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akarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama aims to make hundreds of parks across Jakarta more attractive in a bid to improve the capital’s appearance.

Besides developing children’s parks across the city, the Jakarta administration has also engaged private companies to contribute to park development in the city through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs.

“Jakarta must have iconic places. The parks must not only have greenery but also have a philosophical and historical concept,” Ahok said on Thursday, during the inauguration of Diponegoro Park on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta, which has been developed by publicly listed tire manufacturer PT Gajah Tunggal.

The newly inaugurated park is located in front of the state-operated Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital.

The city administration aims to have 180 children’s parks across the city by the end of this year and has involved architects to help design lighting and seating in the parks.

Yori Antar, the architect of Diponegoro Park, said he had used historical aspects in its design. He used laser-cut Diponegoro sculptures with a batik design to attract park visitors. “If we can create beautiful parks with a taste of art, we can take the parks to a higher level,” said Yori, who also designed Kalijodo Park.