Public Space Reactivated and Enlivened: Taking Urban Life to the Next Level

5-7, 17 September 2019 | SURAKARTA, SEBERANG PERAI – Uplifting the quality of urban life can be achieved, among many, by ensuring that social capital is well built. UCLG ASPAC in close collaboration with UN-Habitat, and local government of Seberang Perai City Council, Surakarta, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province have taken further action marked by MoU Signing and preliminary visit for art project.

MOU  SIGNING WITH SEBERANG PERAI CITY COUNCIL

On 17 September 2019, UCLG ASPAC and Seberang Perai City Council formalised collaboration for public space revitalisation through the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Within one year period, the MoU binds both parties to collaborate and revitalise public space site located alongside 1.2 km of Sungai Juru, Bandar Perda.

UCLG ASPAC was represented by Secretary General Dr. Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi and Seberang Perai City Council was represented by Dato’ Bandar Sr Hj Rozali bin Hj Mohamud. The MoU Signing took historic momentum of Seberang Perai celebrating the city’s status upgrade from secondary to primary city. The public space revitalisation project is, thus, a reflection of city’s commitment to enhance the quality of urban life following the promotion.

Using collaborative method, UCLG ASPAC led facilitation process. Various stakeholders were invited to share their needs and expectation towards a space later on becoming their own. From discussion, local people agreed to transform the existing space into a recreational park. “Bring People Back to Nature” thematic concept was, later on, chosen to ensure the facility development aligns with city’s vision for a low carbon city.

Six months from now, project works is envisioned to conclude. Local people of Seberang Perai will have a new recreational park that they designed themselves according to their needs. It will provide them not only with convenient pedestrian walk, but also experience on water related activities (fishing, catching and feeding fish), more greenery, various bird species, bicycle lane, gazebo, and solar lamp post, among many others.

JEJU – SURAKARTA ART PROJECT

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, the leading city of UCLG ASPAC Culture Committee, has innovated in many ways the incorporation of culture for city development. Many of its successful practices involve participation of local people. Under the framework of city-to-city cooperation, Jeju invites Surakarta to also incorporate culture in its city development through art installation project for children in public space in Surakarta. UCLG ASPAC led the facilitation of this cooperation starting with preliminary visit to Surakarta from 5 to 7 September 2019. The visit was intended to get an overview of Surakarta and the culture.

Representing Jeju Special Self-Governing Province were Ms. Sujin Kim, Project Officer, and Mr. Kim Kidai, sculpture artist. During the visit, both representatives also had discussion about the concept behind the project with Mr. Anhar Widodo (representing Indonesian Art Institute, Surakarta), Mr. Dian Arrifianto (representing Indonesia Architect Institute, Surakarta), as well as Mr. Galih Aji Priyambodo and Ms. Sekar Tri Kusuma (alumni of Jeju’s Global Youth Culture Forum 2018, representing Surakarta).

Through the discussion, Jeju revealed their plan to upscale existing public space in Surakarta with art installation, allowing children to explore it as playground. Based on agreement in the discussion, it was decided that the art installation will be in the area of Monument Banjarsari. Collaborative method will be applied and will involve artists from Jeju and Surakarta.

How both projects progress? Stay tuned with our updates!