Ridwan Kamil: New Capital Is Too Vast, Wasteful Infrastructure

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil commented on the design of the new capital city that will be built in North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara regencies, East Kalimantan. Ridwan Kamil, who is also an architect, said the design was somewhat unsuitable.

“If it has become the central government’s plan, I think the DPR will support it. But as an architect, I see many unsuitable things in the design and the assumptions of the new capital,” said the governor in Bandung, Monday, August 26.

He assessed that the area of the new administrative hub was too broad. According to him, sufficient areas will better to prevent overnumbered infrastructures.

“The land is too vast, 200,000-hectare area for 1.5 million people. I think it is such a waste. Take a look at Brazil, Brasilia still has vast areas thus far that its people do not feel like it’s home and so on. Myanmar is also vast as well,” he said.

Kamil mentioned one example of a state that properly relocated its capital, the United States’s Washington DC.

“[The U.S.’] capital has 17,000 hectares and is home to 700,000 people. So if the people is 1.5 million, the land of 35,000 hectares is adequate, if it’s occupied by 1.5 million people, imagine the wasteful asphalt, cables, infrastructure that are prepped to accommodate the people,” Ridwan Kamil said.

Earlier, President Joko Widodo or Jokowi has officially announced that the new capital city will be built in the regencies of North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, during a press conference at the State Palace, Jakarta, today, August 26.

ANTARA