In another effort to raise awareness about the environment among Jakarta residents, Green Map Indonesia, a group that focuses on mapping the city's green spaces, is preparing an exhibition encompassing local and international green area plans.
"The local and international collection of green area plans have already arrived. In the next few days, we will focus on setting up about 30 local and international plans right here in the BPPI building," said Arif Budiman, the committee chief of the event, in the Indonesia Heritage Trust (BPPI) building on Jl. Veteran, Jakarta, on Sunday.
The exhibition will be held from Oct. 10 to Oct. 25 at the BPPI building, at the same time as the festival celebrating Indonesian antiques, to be held by the BPPI along Jl. Veteran from Oct. 16 to Oct. 18.
"The exhibition itself aims to promote the city's potential for green living to residents and local administrations," Arif said.
The event will take place as the city administration meets to discuss the 2010 to 2030 Jakarta spatial plan.
It is believed the administration plans to focus on public transport for its new spatial master plan, concentrating on developing the Mass Rapid Transit network (MRT) and improving the existing railway system.
As for green spaces, the city administration aims to allocate only 13.9 percent of the area of Jakarta to green spaces in the new master plan, less than the 30 percent stipulated in a 2007 law.
So far, the city has only been able to allocate 9.7 percent of its total area to green spaces.
The Park and Cemetery Agency says it will be difficult to allocate 30 percent of the city to green areas as most of the city's land structure has been allocated to homes for newcomers, with an estimated 200,000 to 250,000 newcomers arriving in Jakarta every year.
"We can't always count on the city administration to tell us how we can make Jakarta greener, which is why we are holding this event," said Nirwono Joga, the coordinator for the Jakarta branch of Green Map.
"While we will have tours highlighting the places that we have discovered, residents can also contribute by telling us about other potential green areas."
Green Map has published six editions of its "green maps".
A group of residents, architects and media workers mapped Kemang in South Jakarta in 2001, followed by Kebayoran Baru, also in South Jakarta, in 2002.
The latest map, which was launched after the Situ Gintung dam burst in March this year - that killed about 100 residents and destroyed hundreds of homes - explores the potential for natural and artificial lakes and dams in the Greater Jakarta area.
Nirwono hopes the event will encourage more people to create a greener and friendlier Jakarta.
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