Young Leader Ridwan Kamil Creative for a Solutions young city

Ridwan Kamil on… ’s Transformation Over the Years

Bandung is a city of 2.5 million in West , . It’s a metropolitan city with a cool climate. This is the reason why people love Bandung. As a metropolis, we face many issues, but there are many opportunities as well. For instance, we are the second most popular tourist destination in Indonesia – with six million tourists visiting the city annually. In the last couple of years, this rchitect, lecturer and social has dramatically changed the landscape activist Ridwan Kamil appears of Bandung. A to be perfectly suited for his role as mayor of Bandung, a young city Bandung also has more than 80 where 60% of its population is under 40 universities and colleges with 60% of years of age. Just 44 years old himself, its population under 40 years old. This he has come up with several creative means it’s a city with a high percentage solutions to tackle rapid urbanisation in of educated young people. They are one of Indonesia’s fastest growing cities. the key drivers of Bandung’s creative In this interview with CLC’s Lim Swee economy and it’s our vision that this creative economy becomes the generator Keng at the World Cities Summit held in June 2014, Ridwan Kamil talks about that powers the city. Bandung is now challenges facing Bandung including one of the best performing economies the provision of a sustainable transport in the country with almost 9% GDP infrastructure and to need to keep its citizens happy. 49 young leader

growth, outperforming the national challenges to face as only 20% of GDP growth rate of 5.8%. This has the population currently use public put more pressure on the existing transport with 80% still choosing When we talk public transport infrastructure, so it is to use cars or motorbikes. Our about mobility, it’s important to plan for the future growth target is to flip this situation of Bandung. around such that 80% use public not always about transport, with the remaining moving people by Bandung’s Current Challenges using cars or motorbikes. machine or cars. The key challenge is to provide One way to do this is to make infrastructure to support new economic walking a more attractive option. traditional outfits and speaking opportunities. A proposal to build a We have started to do this by the local language; Thursday monorail system to meet Bandung’s upgrading pedestrian paths is English Day; Friday is Bike growing transport needs is being everywhere in the city. We have To Work Day and Saturday prepared. We are also proposing a the Skywalk, which is raised above is Festival Day, with one of 30 cable car network as a means of public the street level, to allow people to culinary festivals spread out over transportation because the city is hilly. walk in the city without having to This is part of our master plan called the whole city. stop at traffic intersections. So by “Bandung Urban Mobility Projects”. simply giving people more options Liveable cities are not always It’s how we envision people will move to move within the city, I think we about economic measures around the city in the future. can create a more sustainable and and standards but also about liveable Bandung. happiness because an advanced Apart from the monorail and cable society is a happy society. car, we are also providing bike-sharing New Ways of Making and bike-renting options for intercity Bandung More Liveable commuting. To complement this, we are building Bandung’s Skywalk – a We are currently experimenting on Watch the full interview series of bridges that will criss-cross a new concept called “Happiness with Mayor Kamil at the the city and create better connectivity Projects.” Happiness Projects have World Cities Summit 2014: for people. been devised to address short- term goals while we wait for big Urban Mobility within Bandung projects, that may takes years to When we talk about mobility, it’s complete, to come on-stream. For not always about moving people by instance, we created Bandung Fun machine or cars. Whether it’s public Days as a part of the Happiness or private transportation, there are Projects. So Mondays in Bandung other options. That’s why we are giving are now a Free Bus Day; Tuesday people a range of options to move is No Smoking Day; Wednesday is Sundanese Day for wearing https://www.youtube.com/ around in Bandung. We have some watch?v=WIkH_FUYB-c February 2015 • Issue 6