is spread horizontally in the form of houses and low-rise buildings. With increasingly limited land, green open spaces are increasingly difficult to find. Housing is also becoming more expensive, forcing the working class to settle in the suburbs for more affordable housing. By building vertically, we prepare enough space for Jakarta's future development,” said Gito.

In 2015, UN Habitat as a UN agency that handles settlement issues noted that Jakarta was among the 10 cities with the highest density in the world, with 9,600 people per square kilometer (km2). In the same year, BPS DKI Jakarta also noted that every day there are 1.4 million commuters from areas or cities around Jakarta.

JPI Executive Director Wendy Haryanto said that now is the right time to build Jakarta upwards. "With a variety of public transportation being built in Jakarta, now is the most appropriate opportunity to increase access and connectivity. By building Jakarta upwards, it means building a more affordable Jakarta. "The private sector is ready to collaborate with the government for vertical development in Jakarta," explained Wendy.

Dr. Joko Adianto, architecture lecturer at the University of Indonesia, also attended the panel discussion and explained the financing mechanism that makes TOD possible. A panel discussion was held at the SBM ITB Jakarta Campus on December 10 2018.