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Bad Urban Design: Center Point of Indonesia, a missed opportunity to put Makassar on the map
Center Point of Indonesia is a megaproject being built off the coast of Makassar. City planners had an opportunity to make an iconic global city. Instead, they have opted for suburbia in the sea. They are making the same urban planning mistakes that are being made in every other Indonesian city.
James Clark
September 17, 2024
This is a review of my visit to Center Point of Indonesia in May 2024.
About Center Point of Indonesia
Center Point of Indonesia (CPI) is a new urban area being built on reclaimed land in Makassar, South Sulawesi. The project is opposite the waterfront area of the city centre.
The most distinguishing feature of the project is the Garuda-shaped land, though only birds can appreciate the shape.
I first found out about this project when I visited Makassar in 2015. There has barely been any mention of the project in the English-language news sites of Indonesia, so I have put together a fact sheet of the project. Read about Center Point of Indonesia first if you are unfamiliar.
The fact sheet includes links to environmental reports regarding dredging sand, building on top of the coastal ecosystem, and other environmental issues. My report covers urban planning issues.
Center Point of Indonesia as viewed from Losari Beach
I returned to Makassar in 2024 to review the first section of the Trans-Sulawesi Railway. This trip also allowed me to review Center Point of Indonesia.
CPI is opposite Losari Beach, which is the city waterfront promenade and not an actual beach. This was all open sea when I last visited, so I was surprised to see a stunning new landmark mosque that has been built on the reclaimed area. This is Masjid Kubah 99 Asmaul Husna (99 Domes Mosque).
99 Domes Mosque viewed from Losari Beach in Makassar.
Building an iconic landmark is a good start, but something didn’t feel quite right the longer I looked at it. I was soon to discover why, but we’ll get to that.
Also visible from the old city waterfront is the “Vertical Hospital” that is being built on the Garuda head. This section wasn’t open, so I didn’t go over there. 40% of the reclaimed land is being used for government purposes, such as the hospital and administrative buildings. The patients will have a good view, but I wondered about the wisdom of putting the hospital in the least accessible part of the islands.
Vertical Hospital in Center Point of Indonesia.
There is one main entry point to the island group, and it’s a bit of an obstacle course for pedestrians to get there.
Here are the main areas of Center Point Indonesia that I visited.
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