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Statues, traditional motifs to crowd sidewalks along Jakarta's thoroughfares
The planned expanded sidewalks along Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin will be a colorful haven for traditional art motifs and be decorated with statues and other cultural objects.
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Street vendors occupy a sidewalk along Jl. Sudirman in Karet Semanggi, South Jakarta, on Jan. 31. (JP/Ben Latuihamallo)
T
he planned expanded sidewalks along Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin in South and Central Jakarta, respectively, will be a colorful haven for traditional art motifs and be decorated with statues and other cultural objects, according to a city official.
The restoration project will expand the thoroughfare’s sidewalks to 10-12 meters in width from the previous 3-5 m. They will also reflect the archipelago’s array of cultures, Gamal Sinurat, the Jakarta secretary’s assistant for development, revealed on Thursday.
Some corners, for example, will feature statues and art installations using Betawi motifs and lurik (traditional striped motif from Java).
“Small-scale art events, such as dances, can be conducted on the sidewalks,” Gamal said.
The city will also provide benches, he added.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has said that he wanted the capital’s sidewalks to become a place for residents to interact with one another and experience culture.
He therefore ordered relevant agencies to revise the capital’s sidewalk expansion project, which was initiated during former governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama’s term.
Anies said the sidewalks should be accessible to all Jakartans who were exempt from the project’s previous designs.
He hoped to have the designs finished and revealed to the public by the end of February. (cal)
