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Better infrastructure vital to tackling high urban density: Jokowi
Addressing an Apeksi meeting on Tuesday, the President emphasized that infrastructure was key to developing “livable and lovable” Indonesian cities of the future.
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Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi (left) greets an executive from state-owned manufacturer China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation in front of an autonomous rail rapid transit (ART), in this undated photo taken in China.
(Instagram/@budikaryas)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has highlighted the importance of thorough preparation to anticipate potential challenges in view of the growing urban population nationwide.
“In 2045, 70 percent of our population will live in urban areas. What about the world in 2050? Eighty percent of the world's population will live in urban areas,” the President said on Tuesday at a national work meeting of the Association of Indonesian Municipalities (Apeksi) in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, as quoted in a release on the presidential website.
Jokowi warned about high rates of unemployment and homelessness due to high urban density, like what Europe and North America were currently experiencing.
“We do not want that to happen in our country,” he said.
Jokowi stated that the government aimed to make the country’s cities comfortable, livable and loved by the public, while noting challenges like traffic congestion were prevalent in cities such as Balikpapan, Surabaya, Bandung and Medan.
He also emphasized that the “future city” concept was more than just a modern city with skyscrapers, but a city that supported pedestrians, people with disabilities, cyclists and the environment.
“Once again, the desired city of the future is a green, smart, creative, livable and lovable city,” the President said.
