Setu Babakan: The Betawian Atmosphere Within Modern Jakarta

As a capital city, Jakarta has appeared as the node of government power. The government existences has been reflected thru their physical buildings upon the capital city. Moreover, the varied departments indicate the power that has been divided into their classified belongings.

On the other hand, economic activities over the greater Jakarta stimulate the improvement of capital nodes. Therefore, it’s pretty easy to find the multinational companies which have operated there since decades.

Urban Sprawl Phenomena

Both the node of government power and capital activities stimulate those who have had willingness to crave for more diamonds. Due to the increasing number of people, such as private actors, are called to improve the morphological Jakarta in case of providing the urban common needs.

The higher number of people who come, the more needs of place to stay and work there. Logically, the phenomenon reflects to urban common problems. In solving the housing problem, the local government and other actors allocate the green and public space to be built for apartments. In spite of housing problem, the needs of office building are other of the cause to object the existing number of green and public space.

These phenomena indicate the evidences of urban sprawl. The morphology has been changed from agricultural coverage to building coverage. Hence, the changed morphology delivers another impact to its society.

The Marginalized Betawian

The increasing number of people becomes a problematic case for the native society. The more people will come, the higher degree of competition will increase. However, the classical problem objects to the conservative Betawians who distance their selves to the modern atmosphere of Jakarta.

In spite of their conservative thought, some of the native Betawians have shaped their selves within the modern ones. They discuss the marginalization of the Betawians, Who are considered to be the native inhabitants of the city (Alkatiri, 2011). Yet, these flexible Betawians have a difficult path to take their right in using the urban space.

Setu Babakan: The Betawian Space

Over the euphoric modern Jakarta, the needs of Betawian space was generated by those who gave their attention to the native inhabitants. Legalized by the local government, Setu Babakan has been allocated for the Betawian to present their art and cultural activities. Therefore, those activities are continuously arranged by the Bureaucrats which are assigned to administer the Betawian sites.

Taking a deep attention to the activities, weekly schedules are arranged to acquaint the native cultural tradition.  Lenong, for instance, is periodically held by the native artists.

Not only art and cultural activities, the Betawian culinary is easily found upon its surroundings. Kue Pancong and the small size of Roti Buaya are provided for the visitors who are curious in experiencing the deeper Betawian atmosphere.

In summary, the modern atmosphere generates the common urban case over the megacity. Affected to the native society, phenomena of urban sprawl upon Jakarta reduce the urban rights to the Betawians. By taking a deep concern to the urban case, the local government has allocated Setu Babakan as the Betawian space within modern Jakarta.

 

 

Nuzula Ichwanun Nabila

19 September 2015

 

Reference:

Alkatiri, Zeffry. 2011. Not Like Eating Chili: Constructing Alternative Cultural Space For The Betawians. Inter-Asia Cultural Studies. Vol. 12.