A Qualitative Study of New Public Spaces Among The Commuter Line Stations

Abstract

Traffic jam problems and auto-dependency have become two of the main problems in Jabodetabek. Today, the main transportation system that connects the buffer cities and the City of Jakarta is the Commuter Line railway system. Soon, commuting by train will start to become part of the common urban culture in Jabodetabek and aligns with the automobile culture that has already dominated the city for years. This cultural change is causing the stations to become nodes where “railway-oriented activities” intersect with “caroriented activities.” Additionally, the urban elements around the stations such as flyovers begin to develop. As the main aim of the flyovers are to avoid the railway crossing, they are not purposely provide shades beneath for places, but the shades have become new spots for people’s activities. People have begun to use the residual space beneath the flyover. As a result, different types of “rooms” or areas formed within the public spaces near the stations and produced a hierarchy from private to public that is similar to a “house”—but in urban context. This paper maps and analyzes the formation of the public spaces around the stations with a focus on the presence of the flyovers based on the field observations that were linked with