Almost all superblocks in Indonesia have the connotation of luxury and only a few of them allocate space for the middle to lower classes. The fact is that these people are the biggest part of urban society that will do the informal and semi-informal jobs around the area.
Meanwhile, attention to the building of flats in several cities to facilitate those classes is still small. Those buildings are usually located at ‘hidden’ places that are relatively further away from centres of activities. Ideally, for developing countries such as Indonesia that is socio-economically heterogeneous, a superblock should consist of a combination of functions and combination of classes. Therefore, superblock areas will socially become vibrant.
"The concept of 1:3:6 was introduced during the New Order, obliging developers to follow the proportion of 1 unit of luxury home, 3 units of middle class and 6 units of simple homes. But, because the developers tend to take the economic scale into account, home development for medium and simple categories has not become a priority," said Prof. Ir. Bambang Hari Wibisono, M.U.P., M.Sc., Ph.D., Tuesday (30/3), when he was inaugurated as Professor of Faculty of Engineering, UGM.
According to Bambang Hari, some superblock founding showed the developers’ non-compliance with the Urban Design Guidelines established by the local Government. This has led to environmental problems, such as waste management and traffic jam. "We need to bear in mind that superblocks are an integrated facility which is a relatively big trip generator, tending to gather relatively large number of people at the same time while not paying attention to the supports or limitations of its surrounding," he explained at the UGM Senate Hall.
The Vice-Dean (Academic) in the Faculty of Engineering said that, architecturally, the shape and scale of superblocks in general tend to show "arrogance" and out of character, less humane, thus create isolation. Apart from trying to put image into view according to the theme of design, superblocks tend to realise efficiency and effectivity of urban space. "It is because urban space increasingly gets smaller and smaller. Attention should be given to the possible diminishing of local identity, the loss of sense of place and the reduced sense of belonging among people that cause social envy between the rural people," said the man born in Yogyakarta, 14 July 1960.
Therefore, the husband of dr. Iryani Andamari, Sp.KK and the father of two children expected more basic, comprehensive and creative study through local indigenous wisdom. With contextual and participative approach, the balance of harmonious and sustainable life can be maintained.