THE CITY AT EYE LEVEL ASIA
TAMAN FILM: INSPIRING A SENSE OF BELONGING
Florian Heinzelmann & Daliana Suryawinata (SHAU)
BANDUNG, INDONESIA
In 2013, the newly elected Mayor of Bandung and current Governor of West Java, Ridwan Kamil, initiated plans for Taman Film (Film Park) as one part of a linear chain of smaller, connected public spaces underneath the Pasupati overpass; an iconic cable-stayed bridge in Bandung, Indonesia. In previous years, there had been loose proposals put forward by local communities and students for the ‘abandoned’ space, but a lack of funding meant nothing has ever been done. Such a pity for such a strategic location near urban villages in dire need of public spaces. Things started to change in Bandung under the governance of Ridwan Kamil – who is a trained architect with the backup of the creative community. With him as Mayor, the city started to develop better public space awareness.
PART OF A CHAIN Mayor Kamil envisioned a continuous chain of parks, which would provide direct pedestrian access from the city to the famous shopping street of Cihampelas and would suit the needs of many nearby communities. Jalan Pasupati is Bandung’s main traffic artery, connecting the city to the Jakarta toll road. It cuts straight through the residential areas of Tamansari, and the proposed chain of parks would reconnect them. 34