Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta

Kebayoran Baru is a subdistrict of South Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia. Kebayoran Baru was the last residential area to be developed by the Dutch colonial administration. The urban planning was laid in a concept of the Garden city movement, consisting of a well-planned residential area, a shopping center, and a business district, supported with civic facilities e.g. schools, places of worship, hospitals, and parks. Many important governmental institutions are located in Kebayoran Baru, such as the building, the City Hall of South Jakarta, and the ASEAN Secretariat building.

The rough boundaries of Kebayoran Baru are Jendral Sudirman Main Road to the northwest, Gatot Subroto Main Road to the northeast, Krukut River to the east, Cipete Utara Road - Haji Nawi Road to the south, and Grogol River to the west.

Kebayoran Baru consists of the word Kebayoran (from kabayuran, meaning "stockpiles of bayur wood (Pterospermum javanicum)") and Baru (Indonesian for "new"). Several stockpiles of timber (including bayur wood) were built there in earlier time. Bayur wood is known for its strength and resistance to termite attack.

Development of Kebayoran Baru was a relatively quick one. The idea to build a satellite town Kebayoran Baru to accommodate the growing population of Jakarta was launched in 1948; the plan was approved in September 1948, just two months after it was first presented. Immediately thereafter the government began to purchase the land; and by 17 January 1949 the whole area had been purchased. On February 1949, Moh. Soesilo completed the first draft of the town plan and a month later construction work started. Soesilo was a student of Thomas Karsten, a Dutch engineer who gave major contributions to architecture and town planning in Indonesia during the colonial era. Soesilo designed both Kebayoran Baru and Pejompongan in 1948, both are considered to be the first urban center to be designed by an Indonesian.

The first area to be designed is now located around Kebayoran station, on the east side of Grogol River. The construction was done by a Dutch construction company Centrale Stichting Wederopbouw (CSW), whose office was established near the current Attorney General building (Kejaksaan Agung) on June 1, 1948. The construction of Kebayoran Baru was started on March 8, 1949, and was completed in 1955. The office building of CSW was located near the Judicial Palace building (Kejaksaan Agung).

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