“Hari Bebas Kendaraan Bermotor!” (Happy Car Free Day)
Tags: asia, car-free day, Indonesia, Jakarta, Olympics, public space, Vancouver
Jakarta residents celebrate Car Free Jakarta. Thanks to Luluk on Flickr for the great Creative Commons image!
In Vancouver, Canada, the 2010 Olympics are taking over more and more of the city in preparation for the official games and festivities. Starting last week, the city began closing roads and beefing up security, with more closures happening as time passes. As much as these obstructions are annoying to residents, in the grand scheme of things, they are publicly accepted and really not that disruptive. This has got me thinking: if Vancouverites are able to live with all these streets and access points blocked off for the next month or so, why is there so much contestation in the city over closing a few streets for Car Free days every summer?
When I began field work for my master’s thesis in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2008, I was quickly introduced to a phrase to describe the city: “No Traffic, no Jakarta.” Jakarta is plagued with some of the worst traffic I have seen. Estimating travel times is almost impossible: I learned to always leave very early for appointments. As someone who loves to walk everywhere, I found myself in a pedestrian-unfriendly city. However, there is still hope for Jakarta. Starting in September of 2007, Jakarta established car-free days on the last Sunday of almost every month in a bid to reduce air pollution in the city.
Car-free days are held on sections of Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta, two of the busiest and most central streets in the city. From 6am to 2pm, motorcycles, cars, taxis and three-wheeled vehicles are barred from the roads. During these days, residents take up exercise while organizations set up booths to campaign for environmental awareness. Athletic clubs take to the streets to play sports like futsal (soccer). The time may seem odd to some, but because of the heat in Jakarta (with average highs of 30 degrees Celsius, or 86 degrees Fahrenheit) physical activity is mostly done earlier in the day. Car-free days have become important not only for reducing air pollution in the city, but for creating public spaces and safe recreational opportunities.
Street closures in preparation for Vancouver's 2010 Olympics seem to have induced less public grumbling than summer Car Free Days. Thanks to Kent Lins on Flickr for the great Creative Commons photo!
In 2009, other districts in Jakarta began holding their own car-free days, which has encouraged people to visit other parts of the city. In Kota, part of the Old Town area which has experienced substantial economic decline over the years, the Car Free day was more like a festival bringing people back to the area. They even held a fireworks show at night.
Jakarta, a city with heavy traffic where people rarely walk or cycle anywhere, has successfully closed its main streets one Sunday a month for the residents to enjoy themselves and reduce air pollution. Why can’t ‘no fun’ Vancouver do that same? Hopefully one of the 2010 legacies will be the continuation of street fairs and outdoor public events.
