Balancing Accessibility & Affordability in Indonesian Transit-Oriented Development Projects, Case Study: TOD Tanah Abang, Indonesia

Abstract

The Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) concept has been hailed for successfully increasing public transit ridership and improving residents’ accessibility. Its approach involves capturing the increase in property values by redeveloping areas surrounding transit stations to fund public transit investment. However, when proposed TOD neighborhoods are already densely populated and home to low-income residents, development-based value capture mechanisms can worsen the housing affordability crisis and increase the risk of gentrification and displacement for existing residents.

This thesis examines the 'Tanah Abang TOD Urban Design Guideline (UDGL),' a newly proposed TOD area in Jakarta proposed by PT MITJ, a joint venture company of Jakarta’s Commuter Line and Jakarta’s Mass Rapid Transit companies. PT MITJ is appointed as a TOD operator responsible for regulating land-use changes and leading the development process. Tanah Abang TOD UDGL then presents an example of how an urban design proposal is used as a mechanism of urban regeneration. By evaluating the proposal's impact on accessibility and affordability compared to the existing state, this thesis aims to provide a framework for anticipatory planning measures that balance potential gains and losses for communities in Indonesian TOD projects.