Carrying Capacity for Jakarta

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Dense residential areas are on every side of the inspection roads on the banks of the Ciliwung River in Kampung Melayu subdistrict in East Jakarta and the Bukit Duri subdistrict in South Jakarta in July (19/7/2019). The Ciliwung is the largest of at least 13 rivers flowing through Jakarta. Increasingly dense housing along its banks is creating work for managing the river to prevent floods.

The development of new townships around Jakarta has supported the existence of the capital city, but at the same time if they are not well organized they bring environmental problems.

Jakarta as the national capital has become a magnet for the growth of the surrounding areas. Apart from being the seat of the government, Jakarta is also a center of economic growth at the national level.

Such a position has for decades made Jakarta a destination for those pursuing a dream to have a better life. In fact, although other big cities in Java and outside Java have grown rapidly, Jakarta\'s attractiveness does not diminish.

The appeal of Jakarta is not only as a center for government, economic and business activities. Jakarta\'s long history as a port city has led this city to be inhabited by peoples of diverse races, ethnicities and religions. It seems that Jakarta has been tested and has become a relatively tolerant and open city.

As a city that will continue to grow, Jakarta needs new talents from time to time who will drive the economic growth of the city and its citizens. Especially if the indigenous population of the city becomes older, a skilled and creative workforce can guarantee the continuity of the dynamic city life.

To be able to attract talents, a city must also have adequate physical and social infrastructure so that residents feel comfortable and happy. In this case, Jakarta already has some of the infrastructure needed, such as a good digital telecommunications network.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Air pollution blankets the Jakarta cityscape in early July (7/7/2019). According to AirVisual data, a website that provides daily online pollution data for major cities in the world, Jakarta at 2 p.m. on Thursday had very bad air quality as the Air Quality Index (AQI) value reached 160, putting it in the “unhealthy” category.

Jakarta also has many places for people to meet and exchange ideas, such as cafes. However, Jakarta has not become a comfortable place to live. At present Jakarta\'s air quality is poor.

Traffic jams have become part of daily life because public transportation does not yet support the people’s mobility.

The traffic jams hamper the mobility of the residents with talents from meeting and exchanging ideas. The problem facing Jakarta at the moment is the high burden that must be borne by this city as a consequence of the development in the surrounding areas of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Bodetabek).

Each new area or those to be built still rely heavily on Jakarta as the center of activities. In 2008 alone 86.3 percent of the land in Jakarta has been converted by human settlement.

According to data from Statistic Indonesia (BPS), Jakarta currently has a population of 10.3 million people and Jabodetabek has more than 30 million people with twice as much built-on land as Jakarta, which amounts to about 120,000 hectares (Kompas, 8/8/2019).

The burden of Jakarta will be heavier if the arrangement of the area and development around Jakarta is not controlled through environmental and spatial planning regulations. The consistent implementation of rules is the key to preventing Jabodetabek from worsening the environmental carrying capacity and the quality of life of residents.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Motorists and motorcyclists brave congestion on Jl. Pramuka, East Jakarta, on Thursday (8/8/2019). Jl. Pramuka is one of 16 roads in Jakarta on which the odd-even policy will be applied. The regulation is intended to reduce congestion.

The role of the central government is very important for controlling the growth of new cities, given that Jabodetabek involves three provinces.