Table of Contents

XII. Creating a Barrier-free Marketplace: Pasar Gede, Central Java

A. Nature of the problem

In 2001, a Solo NGO, Talenta, in partnership with the Kakak Foundation, conducted a survey of public facilities in Solo. At the end of the three-month survey period, the survey concluded the majority of public facilities in Solo did not meet the accessibility needs of people with disabilities. That was despite a Decree by the Minister of Public Works (468/KPTS/1998) on Technical Requirements on Accessibility for Public Spaces and Buildings and former President, Abdulrahman Wahid, establishing the National Accessibility Movement in 2000.

In the developing world in particular, questions about accessibility to public buildings and services are often overlooked because of concerns over cost, or because of lack of expertise. But with the Pasar Gede marketplace, a unique opportunity existed to create a barrier-free environment for all, by raising concerns over accessibility at the most crucial stage – the planning stage.

Pasar Gede Harjonagoro, one of the main traditional markets in Surakarta, was built in the royal governance period of Sri Susuhunan Pakubuwono X (1839-1939). Along with the historical importance of the marketplace, the building itself also has historical value, as it was built by famous Dutch architect, Thomas Karsten, during the Dutch colonialization of Indonesia.

Pasar Gede was renovated for the first time during 1927-1930. At that time the site area was enlarged to over 200 square metres, resulting in the building being expanded to two-stories. In 1947, the market was renovated again, after it was seriously damaged during a riot between the Indonesians and the Dutch colonialists. Restoration was undertaken two years later. Then later, between 1986 and 1987, a further development took place and two new buildings were added at the west side of the main building. These buildings remained in place until a fire broke out in the market early one morning in April 2000.

The Pasar Gede was significantly damaged during the fire, the cause of which was alleged to have been electrical failure. Pasar Gede was rebuilt a year later. But the restoration became the subject of great division, with many groups, individuals and organizations fighting for their own interests and advantages, and little interest being paid to the concerns or rights of people with disability who wished to access the marketplace.

Talenta launched a campaign to include the issue of accessibility for people with disability into the rebuilding brief of the architects, but the idea of “universal design” or equality of access for all faced several challenges. These included:

• Lack of understanding and awareness of the equal rights of all people, whether able bodied or not
• Lack of knowledge, expertise or support for universal design or barrier-free environment
• Lack of existing examples for local communities to learn about barrier-free environments, especially in public places

The concept of “universal design” did not have universal understanding prior to Talenta’s campaign.

B. Main features of the organization

Talenta is a non-governmental organization focused on the promotion of non-handicapping or barrier-free environments. As such, Talenta took part in public discussions held by the local government and other organizations concerned with the redesign and rebuilding of Pasar Gede.

Talenta has extensive networks with many city stakeholders and other organizations, groups or individuals involved in, or advocating for, increasing and increased accessibility and equal right of access for all. These include the Accessibility Study Group (Architecture Department of Sebelas Maret University), KOMPAGG (Traders of Pasar Gede Community) and LAB-UCYD (Laboratory of Urban Crisis and Community Development of Sebelas Maret University) and other NGOs in Solo. Through this network, a concerted campaign was undertaken to raise awareness of the concept of a barrier-free environment and inclusion of the concept in the redesign of Pasar Gede.
Through the campaign, it was proposed that the rebuilding of Pasar Gede be in keeping as much as possible with the marketplace’s original design, with the Indiesch building style maintained, whilst ensuring the market became a barrier-free environment.

It was also hoped that by strong involvement of a network of groups concerned with accessibility, should problems in accessibility be identified, such as traffic and parking, lobbying for improvements on the design (including building and the surrounding area) could be successfully made. Further, it was hoped that inclusion of some basic principles of universal design/barrier-free environment in the new design would be made, such as:

• Accessible toilets/lavatories
• Identifiable path for the blind on the pavement/sidewalk (guiding blocks and warning blocks)
• Accessible ramps
• International sign of accessibility at two main entrances

C. Achievements

Pasar Gede now has been completed with ramps, accessible toilets/lavatories, and a pedestrian path with guiding and warning blocks for the blind. There are also multilingual signs advising of accessibility at two main entrances. Pasar Gede has become a demonstration project in combining the goals of accessibility and cultural preservation, with its traditional marketplace redesign.

As a result of the strong advocacy and technical support of Talenta, the building has been preserved both in character and usage. It maintained the key elements of a traditional market with Indiesch building style. Most importantly, it has been able to combine these elements with the principles of universal design, achieving a barrier-free environment.

Figure 8. Side railings and sloping paths inside Pasar Gede

The strong advocacy work of Talenta, which included representations to local government officials, attending public meetings on the redesign of the marketplace, and even conducting public meetings of its own, was responsible for bringing about a change in attitudes amongst its partners in government. One example of such change was the promise that a local law will be drawn up to oversee the implementation of accessibility in public spaces and buildings in Solo. In addition, the Ministry of Public Works announced it would assist in enforcing the Decree on Technical Requirements on Accessibility for Public Spaces and Buildings. The Ministry embraced its responsibility to ensure universal design and equality of access for all, and now describes its role as the “building police”, responsible for ensuring new buildings meet all accessibility requirements. Increased policy and legislative support for the goal of a barrier-free environment is another promising outcome of Talenta’s determined advocacy effort
The achievements of Talenta in ensuring that Pasar Gede is accessible to all are considerable. It now serves as a living example of what can be achieved by the combined efforts of advocacy and public awareness raising. In addition, it has helped heal some of the wounds of more turbulent and violent times, serving also as a symbol of reconciliation and community participation in Solo.

D. Key lessons learned

Key lessons learned from the redevelopment of Pasar Gede include the recognition that:

• The building development process should be supervised intensively to avoid differences between planning and implementation.
• Advocacy, networking and intensive public campaigning is extremely important in raising understanding and awareness, not only of universal design, but also of the concept of equal rights for all.
• The public awareness campaign was important not just in raising awareness about accessibility and the rights of people with disabilities, but also in bringing together city stakeholders such as the local government, architects, urban planners, the university, NGOs, people with disabilities, community leaders, mass media and legislative bodies to understand the barrier-free environment and society.

E. Sustainability

In order to ensure sustainability of the gains of Pasar Gede in terms of creating accessible and barrier-free environments in Indonesia, an intensive campaign about the success of the barrier-free environment designed for Pasar Gede will be conducted. It is hoped this will increase awareness, as well as usage, of the barrier-free environment of Pasar Gede. It is further hoped that through this increased awareness, understanding and support for the concept of accessibility as a right will be developed.
In the future, evaluations of the barrier-free facilities in Pasar Gede will be undertaken to identify any problems such as maintenance and socialization of barrier-free facilities that may emerge.

More generally, in terms of universal design in public places, Talenta aims to:

• Make more barrier-free environments in public places such as schools, campuses, and offices.
• Use lessons that have been learned from Pasar Gede to assist in the better implementation of universal design.
• Implement universal design not just in public but also private places such as homes.
• Conduct a public awareness campaign including information, knowledge, attitudes, law enforcement and models of universal design concepts which must be spread to as many stakeholders as possible.
• Continue to coordinate and collaborate with stakeholders such as the local government, architects, urban planners, engineers, universities, NGOs, people with disabilities, community leaders, mass media and legislative bodies to establish and strengthen access-related networking.

In terms of the design process, architects should engage in discussion and consultation with people with disabilities themselves who could act as resource persons. Architects and planners should also be aware and knowledgeable of accessibility and barrier-free environment issues and universal design. Talenta plans to take immediate action to promote the inclusion of barrier-free environment design in the curricula for the training of architects, engineers, and urban and rural planners as well as in the Architecture Department of universities.

Finally, Talenta aims to pressure the local government to pass the Regulation Law concerning the standard and implementation of barrier-free environments. An access officer is being appointed by the local authority (Urban Planning of the City Government) to check thoroughly that drawings do comply.