Conservation and Revitalization of the Ciliwung Riverbank Area in Manggarai Village, Tebet District, South Jakarta

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FORMOSA NEWS - Jakarta - Transforming Jakarta's Ciliwung Riverbank: An Integrated Blueprint for Sustainable Revitalization and Urban Housing. An innovative urban design study by architect and researcher Sri Pare Eni from Universitas Kristen Indonesia provides a comprehensive blueprint to transform one of Jakarta’s most vulnerable informal settlements along the Ciliwung Riverbank. Published in the Formosa Journal of Sustainable Research in 2026, the research offers a scalable solution to the intersecting crises of seasonal flooding, extreme population density, and severe environmental degradation in the heart of Indonesia's capital. By balancing ecological conservation with the economic realities of local residents, this framework serves as a critical model for sustainable metropolitan development.

The Crisis on the Ciliwung Riverbank

Jakarta concentrates approximately 65% of Indonesia's national monetary circulation and hosts 80% of its economic activity. This massive economic centralization triggers intense inward migration, creating a severe shortage of affordable residential land. Consequently, lower-income families frequently settle along critical river corridors. In the Manggarai Village zone of the Tebet District in South Jakarta, over 2,500 residents live in high-density, informal structures directly within the river's riparian zone. These back-oriented housing structures lack formal sanitation infrastructure, leading to domestic waste being discharged straight into the waterway. This localized pressure, combined with wider watershed degradation where forest cover has plummeted to just 9.7% has caused catastrophic biodiversity loss, driving 92.5% of native Ciliwung fish species to extinction. Compounding these ecological threats, the lack of open space leaves thousands of neighborhood children with no safe areas to play, forcing them onto dangerous, high-traffic road shoulders.

Methodology: Data-Driven Urban Design
To address these compounding issues, the research conducted a comprehensive five-month mixed-methods study combining rigorous field observations, architectural site mapping, and direct community interviews. The research systematically analyzed three neighborhood units (RW 01, RW 04, and RW 10) in Manggarai Village, mapping a total study site of 38,351 square meters against official Jakarta spatial regulations.
Using advanced spatial analysis software, the study calculated strict structural thresholds, aligning the design with Jakarta's formal planning guidelines:

• Building Setback Lines (GSB): A minimum of 3 meters.
  
• River Setback Lines (GSS): A strict 10-meter clearance zone from the water's edge.
  
• Maximum Floor Area Ratio (KLB): Capped at a maximum of two floors.
  
• Green Open Space Ratio (KDH): Maintaining a minimum requirement of 45%.
  

Key Findings: The Four-Zone Revitalization Blueprint
The research synthesized environmental data and community demographic profiles to divide the 38,351-square-meter site into an optimized, four-zone sustainable ecosystem:

• Zone A: High-Density Commercial Flats (Rusun Komersil). Occupying 8,915 square meters, this zone is designed to safely house the 2,500 displaced riverbank residents across 12 low-rise, two-story blocks. Crucially, the units implement a "shophouse" (ruko) typology, positioning commercial spaces on the ground floor and residential quarters above. This directly protects the livelihoods of the 5,556 traders identified in the demographic survey. The zone integrates an decentralized Wastewater Treatment Plant (IPAL) and an underground Clean Water Storage Tank (GWT) network to halt all direct raw sewage discharge into the Ciliwung.
  
• Zone B: Transit-Oriented Commercial & Capsule Accommodation. Spanning 8,708 square meters, Zone B leverages the site's strategic location directly opposite Manggarai Station, which functions as Jakarta's central railway hub. It introduces an innovative capsule hotel typology featuring 12 micro-accommodation structures, 18 formal commercial tenant spaces, and a dedicated pedestrian overhead bridge linking directly to the transit hub.
  
• Zone C: Preserved Residential Enclave. Encompassing 7,308 square meters, this sector contains the pre-existing TNI residential compound, which remains completely unaltered to minimize structural disruptions and respect existing land tenure.
  
• Zone D: The Community Park (RPTRA). Covering 13,420 square meters, this massive green open space addresses the community's recreational deficits. It integrates a curvilinear landscape featuring an outdoor jogging track, a dedicated field for children, a natural water feature to mitigate urban heat island effects, and designated zones for itinerant street vendors.
  

Implications and Real-World Impact
The real-world value of this Universitas Kristen Indonesia study lies in its shift away from standard, forced urban displacement. By proving that river cleanup can coexist with economic empowerment, the blueprint offers policymakers a self-sustaining financial strategy. The revenue generated from the Zone B capsule hotels and commercial leases creates a reliable funding stream to maintain the public park and waste management utilities indefinitely. 

Author Profile
Sri Pare Eni holds an advanced academic degree in architecture and urban planning and serves as a senior faculty member and researcher at Universitas Kristen Indonesia. Her primary field of expertise focuses on sustainable urban design, waterfront revitalization, environmental spatial planning, and the regularisation of informal metropolitan settlements.

Source
Sri Pare Eni: Conservation and Revitalization of the Ciliwung Riverbank Area in Manggarai Village, Tebet District, South Jakarta, Formosa Journal of Sustainable Research (FJSR) 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/fjsr.v5i4.30
URL: https://journalfjsr.my.id/index.php/fjsr