PARK(ING) DAY SEEKS TO CLEAR SIDEWAKS FOR PUBLIC INTERACTION

By Andi Abdussalam Jakarta, Sept 16, (ANTARA) - Clad in orange and yellow shirts, a group of activists sat on benches or stood around a table sipping  different drinks, including tea, just after sunrise at Jalan Sabang, Central Jakarta, on Friday morning, September 16, 2011.         Some were standing around while others chatted with each other on the need for a green environment and open spaces for the public to interact.          They gathered in a sidewalk space in front of the Tiam Oey coffee shop, a space which on that morning looked beautiful, though it used to be packed with vehicles parked by visitors.          The Friday morning gathering of the activists was a special event for Jalan Sabang, a hawker street in Central Jakarta which is popular among both  domestic and foreign tourists. The Jakarta Globe carried a story last November that portrayed Jalan Sabang as a center of delicious food.         Cheap and delicious traditional food can be easily found anywhere in the capital. But among foodies, Jalan Sabang in Central Jakarta is one of the most popular spots to get their food fix.          Located near Sarinah department store, one of the oldest malls in Jakarta, Jalan Sabang is busy at any time of the day or night. And while the craving for tasty and affordable food can sometimes cause traffic jams there, many swear by what is on offer.         At night, this area is  packed with people having dinner or simply having some snack at the food stalls that line both sides of the street.          Thus, packed sidewalks present an unpleasant scene where one would count him or herself blessed if he or she could immediately get a space for parking. Yet, this unruly parking situation on sidewalks has seemed to be a matter of the past.          Since recently, the pavement and sidewalks of Jalan Sabang have been looking neat and contrasted that of the past. Culinary areas are relocated, yet it seemed the areas are to be taken over by cars being parked. The local government is trying to put parking at Sabang in order.         Perhaps that was why, the activist of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) chose Jalan Sabang as a place to launch their first campaign in Indonesia, on Friday, September 16, 2011.        "We are campaigning for the return of public spaces so far used for parking to the people to gather, interact, chat and meet one and another," Stevanus Albertus Ayal, transportation specialist of ITDP, told ANTARA during the campaign on Friday.          The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy works with cities worldwide to bring about sustainable transport solutions that cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce poverty, and improve the quality of urban life.          In Indonesia, ITDP Indonesia, together with The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and GEF, is giving technical assistance for the local government of Jakarta in order to increase the usage of TransJakarta buses, through 'Bus Rapid Transit and Pedestrian Improvements in Jakarta' project.          ITDP Indonesia is working on 3 major issues: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) and Transport Demand Management (TDM).         But that Friday morning, the ITDP campaign was giving a stress on the importance of open public spaces for people to interact.         According to Stevanus, the campaign is popularly known as the Park(ing) Day campaign. In 2010, the ITDP had organized Park(ing) Day campaigns in 183 cities in 30 countries and in 6 continents.         In Indonesia, the campaign was held for the first time in Jakarta on Friday, September 16, 2011. The location was in Jalan Sabang Central Jakarta, in front of Tiam Oey coffee shop.         Stevanus said Jalan Sabang had been chosen as the place for the first campaign because it is an area in Central Jakarta which had its own attractiveness to both local and foreign tourists as a night and day culinary spot, besides as a busy commercial district.         However, soon after the culinary areas of Sabang are relocated, its sidewalks and road shoulders turned to become 'parking lots'.         A survey conducted by the ITDP Indonesia indicated that about 300 private cars were parked there per hour on the sidewalks which covered some 4,039 square m. Of the total spaces of Jalan Sabang, about 78 percent were used by vehicles while those for pedestrians and public spaces were only 22 percent.         "Therefore, ITDP Indonesia has called on the Jakarta residents to take part in the Park(ing) Day campaign in Jalan Sabang on September 16, 2011. They are requested to stop over at the public space we have made available in front of Tiam Oey coffee shop. We also suggest that residents should conduct the same activities in their surrounding," Stevanus said.          He said that the aim of the program was to provide education for the public and for urban policy makers on the importance of public spaces. By gathering together in a public place, the people would see and feel the impact of a change in the sidewalk spaces. And the important thing is that the campaign would be supported by the public.         Thus, the people as individuals and as communities would be able to see and enjoy public spaces to get together, interact, relax and chat with one and another.***6*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/17:25/a014)    (T.SYS/A/A014/A/A014) 16-09-2011 17:52: