1980 - Peta Jakarta

There is a specific magic in looking at old maps. They are more than just directions; they are frozen moments of ambition, memory, and identity. Recently, I got my hands on a scanned copy of a Peta Jakarta from 1980, and frankly, I haven't been able to stop staring at it.

Here is what the Peta Jakarta 1980 tells us about a city that no longer exists. Open the map and look at the southern corridor. Today, Pondok Indah is a forest of luxury high-rises. But in 1980? It was largely sawah (rice paddies) and kebun (plantations). The map shows Kebayoran Baru as the southern frontier—an elite suburb of low-rise villas and wide streets, but beyond that (where Cilandak and Lebak Bulus are now), the map is mostly blank green spaces. Peta Jakarta 1980

For urban planners, the 1980 map is a tragedy of lost greenery. For nostalgic Betawi (natives), it is a painful memory of a kampung lifestyle replaced by apartments. For me, it is simply a beautiful piece of art. There is a specific magic in looking at old maps