On November 11, 2023, Maria Orchita Bella, a student of the Master Program in Urban and Regional Planning (MPWK UGM), and Daniel Harjuna, an alumnus of Urban and Regional Planning, achieved achievements at The 26th FSTPT Symposium & The 4th International Symposium on Transport Studies in Developing Countries (ISTSDC) at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).
Under the guidance of Mrs. Isti Hidayati, ST, M.Sc., Ph.D, Maria Orchita was awarded as the Best Postgraduate Presenter with a research entitled “Identification of City Shaping Elements in Measuring the Potential of Walkability in the Heritage City Area”. This research aims to find the city-forming elements in the heritage city area that can affect the level of walkability, which is carried out using the content analysis method. The research found that city-forming elements influence walkability but the results are still fragmented. Heritage Cities have special elements that are different from cities in general, due to their past existence, which makes it impossible to have ideal pedestrian infrastructure as in cities that are planned for walking.
Meanwhile, Daniel Harjuna, under the guidance of Dr. Yori Herwangi, S.T., MURP, won the 3rd Place Best Presenter award, presenting his research entitled “Spatial Analysis and Recommendation of Bus Rapid Transit Corridor and Infrastructure for Satellite City in a Developing Country: Case of Bekasi City, Indonesia.” This research aims to improve connectivity between Bekasi City activity centers and provide a quality public transportation network. Bekasi City Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor and infrastructure planning recommendations are based on spatial analysis, addressing challenges such as sprawling development and public transportation weaknesses. The results provide recommendations for BRT corridors and BRT infrastructure with positive impacts such as equitable development of transportation infrastructure, increased concentration of activities in sub-cities, modal shifting, intermodal integration, reduced traffic congestion, and improved reliability of public transportation.
With their work, Maria Orchita Bella and Daniel Harjuna hope that transportation planning in Indonesia will focus more on sustainability and orientation to human needs. Congratulations to all the students who made this achievement, hopefully their achievements can provide inspiration for other friends.
