In several places the floors and foundations of wiped out dwellings leave undefined public spaces.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Lhoknga tsunami damage
This diagram shows examples of visible tsunami damage in the village of Lhoknga (Aceh Besar) 4 years after the tsunami. Photo's of a new bridge and the tsunami-alarm have been included.
In several places the floors and foundations of wiped out dwellings leave undefined public spaces.
In several places the floors and foundations of wiped out dwellings leave undefined public spaces.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Space Syntax
This is our first axial analysis of Banda Aceh.
The thin colored lines represent all streets, from narrow sandy ones to the main roads of the city. The red (dark orange) lines show the streets with the highest integration values, while the blue ones are the most segregated axes. These values have been calculated by the software of Depthmap.
In a layer on top of this axial map, the thick red and pink lines show which parts of the city have been hit by the tsunami.
The pre-tsunami axial map is identical to the post-tsunami one. We think this is due to the following:
- The flat infrastructure hasn’t been damaged much by the big horizontal forces of the tsunami.
- Because of their slight elevation (constructed in that manner for drainage to the open sewer system and rice paddies) roads became one of the first visible remaining structures when the water (and debris) pulled back.
- New houses were built on locations according to land tenure. This gave no room for radical new planning of infrastructure.
While the axial structure of Banda Aceh hasn’t changed after the tsunami, the built up area has. We have seen several parts of the city that show foundations and tiled floors of destroyed houses, creating new ‘undefined’ voids in the urban structure.
The thin colored lines represent all streets, from narrow sandy ones to the main roads of the city. The red (dark orange) lines show the streets with the highest integration values, while the blue ones are the most segregated axes. These values have been calculated by the software of Depthmap.
In a layer on top of this axial map, the thick red and pink lines show which parts of the city have been hit by the tsunami.
The pre-tsunami axial map is identical to the post-tsunami one. We think this is due to the following:
- The flat infrastructure hasn’t been damaged much by the big horizontal forces of the tsunami.
- Because of their slight elevation (constructed in that manner for drainage to the open sewer system and rice paddies) roads became one of the first visible remaining structures when the water (and debris) pulled back.
- New houses were built on locations according to land tenure. This gave no room for radical new planning of infrastructure.
While the axial structure of Banda Aceh hasn’t changed after the tsunami, the built up area has. We have seen several parts of the city that show foundations and tiled floors of destroyed houses, creating new ‘undefined’ voids in the urban structure.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
March 19th
A lot has happened the last days, on multiple levels related to our presence here in Banda Aceh.
Secondly we’ve arranged another 125cc motorcycle, a simple task that turned out to be not so easy, in a city without any motorbike rental companies. Even though none of us has a motorcycle driving license, the two motorbikes are the most safe, efficient and economic way of getting around the city. The ‘becak’ rides with three passengers (a motorcycle with side cart taxi) are to be called far from comfortable; its drivers never seem to know a single address in Banda Aceh. This also goes for the largest part of the regular cabdrivers, who additionally will try to charge the same cab fares as in Holland. Motorbikes it is.
More directly related to our research we’ve been able to set up office with the UNDP at the office of the Governor of Aceh, thanks to Raji Oji’s contact within UNDP. Nigel Landon kindly took us on board, allowing us access to many UNDP facilities, including their mapping department. The official address of the office is:
U N D P
3rd floor, Gedung ex-Biro Keuangan
Kantor Gubernur NAD
Jalan T. Nyak Arief No. 219
Lampineng - Banda Aceh
Indonesia
@ UNDP
Meanwhile we’ve also opened our research track by initiating direct contact with local parties, who already have been able to grant us access to many of the needed data and maps. We managed to meet in person with the Chief Operating Officer of the agency responsible for the overall coordination of the redevelopment of Banda Aceh and Nias, the BRR (Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi), Eddy Purwanto. He explained during a two hour meeting how the BRR hopes to become an example to the rest of the world in dealing with post disaster redevelopment. Mr. Purwanto made clear that they’ve been able to break loose from an Indonesian history of inefficiency and corruption, gaining much more effect from the same dollar. They reduced overhead costs from over 20% down to just 4%, by just hiring staff on local salaries, in that way deminishing career opportunism and guaranteeing personal dedication. Over 60% of staff was hired locally, the rest coming from the numerous NGO’s. Project tendering was now completely open, allowing the BRR to escape from the earlier practice of illegal price agreements and reducing tendered sums with 20%. Being able to show to the donors that their money was spent wisely, generated enough goodwill and trust to enhance the willingness to help. A positive spiral was initiated. Another remarkable step taken by BRR was putting aside the blueprint Jakarta had developed for the Banda Aceh redevelopment. It turned out its objectives were lacking practical feasibility, developed from a top down perspective. Purwanto said “enough of this”. For instance the plan to move all coastal dwellers inland by three kilometers would have meant all fishermen ended up living high up in the mountains. BRR decided to develop alternate strategies in close collaboration with the tsunami survivors and the present NGO’s. Instead of looking for specific goals to accomplish and trying to find the means to accomplish them, BRR took a much more successful reverse approach by making an inventory of available resources, manpower and knowledge and constructing ad hoc solutions from it. Another fact recognized by BRR was the necessity to safeguard the trust of the population, preventing to be sent away from the aid process. Despite the criticism the UE Indonesia team has heard on BRR, the team embraces the intentions and efforts made by this agency, aware of the fact that anywhere where work is being done, errors are being made.
In the meantime we’re constantly being introduced to new people, either from UNDP or local officials. We have free access to the database of the SIM-centre of Banda Aceh. They are situated in the building next to our office and can provide us with all available kinds of demographical and geographical data. The coming days we’ll sieve through the most of it, and see what is of actual use in our mapping process. We’ve already made a good start with analyzing the city with Space Syntax. The results of this we’ll publish fairly soon.
On the basic level of operational requirements, we’ve been able to almost completely finish our ‘to-do’ list. First of all we finally changed our vastly overpriced hotel for a much more affordable house, located on the border of Banda Aceh and the Aceh Besar outskirts, located closely to the road to Meulaboh. The house is on a gated complex of six houses overlooking the rice paddies, inhabited by Acehnese families. We’re still in the process of getting internet established in the house, but as with anything in Indonesia, the mechanism of ‘rubber time’ applies, so no idea when we’ll have it. But overall one could say we’ve finally settled in. 
Photo by Michiel Mollen
Photo by Michiel MollenSecondly we’ve arranged another 125cc motorcycle, a simple task that turned out to be not so easy, in a city without any motorbike rental companies. Even though none of us has a motorcycle driving license, the two motorbikes are the most safe, efficient and economic way of getting around the city. The ‘becak’ rides with three passengers (a motorcycle with side cart taxi) are to be called far from comfortable; its drivers never seem to know a single address in Banda Aceh. This also goes for the largest part of the regular cabdrivers, who additionally will try to charge the same cab fares as in Holland. Motorbikes it is.
More directly related to our research we’ve been able to set up office with the UNDP at the office of the Governor of Aceh, thanks to Raji Oji’s contact within UNDP. Nigel Landon kindly took us on board, allowing us access to many UNDP facilities, including their mapping department. The official address of the office is:
U N D P
3rd floor, Gedung ex-Biro Keuangan
Kantor Gubernur NAD
Jalan T. Nyak Arief No. 219
Lampineng - Banda Aceh
Indonesia
@ UNDP
Meanwhile we’ve also opened our research track by initiating direct contact with local parties, who already have been able to grant us access to many of the needed data and maps. We managed to meet in person with the Chief Operating Officer of the agency responsible for the overall coordination of the redevelopment of Banda Aceh and Nias, the BRR (Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi), Eddy Purwanto. He explained during a two hour meeting how the BRR hopes to become an example to the rest of the world in dealing with post disaster redevelopment. Mr. Purwanto made clear that they’ve been able to break loose from an Indonesian history of inefficiency and corruption, gaining much more effect from the same dollar. They reduced overhead costs from over 20% down to just 4%, by just hiring staff on local salaries, in that way deminishing career opportunism and guaranteeing personal dedication. Over 60% of staff was hired locally, the rest coming from the numerous NGO’s. Project tendering was now completely open, allowing the BRR to escape from the earlier practice of illegal price agreements and reducing tendered sums with 20%. Being able to show to the donors that their money was spent wisely, generated enough goodwill and trust to enhance the willingness to help. A positive spiral was initiated. Another remarkable step taken by BRR was putting aside the blueprint Jakarta had developed for the Banda Aceh redevelopment. It turned out its objectives were lacking practical feasibility, developed from a top down perspective. Purwanto said “enough of this”. For instance the plan to move all coastal dwellers inland by three kilometers would have meant all fishermen ended up living high up in the mountains. BRR decided to develop alternate strategies in close collaboration with the tsunami survivors and the present NGO’s. Instead of looking for specific goals to accomplish and trying to find the means to accomplish them, BRR took a much more successful reverse approach by making an inventory of available resources, manpower and knowledge and constructing ad hoc solutions from it. Another fact recognized by BRR was the necessity to safeguard the trust of the population, preventing to be sent away from the aid process. Despite the criticism the UE Indonesia team has heard on BRR, the team embraces the intentions and efforts made by this agency, aware of the fact that anywhere where work is being done, errors are being made.
In the meantime we’re constantly being introduced to new people, either from UNDP or local officials. We have free access to the database of the SIM-centre of Banda Aceh. They are situated in the building next to our office and can provide us with all available kinds of demographical and geographical data. The coming days we’ll sieve through the most of it, and see what is of actual use in our mapping process. We’ve already made a good start with analyzing the city with Space Syntax. The results of this we’ll publish fairly soon.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
great expectations
I imagined...
Long rows of brand new single family houses, all the same colour, all the same size. A pristine, freshly constructed 'vinex'-like atmosphere. A diversity of economical identities. No significant participation of women in the society.
I see...
All these different houses scattered around town. I know they're brand new, but damaged by dirt and humidity, some of them look over 50 years old. I try not to slip in the mud and avoid the holes in the pavement exposing the sewer system. I smell spices, rotten fish and poo. The sounds of traffic and prayers coming from the mosques are all I can hear. Dirty skinny cats with broken tails roam the streets of Banda Aceh. Little Nokia shop, noodle place, little Nokia shop, noodle place, little fruit shop, noodle place. Half of the election billboards are showing female candidates.
In the end of May 2009 I will see...
Differences in the age of houses. I can easily seperate the post- from the predisaster dwellings. I think it's going to rain today. I notice this lady not wearing a headscarf. Did they build a new house at this corner? And where is that little red cat? Hey, CARE has left. Until when will the UNDP be around? Stephanie, hurry up, afternoon prayer will start in a few minutes.
Photo by Michiel Mollen
Long rows of brand new single family houses, all the same colour, all the same size. A pristine, freshly constructed 'vinex'-like atmosphere. A diversity of economical identities. No significant participation of women in the society.
I see...
All these different houses scattered around town. I know they're brand new, but damaged by dirt and humidity, some of them look over 50 years old. I try not to slip in the mud and avoid the holes in the pavement exposing the sewer system. I smell spices, rotten fish and poo. The sounds of traffic and prayers coming from the mosques are all I can hear. Dirty skinny cats with broken tails roam the streets of Banda Aceh. Little Nokia shop, noodle place, little Nokia shop, noodle place, little fruit shop, noodle place. Half of the election billboards are showing female candidates.
In the end of May 2009 I will see...
Differences in the age of houses. I can easily seperate the post- from the predisaster dwellings. I think it's going to rain today. I notice this lady not wearing a headscarf. Did they build a new house at this corner? And where is that little red cat? Hey, CARE has left. Until when will the UNDP be around? Stephanie, hurry up, afternoon prayer will start in a few minutes.
Photo by Michiel Mollen
Friday, March 06, 2009
culture clash
This map we found on the internet while searching for already existing information on Aceh. It clearly illustrates the difficulties arising when vaste numbers of foreign aidworkers pour into a much different culture than their own.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
itinerary: impressions of first 3 days (including Kuala Lumpur stop-over)
Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur - Petronas Towers
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - local architect Safwan Yusuf
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - power generator ship, left 4 km inland by tsunami
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - view from power generator ship
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - on top of power generator ship
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - Ulee Lheue - new japanese built ocean front protection
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - "selamat makan!" :)
photo by Celine Bent
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - traces of dutch presence
photo by Celine Bent
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - school uniforms
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - business is non-stop for local architect Safwan Yusuf
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - 'Kerckhof' cemetery reminding us all of Aceh's long war torn history
photo by Celine Bent
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - 'Kerckhof' cemetery reminding us all of Aceh's long war torn history
photo by Celine Bent
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - downtown after the rains
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - river 'Krueng Aceh' runs through downtown
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - continuous infrastructure construction works around the city
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - many coffee and tea bars around the city, where you can find your Tehbotol
photo by Celine Bent
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - a multi layered view on downtown: no highrises on the skyline _ central mosque _ run-down housing block _ undeveloped plot of land _ drainage construction works
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - downtown Mesjid Baiturrahman and Pasar Aceh
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Indonesia - Banda Aceh - minarette of Baiturrahman mosque
photo by Stephanie van Rappard
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
