Tebet Eco Garden

In Collaboration with Siura Studio
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A good public space project, especially in a city, is one that is multilayered: weaving one layer of strategy with another to form an intricate network of intertwining, interdependent systems so that together, the project not only resolves the current problems it was supposed to address, but also stitches new programs that add colours and textures to the physical, social and ecological fabrics.

Tebet Eco Garden is one such project. The 7-hectare pilot public park project, located in South Jakarta in a densely populated area, focuses on an active restoration of the site’s ecology with tree conservation and planting; reduces the risk of flooding with river re-naturalization; and cultivates an inclusive environment that facilitates access to a wide offering of educational programming and recreational activities, in order to provide maximum benefits for park users and the surrounding natural habitats and species. New active and passive park zones will also be incorporated into the space to complement the ecologically restored waterway and lush vegetation, with different connections inside and along the periphery of the park. Overall, this multi-government agency collaboration is more than just revitalizing a park—it will enhance park users’ quality of life and yield a positive impact on the public’s well-being too.

Tebet Eco Garden is owned by the Jakarta Park and Forestry Agency that manages public parks in Jakarta. Through my discussion with the head of department, the Tebet Eco Garden concept is unique because it involves various government agencies such as those overseeing water, road and transport, and the environment. The landscape design concept itself is something new for them—they have not done river renaturalization projects before that focus on the site’s ecology.

“In the Tebet Eco Garden design, we reverse this infrastructure problem by re-naturalizing the canal with soil bioengineering infrastructure to enhance the site’s ecology, reduce risk of flooding while creating new recreational spaces for people to enjoy. The revitalized green spaces along the waterway then become an inviting space that is easily accessible by people from all ages and backgrounds to enjoy, thus providing greater equity in the city,” he comments.
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Featured & credit to FuturArc