Open space and sustainable development in Jakarta

Development of open space and green areas in Jakarta is essential to ensure the development of the city is sustainable. Current development trends in Jakarta are extremely market oriented and have resulted in many environments and socio-economic problems that are unsustainable and dangerous to the continued existence of the city itself. One of the important factors in this regard is the lack of sufficient open spaces in the city. This paper proposes that the open spaces within private lots be eliminated and replaced by large open spaces or green areas located within the district where such private lots are located, and that the amount of open space provided within planned settlement development be increased. By doing so, environmentally sensitive areas of the city that have already become settlements can be recovered and the need for open space fulfilled, so that the development of the city can be sustained. The paper begins with an introduction of Jakarta\u92s present conditions and physical development trends related to the city\u92s open and green spaces. Currently, open spaces are provided in three forms: those which are municipally owned; those which are mandated to be provided by property developers and those that exist as yards in private lots. This is followed by a discussion and investigation regarding the development and provision of open and green space from the three aforementioned forms, how open and green spaces can be qualitatively and quantitatively increased, and the resultant benefits to the city