Liberating Citizens in Public Spaces

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Officers of the Surabaya Class 1 Monitoring Agency walk take part in a group walk that is carried out every two weeks on Jl. Ahmad Yani, Surabaya, East Java, Friday (30/8/2019). The sidewalks that are built to meet safety and comfort standards are used by residents as a means of exercise.

Living in a metropolitan city, people cannot avoid stress. Fortunately, residents of Surabaya, East Java, are spoiled with abundant public spaces that refresh the body and mind.

The sun only appeared on the eastern horizon when dozens of employees of the Surabaya Class I Monitoring Center of the Directorate General of Resources and Equipment of the Communications and Information Ministry, Friday (30/8/2019), conducted a group exercise. They did a healthy walk on the sidewalk on Jl. Ahmad Yani. On the road, hundreds of people from Surabaya and the surrounding cities passed and fetched fortune.

Every two weeks, they walk on the sidewalk, which is about 200 meters from their office in Ketintang. In addition to maintaining health, walking is also a way to reduce stress due to work pressure.

"The sidewalks are wide, clean, and have lots of shady trees so the brain is refreshed," said Surabaya Class I Monitoring Center employee Dwi Rosiana.

Not only for walking, Esty Fitria Meirnanthy, 30, makes the sidewalk in Surabaya as her running track. The runner from IndoRunners Surabaya uses the sidewalk to go running four times a week.

Nearly all of the sidewalks in Surabaya have an average width of 6 meters. The sidewalks are scattered on all major roads, such as Jl. Ahmad Yani, Jl. Raya Darmo, Jl. Urip Sumoharjo, Jl. Basuki Rahmat, Jl. Pemuda, and Jl. Tunjungan.

This pedestrian pathway is free from motorized vehicles and street vendors. Moreover, the lane is cleaned regularly in the morning and evening. Some paths, such as on Jl. Pemuda, are fitted with bollards (barrier poles) with unique colorful designs such as the human forms of running and walking.

In addition to running on the sidewalk, Esty utilizes the THOR Field on Jl. Padmosusastro, where there is an athletic track of international standard and has been recognized by the International Athletics Federation Association (IAAF). The facility can be accessed by residents free of charge.

Esty, who is also a businesswoman in confection and animal husbandry, said that public spaces in Surabaya are sufficient. Starting from the sidewalks, sports fields, to parks in various corners of the city.

I am not worried about being hit by a vehicle while walking because there are roadblocks and sidewalks.

Surabaya State University student Fitria Madia, 21, said that walking on the sidewalks in Surabaya is very different from walking in other cities. In addition to being wide, the sidewalks in Surabaya are equipped with concrete balls. "I am not worried about being hit by a vehicle while walking because there are roadblocks and sidewalks," he said.

Almost all public spaces in Surabaya are never empty of visitors. In fact, every weekend it is difficult to find an empty space because all locations are full of visitors. For Andik Setiawan, 43, a Telkomsel employee, public spaces in Surabaya are really fun. "Because they are comfortable, almost every day I and my friends run home after work," he said.

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Students of SDN Tegalsari II Surabaya State Elementary School exercise on Jl. Urip Sumoharjo in Surabaya, East Java, Friday (30/8/2019). The sidewalks that are built to meet safety and comfort standards are used by residents as a means of exercise.

Second house

Public spaces in Surabaya seem to be the second home to relieve fatigue. Residents do not need to pay money to enjoy this facility. Quite often there are musical performances in public spaces to entertain residents who relax.

Even if there are traders in public spaces, such as in Bungkul Park, they are regulated. Thus, visitors and traders alike are happy.

A satay trader, Rondo, 47, said, the Bungkul Park has never been empty of visitors. He sells from late afternoon until early morning and gets a net profit of around Rp 300,000 per day. With that he can send his two children to university.

Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini is committed to maintaining and continuing to increase public spaces in this 350-square-kilometer city. All parks in Surabaya are guarded by police officers 24 hours a day and are equipped with surveillance cameras (CCTV).

"All of our public spaces are equipped with CCTV to monitor security. This is to prevent crime," said Risma.

The total area of 416 parks in Surabaya reaches 122 square kilometers or 34 percent of the city area. Some parks are themed, such as the Elderly Park, the Palliative Park, the Traffic Park and the Fireflies Park. In addition to being a public space, the park is also used for free treatment locations, such as the Elderly Park and the Palliative Park.

For Risma, public space is not just a community gathering place. Parks, sidewalks and sports fields are also a place for families to unwind after work.

There is no dispute because all people feel they have a garden. The presence of the community makes the park feel alive.

Public spaces in Surabaya have a variety of functions, including education, social, interaction, maintaining equality and health. There is a spirit of sharing that occurs in the park because every visitor prioritizes tolerance and the spirit of sharing. This was appreciated by the Setara Institute which ranked Surabaya as the 10th most tolerant city in Indonesia.

"There is no dispute because all people feel they have a garden. The presence of the community makes the park feel alive," said Risma.

The tolerant attitudes of citizens in Surabaya are increasingly attached along with increased interaction between citizens in public spaces. Their relationship is tightened with each other on the pedestrian path, the bicycle path, and the park and sports activities.

"There is no person or group of citizens who feel the most \'powerful\' in a particular region," said Risma who is now the President of the Association of Regional Governments of the Asia Pacific Region (UCLG-ASPAC).