After three years in the wilderness, a movement to map out green spaces in Jakarta is back in vogue, riding the global trend toward an environmentally conscious lifestyle.
“The campaigning stage is over, people are aware of the ‘green’ lifestyle now. Let’s focus on green maps’ effectiveness, power to change, availability and design,” Marco Kusumawijaya, a founder of the “green map” movement said Saturday.
The green map project involves communities, big and small, mapping out their neighborhoods.
The mapmaking process is a creative one. People from all walks of life can contribute. Even children, guided by adults, can make their own green maps of their locales.
“Green maps can be used even before they are complete. Through green mapmaking, people meet and exchange information about the neighborhood,” said Elanto Wijoyono, coordinator of Indonesia Green Map.
He added the maps could contain as many details and interesting facts as the contributors wanted.
The first green map in Jakarta was of Kemang, South Jakarta, made in 2001 by a group of residents, architects and media workers. The second map, in 2002, was of Kebayoran Baru, also in South Jakarta.
The main aim of the green map movement is to promote healthy and sustainable cities by pointing out features not necessarily marked out on other maps, such as green areas, open spaces, heritage buildings, rare trees, bird-viewing sites and other places of interest.
The 2003 Menteng green map, for instance, points out the home of a traditional healer renowned for his medicinal herbs.
The last Jakarta green map was that of the Old Town in West and North Jakarta, made in 2005.
These four green maps were welcomed by many in the city, and even sold out at Aksara Bookstore in Kemang, said David Sagita, one of the movement’s founders. But he added they were hit by distribution problems, and said he wanted the next batch of maps to reach a wider public.
The movement’s founders and members are now calling for the new maps to embrace city communities like the Green Monster, Bike to Work and groups interested in heritage buildings as well as the city’s flora and fauna.
“We can ask Bike to Work communities to make a map of bike routes,” said Nirwono Joga, an architect and a green map founder.
“Maps are drawn up based on the neighborhood. But we can probably base the next green maps on places of interest, such as heritage and historical sites,” Marco said, adding the maps could also include green communities.
“For instance, we can mark out composting facilities or plant vendors on the maps.”
Indah Sulistiana, an architect, said private companies in the city’s central business districts should be allowed to contribute to the maps because of their efforts in promoting a more environmentally conscious lifestyle.
Several firms in Jakarta have adopted energy saving practices, as well as reuse and recycle campaigns. Indah said these companies would need maps that indicated where they could recycle their waste.
Sixteen cities across the country are being green-mapped, including Bukittinggi in West Sumatra, Buton in Southeast Sulawesi, Yogyakarta, Sanur in Bali, Bandung in West Java and Banda Aceh in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam. The project is a non-profit endeavor, and all green map activists work as volunteers.
International green map:
www.greenmap.org
