The Golden Triangle of Jakarta (Indonesian: Segitiga Emas Jakarta) or can also be referred to as Medan Merdeka–Thamrin–Sudirman Axis or Sudirman–Thamrin–Kuningan Axis, is a roughly triangular area in the center of Jakarta, Indonesia, extending from Central Jakarta to South Jakarta. Most of the city's tallest skyscrapers, office buildings and foreign embassies are located in the area, which is the main CBD of Jakarta.[1]
The area is bordered by main avenues of Jakarta: Jalan M.H. Thamrin-Jalan Jenderal Sudirman (north-southwest), Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said (north-southeast), and Jalan Jenderal Gatot Subroto (east-west). There are many other roads bisecting the area. The Golden Triangle's commercial areas include SCBD (45 hectares), Mega Kuningan (54 hectares), Rasuna Epicentrum (53.6 hectares) and Kuningan Persada (17 hectares).[2] The Golden Triangle is one of the fastest evolving CBDs in the Asia-Pacific region.[3]
From 1960-1965, Jakarta's urban development changed drastically when President Sukarno, also an architect and an urban planner, redeveloped the city into a modern capital that would not only be the pride of the Indonesian nation, but also be a "beacon" of a powerful new nation.[4] During the 1950s, the development axis of Jakarta was shifted southward from Medan Merdeka to Kebayoran as the center of Jakarta, replacing the axis of Medan Merdeka-Senen-Salemba-Jatinegara, which had grown since the 18th century.
Some of the notable infrastructure projects of Sukarno during the first half of the 1960s were construction of wide avenues, such as Jalan Thamrin, Jalan Sudirman, Jalan Gatot Subroto and Semanggi "clover-leaf" interchange. Jalan Rasuna Said was developed in the 1970s and together with Jalan Sudirman, and Jalan Gatot Subroto formed the Golden Triangle. During the period, construction commenced north of the Semanggi Interchange on Jalan Sudirman.
The usage of the term "the Golden Triangle" for the Jakarta CBD was popularized in the 1990s.[5] Three points of the triangle which forms the area are:
The golden triangle area of Jakarta includes major roads such as Thamrin, Sudirman, Gatot Subroto, Rasuna Said and Mas Mansyur and Satrio. Administratively, the Golden Triangle area is located in Menteng, Tanah Abang, Setiabudi, Kebayoran Baru, a small part in Tebet, Pancoran, and Mampang Prapatan sub-districts of Jakarta.
Many commercial centers have been developed gradually as clusters within the Golden Triangle area, such as Hotel Indonesia roundabout, SCBD, Mega Kuningan. Most of the skyscrapers of Jakarta are located within this triangle.
There are lots of monuments at the Golden Triangle area. One of them is the National Monument as the main symbol and icon of Jakarta and Indonesia. Other monuments, such as the Statue of Arjuna Wijaya near the Bank Indonesia head office, Statue of Mohammad Hoesni Thamrin at the front of Bank Indonesia Roundabout, the Selamat Datang Monument at the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout at the front of the Grand Indonesia Shopping Town, Statue of General Sudirman, Youth Monument, and the Dirgantara Monument.
The Golden Triangle area is formed by three major streets where most skyscrapers, business centers, and foreign embassies in Jakarta are located on those streets. Those three major streets are:
As the main streets of the central business district, the streets becomes the most busiest area in Jakarta with lots of heavy traffic. To reduce the gridlock on the Golden Triangle Area, since the 1990s, the Government of Jakarta began to implement the High-occupancy vehicle lane (HOV) 3+ (known as Three in One or 3 in 1) scheme on the West Medan Merdeka, Sudirman, Thamrin, and Gatot Subroto Streets. The 3 in 1 scheme was failed due to lots of Sluggers or "car jockeys". The 3 in 1 scheme was replaced by the Odd–even rationing in 2016. Currently the odd–even rationing is implemented every Monday to Friday from 06:00-10:00 and from 16:00-21:00 on West Medan Merdeka, Sudirman, Thamrin, Gatot Subroto and 22 other streets in Jakarta.[7]
To reduce air pollution as the major impact of the gridlock at the Golden Triangle area, In September 2007, the Government of Jakarta held the city's first Car-Free Day that closed the main avenue of the city from cars and invited local pedestrian to exercise and having their activities on the streets that were normally full of cars and traffic. Along the road from the Senayan traffic circle on Jalan Sudirman, to the Selamat Datang Monument at the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout on Jalan Thamrin, all the way north to National Monument Central Jakarta, cars are cleared out for pedestrians. Since May 2012 Car-Free Day in Jakarta is held every Sunday. It is held on the main avenues of the city, Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Thamrin, from Senayan area to Monas (Monumen Nasional), from 6 AM to 11 AM.
The area is served by TransJakarta Corridor 1, Corridor 6, Corridor 9. There are many routes operated by Kopaja, Mayasari Bakti and APTB buses. Sudirman, Cikini and Gondangdia station of KRL Commuterline are located within the area. The North-South line of the Jakarta MRT crosses the area with multiple stations, and also served by the Jabodebek LRT. Here are the lists of transportation services that serves the Golden Triangle Area:
Former: