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overnor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo aims to relocate residents in the capital without violent clashes by applying the same formula he used to relocate street vendors during his time as mayor of Surakarta, Central Java.

The governor ' popular for his soft approach in dealing with people ' met on Wednesday with dozens of Petukangan Selatan residents in Pesanggrahan district, South Jakarta, who were affected by the Jakarta Outer Ring Road West 2 (JORR W2) construction project, to discuss the administration's aim of acquiring their land over lunch at a Minang restaurant in Pesanggrahan.

Such a move is the first since Jokowi ' who managed to relocate street vendors without clashes in his hometown of Surakarta ' became governor.

In a 60 square-meter room, Jokowi and a number of high-ranking officials, sat with representatives of the affected residents at a long table for the lunch meeting.

Jokowi went on to explain the project's background.

'The JORR project began in 1992 but was temporarily halted due to the 1997 economic crisis. The project resumed in 2008 and is now nearly complete. Once the project is complete, vehicles travelling from west to east, or vice versa, will be able to take the outer ring road, thereby reducing traffic jams on inner city roads,' he said.

'I hope you understand that this is for the good of the majority. I promise we will never exclude you. That's why we are here today to discuss this issue with you and to find a win-win solution,' he said to the cheering residents.

The JORR W2 section of the toll road will link Ulujami in South Jakarta and Kebon Jeruk in West Jakarta.

The section, part of the JORR project, is more than a decade past its planned completion date.

The 7.8-kilometer-long section will be able to accommodate 60,000 vehicles.

In 2010, then governor Fauzi Bowo issued a gubernatorial decree to cap the price of land to a level 'suitable' for the JORR W2 project.

Under the regulation, residents who would be impacted by the project, such as those living in Petukangan Utara and Petukangan Selatan subdistricts in South Jakarta, are only allowed to sell their land for between Rp 920,000 (US$94.76) and Rp 3.9 million per square-meter.

The affected residents, advocated by the Jakarta Legal Aid Agency (LBH), filed lawsuits against the decree issuance with the Jakarta Administrative Court, which subsequently ruled in favor of the residents.

Titi Romli, who has lived in Petukangan Selatan since the 1970s, said residents had been longing for direct communication with the city administration.

'It's not just about money. We have never been included in meetings with officials to discuss the land acquisition and the value of our homes,' she said, declining to mention the exact figure she was hoping for.

'We want that after our homes are acquired, we will be able to move somewhere still in the capital area.'

Tri Susanti, another resident, appreciated the governor's willingness to listen to the residents, saying that she hoped the discussion would result in a win-win solution.

Even though a solution was not found on the day of the meeting, Jokowi was optimistic that together they would find one in the near future.

'They were very positive and understanding. I'm sure a conclusion is only a lunch away,' Jokowi said after the meeting.