1. Gunawan Part II Landscape of Urbanization
Rethinking Urban Housing
Development
Gunawan Tjahjono
Civilization, City, Citizen
• City defines Civilization!
• Citizen defines city!
• Building citizen then civilizes city.
• Thus development should aim at forming a civilized society.
Urbanization and Development
• Urbanization, simply explain, is the proportion or rate of population
living in urban area (yet each country defines the term distinctively).
• It is hence regarding the shift of population from rural to urban areas,
and the ways in which each society adapt to the change.
• Urbanization has often closely linked to modernization,
industrialization, and thus, development.
• Development aims to uplift the living hence its achievement cannot
simply judge through numbers.
• Development needs to answer two basic question:
• for what? And
• for whom?
Indonesia’s Potential (Mckensey 2012 report)
• 16th-largest economy in the world; 45 million members of consuming
class; 53% of the population in cities producing 74% of GDP; 55% of
skilled workers; and $0,5 trillion market opportunity in agriculture and
fisheries, consumer services, resources, and education.
• The seventh-largest economy in the world by 2030 with 135 million
members of consuming class; 71% of urban population producing
86% of GDP; 113 million skill workers needed; and $1.8 trillion
market opportunity in agriculture and fisheries, consumer services,
resources, and education.
• If….
UN Habitat 2010
• “It is rare that the social, cultural, and environmental and economic
facet of housing are addressed in Asia in an integrated policy.”
• “In many developing contexts, the so called pro-poor housing
programmes often provide accommodation of poor standard, in remote
locations, with little consideration to the residents’ lifestyle and
livelihood strategies.”
• “Rapid housing developments create amplified carbon footprint and
further negative impacts on the environment.”
Housing (UN Habitat)
• Is one of those basic social conditions that determine the quality of life
and welfare of people and places.
• Is also part of the relationship between society and the environment.
• Sustainable houses are those that are inclusive and affordable for all.
• Hence affordability becomes a necessary condition for transformation
toward sustainable housing.
• Sustainable housing is not simply as unit of clusters of self-sufficient
“green buildings,” but as socially enhancing and environmentally
friendly residential practices integrated into the wider urban/settlement
system.
Housing Problems
• Since Abrahm, Turner, to UN Habitat, housing problem remains.
• No happy solution for those who “really” need; yet
• It’s more the urban rather than the rural ones.
• Why housing is more inaccessible by the low-income urban
populations in Indonesia?
• Do this class of urban populations need or prioritize to own housing?
• Perhaps providing housing by means of even the mass production can
never reach the goal, or if reach, its only the number manipulation
because we had misinterpreted the symptom, and thus came out with
wrong policy.
Housing and Land
• Land play a major role for the provision of housing.
• Land in the rural, especially the adat ones has never been a problem
for those who want to build a home as long as fulfilling the
requirements set by the community; but land in the urban areas needs
legal status.
• Inaccessible to land in the urban area is increasingly the case?
• Why land becomes difficult to access by the have-not?
• Who are the major players of making land price skyrocketing in many
major urban areas?
Kampong
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Kampong is not necessarily slum.
Kampong as a remains of colonial and local dynastic legacy in the urban centers.
Without kampong, there would hardly be a Betawi.
Kampong, which used to be once gated has its own spirit of communal urban life,
is distinct from the present gated community practices.
A decaying kampong looks like slum but its not necessarily so.
Kampong is not only a particular phenomenon of Indonesia, but also of Southeast
Asia (Dieter-Evers, McGee).
Kampong living serves as an example of inclusive living at the big urban centers;
as in it all classes of people interact including those of underground organization.
Tensions among kampong did happen yet its not the concern of this presentation.
Rebuilding Kampong: an Alternative?
• During the administration of Ali Sadikin (Governor of Jakarta1966-77),
Kampong Improvement Programme known as Mohammad Husni Thamrin
Programme to improve the infrastructure, not the houses of the kampong
dwellers proved to gain support from the grass root as well as world
renowned organization such as the World Bank and the Aga Khan Trust for
Culture.
• The project implemented in Jakarta and later, Surabaya have been winners
of Aga Khan Award in Architecture and the World Bank served it as a model
to be funded throughout the world; as the peoples of kampong were
empowered to improve their livelihood and finally upgrade their living
condition by renovating houses. (Darundono)
• The programme cease to function after the Housing Division took over as
part of the official programme in 1999.
Rebuilding Kampong: an Alternative?
(continued)
• It is unavoidable that Kampong has its own problem as it might, due to
sanitation, epidemic centers of contagious diseases; its densely populated
condition cause easy widespread of fire, if any; and it is easy to be blamed
as hiding places of narcotic dealers.
• Yet similar condition can be also the cases for other high-rise residential
complex and gated exclusive community as well while urban high density
living becomes the trend.
• Minimizing the cause can be good alternative to retain the community sense
of kampong while encouraging mutual inclusive medium rise high density
living a future city might exercise.
• As such the approach is not of design for, but design with the community.
• Such approach need longer period of time yet ensure a more happy result.
Rebuilding Kampong: an Alternative?
(continued)
• Land consolidation and readjustment can be implemented should the
dwellers trust the catalyst who should have no interest.
• In this instance, space and intensity should be commonly agreed upon and
the government may accompanying the process and the project funding
approval can match the requirement.
• In such process the bond between community members can be retained and
a fairer play can be set.
• In the process, the community need the knowledge on how to read plan so
they will not be manipulated by the real estate developers who are interested
in developing the area by clearing the land, moving out the previous
occupants for capital gain and raising land prices.
Aims of Development
• City development needs to be fairly implemented and reaching its inclusive,
and thus sustainable goal of building civilized citizen.
• The financial support of any development should answer for what and for
whom which in the beginning of this presentation had been addressed.
• For what?
• Isn’t it for the reaching a sustainable civilized society whose responsibility
is to maintain the value of humanity in this pancasilaistic nation?
• For whom?
• Isn’t it for building social equity and honorable person representing this
pancasilaistic nation?
Redefining the Condition
• It is the time to redefine development, urbanization, housing, and
slum!
• It is also the time to rethinking the financial target for development!
• Develop the happiness of the population or develop the number of
achievement?
• It is also time to move urban housing scheme towards sustainable ones
which include, economy, ecology, and social equity in harmonious
way.
• Thank you for your time!
Development
Gunawan Tjahjono
Civilization, City, Citizen
• City defines Civilization!
• Citizen defines city!
• Building citizen then civilizes city.
• Thus development should aim at forming a civilized society.
Urbanization and Development
• Urbanization, simply explain, is the proportion or rate of population
living in urban area (yet each country defines the term distinctively).
• It is hence regarding the shift of population from rural to urban areas,
and the ways in which each society adapt to the change.
• Urbanization has often closely linked to modernization,
industrialization, and thus, development.
• Development aims to uplift the living hence its achievement cannot
simply judge through numbers.
• Development needs to answer two basic question:
• for what? And
• for whom?
Indonesia’s Potential (Mckensey 2012 report)
• 16th-largest economy in the world; 45 million members of consuming
class; 53% of the population in cities producing 74% of GDP; 55% of
skilled workers; and $0,5 trillion market opportunity in agriculture and
fisheries, consumer services, resources, and education.
• The seventh-largest economy in the world by 2030 with 135 million
members of consuming class; 71% of urban population producing
86% of GDP; 113 million skill workers needed; and $1.8 trillion
market opportunity in agriculture and fisheries, consumer services,
resources, and education.
• If….
UN Habitat 2010
• “It is rare that the social, cultural, and environmental and economic
facet of housing are addressed in Asia in an integrated policy.”
• “In many developing contexts, the so called pro-poor housing
programmes often provide accommodation of poor standard, in remote
locations, with little consideration to the residents’ lifestyle and
livelihood strategies.”
• “Rapid housing developments create amplified carbon footprint and
further negative impacts on the environment.”
Housing (UN Habitat)
• Is one of those basic social conditions that determine the quality of life
and welfare of people and places.
• Is also part of the relationship between society and the environment.
• Sustainable houses are those that are inclusive and affordable for all.
• Hence affordability becomes a necessary condition for transformation
toward sustainable housing.
• Sustainable housing is not simply as unit of clusters of self-sufficient
“green buildings,” but as socially enhancing and environmentally
friendly residential practices integrated into the wider urban/settlement
system.
Housing Problems
• Since Abrahm, Turner, to UN Habitat, housing problem remains.
• No happy solution for those who “really” need; yet
• It’s more the urban rather than the rural ones.
• Why housing is more inaccessible by the low-income urban
populations in Indonesia?
• Do this class of urban populations need or prioritize to own housing?
• Perhaps providing housing by means of even the mass production can
never reach the goal, or if reach, its only the number manipulation
because we had misinterpreted the symptom, and thus came out with
wrong policy.
Housing and Land
• Land play a major role for the provision of housing.
• Land in the rural, especially the adat ones has never been a problem
for those who want to build a home as long as fulfilling the
requirements set by the community; but land in the urban areas needs
legal status.
• Inaccessible to land in the urban area is increasingly the case?
• Why land becomes difficult to access by the have-not?
• Who are the major players of making land price skyrocketing in many
major urban areas?
Kampong
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Kampong is not necessarily slum.
Kampong as a remains of colonial and local dynastic legacy in the urban centers.
Without kampong, there would hardly be a Betawi.
Kampong, which used to be once gated has its own spirit of communal urban life,
is distinct from the present gated community practices.
A decaying kampong looks like slum but its not necessarily so.
Kampong is not only a particular phenomenon of Indonesia, but also of Southeast
Asia (Dieter-Evers, McGee).
Kampong living serves as an example of inclusive living at the big urban centers;
as in it all classes of people interact including those of underground organization.
Tensions among kampong did happen yet its not the concern of this presentation.
Rebuilding Kampong: an Alternative?
• During the administration of Ali Sadikin (Governor of Jakarta1966-77),
Kampong Improvement Programme known as Mohammad Husni Thamrin
Programme to improve the infrastructure, not the houses of the kampong
dwellers proved to gain support from the grass root as well as world
renowned organization such as the World Bank and the Aga Khan Trust for
Culture.
• The project implemented in Jakarta and later, Surabaya have been winners
of Aga Khan Award in Architecture and the World Bank served it as a model
to be funded throughout the world; as the peoples of kampong were
empowered to improve their livelihood and finally upgrade their living
condition by renovating houses. (Darundono)
• The programme cease to function after the Housing Division took over as
part of the official programme in 1999.
Rebuilding Kampong: an Alternative?
(continued)
• It is unavoidable that Kampong has its own problem as it might, due to
sanitation, epidemic centers of contagious diseases; its densely populated
condition cause easy widespread of fire, if any; and it is easy to be blamed
as hiding places of narcotic dealers.
• Yet similar condition can be also the cases for other high-rise residential
complex and gated exclusive community as well while urban high density
living becomes the trend.
• Minimizing the cause can be good alternative to retain the community sense
of kampong while encouraging mutual inclusive medium rise high density
living a future city might exercise.
• As such the approach is not of design for, but design with the community.
• Such approach need longer period of time yet ensure a more happy result.
Rebuilding Kampong: an Alternative?
(continued)
• Land consolidation and readjustment can be implemented should the
dwellers trust the catalyst who should have no interest.
• In this instance, space and intensity should be commonly agreed upon and
the government may accompanying the process and the project funding
approval can match the requirement.
• In such process the bond between community members can be retained and
a fairer play can be set.
• In the process, the community need the knowledge on how to read plan so
they will not be manipulated by the real estate developers who are interested
in developing the area by clearing the land, moving out the previous
occupants for capital gain and raising land prices.
Aims of Development
• City development needs to be fairly implemented and reaching its inclusive,
and thus sustainable goal of building civilized citizen.
• The financial support of any development should answer for what and for
whom which in the beginning of this presentation had been addressed.
• For what?
• Isn’t it for the reaching a sustainable civilized society whose responsibility
is to maintain the value of humanity in this pancasilaistic nation?
• For whom?
• Isn’t it for building social equity and honorable person representing this
pancasilaistic nation?
Redefining the Condition
• It is the time to redefine development, urbanization, housing, and
slum!
• It is also the time to rethinking the financial target for development!
• Develop the happiness of the population or develop the number of
achievement?
• It is also time to move urban housing scheme towards sustainable ones
which include, economy, ecology, and social equity in harmonious
way.
• Thank you for your time!