Social and Physical Processes in the Production of Urban Public Space: A Case Study of RPTRA Construction in Jakarta

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FORMOSA NEWS - Jakarta - Capital Corporate Collaboration Shapes Success of Jakarta Child Friendly Integrated Public Spaces. Rapid urban development, commercial expansion, and illegal land occupation have severely depleted public spaces in Jakarta, leaving children in dense urban kampongs to play on dangerous streets. To solve this crisis, a comprehensive urban study published in 2026 by Sri Pare Eni from Universitas Kristen Indonesia (UKI) investigated the intricate social and physical processes behind building Ruang Publik Terpadu Ramah Anak (RPTRA) or Child-Friendly Integrated Public Spaces. Initiated in 2015, the RPTRA program has successfully introduced over 290 public space units across Jakarta to provide green open space, sports facilities, libraries, and community services. The research by Sri Pare Eni reveals that successful urban public assets depend heavily on a structural blend of political will, corporate funding, professional design idealism, and grassroots community management.

The Crisis of Urban Space in the Global South

As megacities across the Global South expand, ordinary citizens lose open areas to housing and commercial real estate. In Jakarta, the scarcity of safe recreational zones directly impacts child development and community welfare. The RPTRA initiative, championed during the tenure of former Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, transformed the urban landscape by integrating child services with disaster shelters and community hubs. To understand how these spaces are produced and sustained, Sri Pare Eni at Universitas Kristen Indonesia applied advanced social theories specifically Henri Lefebvre's social production of space and Anthony Giddens' structuration theory. The UKI study establishes that public spaces are never neutral containers; instead, they are dynamic products shaped by unequal power relations, resource distribution, and regulatory frameworks.

Simplified Methodology of the RPTRA Study
The study conducted by Sri Pare Eni utilized a qualitative descriptive case study approach to analyze legal documents, regional regulations, and field data. The researcher collected empirical data through field observations, visual documentation, and semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with provincial and sub-district government officials, professional architects, local RPTRA managers, and community members. To compare different operational models, Sri Pare Eni selected five distinct RPTRA sites in Jakarta representing two primary funding mechanisms:

• RPTRA Cililitan: Built on 3,600 square meters, funded via Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by PT Pembangunan Jaya, and designed by PT Arkonin.
  
• RPTRA Kebon Pala Berseri: Built on 1,100 square meters, funded via CSR by PT Astra, and designed by CV Sena Putra Akda.
  
• RPTRA Permata Intan: Built on a tight 955-square-meter plot, funded by the Regional Budget (APBD), and designed by PT D-Associate.
  
• RPTRA Citra Permata: Located adjacent to a sub-district office, funded by the Regional Budget (APBD), and designed by PT Han Awal & Partners.
  
• RPTRA Kalijodo: A prominent multi-functional public space built on a former red-light district.
  

Key Findings: Funding Models and Design Quality
The research by Sri Pare Eni uncovered that three major structural forces drive the production of public spaces in Jakarta: national "Child-Friendly City" discourses, strict provincial governor regulations, and the allocation of land and capital. The primary findings from the Universitas Kristen Indonesia study include:

• Political Leadership Dictates Scale: The political commitment of the Governor was the decisive factor in rapidly scaling up the RPTRA program across Jakarta. However, changes in political leadership directly alter public space concepts, as seen in the subsequent shift to the Taman Maju Bersama model.
  
• CSR Funding Grants Design Flexibility: Early RPTRA sites relied entirely on corporate donors. CSR-funded projects allowed architects higher design flexibility and more community negotiation. For instance, residents near RPTRA Cililitan successfully requested the inclusion of an early childhood education (PAUD) room.
  
• APBD Funding Ensures Standardized Coverage: From 2016 onward, the Regional Budget (APBD) dominated development. While APBD funding ensured wider geographic coverage, the projects were constrained by rigid government contracts and standardized prototypes, occasionally resulting in cramped, purely functional layouts when land was limited.
  
• Architectural Idealism Enhances Spatial Quality: Eleven renowned Indonesian architecture firms volunteered their services to design unique prototypes. This professional idealism enriched Jakarta’s urban fabric. Han Awal’s design for RPTRA Citra Permata, for example, successfully blended modern exposed structures with traditional carved eaves.
  

Recommendations for Policymakers and Urban Planners
To preserve the integrity of RPTRAs as sustainable models for urban public space production, the study outlines five strategic recommendations for policymakers:

• Strengthen Participatory Design: Involve local communities much earlier in the planning phase to build a robust sense of local ownership.
  
• Dedicate Maintenance Budgets: Ensure annual sub-district budgets contain distinct, ring-fenced allocations for public space upkeep.
  
• Create Flexible Design Guidelines: Develop spatial standards that protect core child-friendly features while adapting fluidly to small or irregular urban plots.
  
• Institutionalize Professional Architect Involvement: Move beyond temporary voluntary contributions by formalizing institutional partnerships with architectural associations.

Author Profile
Sri Pare Eni is an academic researcher and lecturer affiliated with the Department of Architecture at Universitas Kristen Indonesia (UKI). Her field of expertise encompasses urban spatial analysis, public space production, cultural conservation, preservation architecture, and the study of historical urban landscapes such as the Old City of Jakarta. 

Source
Sri Pare Eni (2026). Social and Physical Processes in the Production of Urban Public Space: A Case Study of RPTRA Construction in Jakarta. Formosa Journal of Applied Sciences (FJAS). Vol. 5, No. 5, Hal. 1227-1234 2026.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/fjas.v5i5.60
URL: https://journalfjas.my.id/index.php/fjas