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Anies expands access to public spaces, transit to unite Jakartans
Anies Baswedan is hoping to leave a legacy of inclusivity in the development of Jakarta as he looks back on his five years of governing in the nation’s capital.
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Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan speaks during a media visit to the office of The Jakarta Post in Palmerah, West Jakarta, on September 9, 2022. (JP/Abdur Rahim)
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s Anies Baswedan enters his final month as governor of Jakarta, he is hoping to leave a legacy of uniting rather than dividing the city’s residents, including through his efforts to democratize public spaces and lift barriers to the construction of houses of worship for religious minorities.
During his five-year tenure, Anies says he has sought to bring together Jakarta’s heterogeneous society by creating and expanding public spaces and developing public mobility in the densely populated city.
Inclusive and accessible public spaces and transportation, he said, could help tackle inequities that had plagued the city and give residents a chance to forge social connections and strengthen community bonds irrespective of gender, ethnicity, religion, social status or political views.
“Parks, sidewalks, public libraries and public transportation are places where different people mix together. These places bring a sense of equality and togetherness for all Jakartans regardless of their religion or social status,” he told The Jakarta Post in an exclusive interview on Friday.
"There are no VIP systems in public transportation, so whether you are a CEO or a job seeker, you pay the same amount, you ride the same vehicles and you wait in the same lines. Our sidewalks, which have been massively revamped, can now be used by Christian communities to sing Christmas carols or by Muslims to perform the takbir [recitation of ‘God is great’] ahead of Idul Fitri," the governor added.
So far, Anies has revitalized 377 public parks across the capital. Government statistics show that some 91 percent of residents have a park no more than 800 meters away. His administration has also revamped more than 330 kilometers of sidewalks across Jakarta and moved 26 percent of the city’s overhead power lines underground.
The former education minister has also received recognition for his efforts to deliver an integrated and sustainable urban transportation system for the capital.
