One highly anticipated event was the Investment Forum, where enCity’s CEO Dzung Do Nguyen, together with other thought leaders in the region, offered insights on how Southeast Asian metropolises such as Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City can overcome urban challenges through revitalisation and rejuvenation.
At the Forum, the panelists discussed indepthly the case of Jakarta, where the relocation of the Indonesian National Capital to Kalimantan serves as an opportunity for urban regeneration. Dzung, together with Tiyok Prasetyoadi, Managing Director of PDW Indonesia, unveiled enCity’s work on a 29-ha site in Ragunan, South Jakarta, showing the potential to turn abandoned civic administrative sites into housing opportunities for different income groups, new public amenities, and employment hubs for the city at large.
Through careful traffic and hydraulic impact assessments, the proposal for Ragunan also adds to the overall infrastructure network of the city through strategies involving Transit-oriented development and water-sensitive urban typologies. With high-density development around transit stations and an extensive network of walkways and bike paths, less than 50% of total trips will be made by private vehicles. Additionally, with one third of land area reserved for public greenery and retention areas, the development will be able to keep all 10-year stormwater runoff on site, and effectively implement the city’s zero run-off policy.
During the discussion, Dzung also pointed to the development potentials on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, due to significant improvement in regional transport infrastructure such as the construction of Long Thanh international airport and Ring Road 3. These showcase the crucial role of infrastructure and connectivity as levers for urban development. With the relocation of the existing airport to the outskirts, opportunities for inner city revitalisation also avail for Ho Chi Minh City.
In summary, the panelists agree that the potential is ripe for Southeast Asian cities, and we await exciting opportunities to further transform these global metropolises into liveable cities and economic powerhouses in the coming years.
