#Day 12: Urban Green Space Shortage and the Burden on Hilly Areas | 30 Day Mapping Challenge

Becoming urban doesn’t mean that all areas should be commercialized into a concrete jungle. It is an important note as the source of the city’s problems now.

As people who live in cities are not 24-hour workers, they also need a third place where they can enjoy their life as humans. It could be socializing with others, connecting with nature, and ensuring their well-being.

However, it isn’t captured as a consideration if we only build an area for the sake of profit maximization. Greening of space is seen as less worthy than building a gigantic mall in the city from a profit-oriented point of view.

It is also pushed by people looking for cheap houses in the suburbs, nearby malls in many parts of the city, and ease of mobility — which is indoctrinated by marketing bullshit that has turned them into disasters right now.

In Indonesia, there are two seasons: the rainy and the dry seasons. Green spaces help and protect us during both. In the rainy season, green spaces serve as catchment areas, and trees perform their function by storing water underground. Then, in the dry season, when we feel so hot and sweaty because Indonesia has a tropical climate with high humidity, green spaces help reduce the heat we feel, providing a wind breeze to protect us from excessive sweating and reducing air pollution, as the water pouring from the clouds is minimized in this season.

But when we cut off green spaces and take their free environmental services for granted in pursuit of greedy growth, during the rainy season, our cities become flooded, flash floods occur in upstream areas, and landslides happen there. During the dry season, we might feel too hot outside, air conditioners work extra hard to keep us comfortable, electricity bills rise, and air pollution levels increase. People who don’t have air conditioners and proper shelter are the ones who suffer the most.

Particularly now, as we face climate change, Indonesia experiences climate anomalies approximately every four years, interchangeably called El Niño (for prolonged dry seasons) and La Niña (for prolonged rainy seasons). Climate change makes the seasons unpredictable and causes the extreme weather we experience daily.

Disastrously, if we want to grow a 30-meter-tall tree, it might takes more than 30 years; in contrast, building a 30-meter mall or skyscraper depends on the deadline, with the fastest construction time being a year. So, as we already face a green space crisis, solving it and returning to previous conditions is very slow, but it is not costly.

Humans need a natural connection, as it is in our nature — having spent thousands of years in the jungle in primitive times. Using the money from destroying the city’s landscape, we are heading toward the next apocalypse in the hilly areas near the city. Hilly areas are very sensitive to landscape changes because they serve vital hydrological functions, such as catchment areas and upstream river sources.

Businesses see this opportunity in green space scarcity by building escape destinations there. However, they design them based on urban people’s preferences, using concrete for construction rather than natural elements appropriate for that area. They build villas, restaurants, big houses, amusement parks, and recreational buildings in the hills. All of this would be fine if they were built based on environmental assessments from the start and did not exceed the natural capacity of the hilly area.

Unfortunately, the problem of landscape change isn’t immediate. As a result, pragmatic people tend to ignore the long-term effects of future disasters. But knowing and considering natural mechanisms is a must — something consumers can do to shape a market that seems to only serve demand and seek new growth.

So, in this daily map with the theme of time and space, I want to show a map depicting the landscape change in a hilly area near an urban region. The landscape change is expected due to the pressure from urban dwellers visiting the area. It is a reaction to the green space scarcity in urban areas. The region of interest for today’s map is a hilly area in Jabodetabek, called Puncak, in Bogor Regency.

Many eyes are now observing the drastic change in Puncak, especially after the extreme flooding that happened not long ago on March 4th, 2025. Although the government has already taken action to close and demolish buildings and recreational sites without permits and located in sensitive hilly areas, the problem could have been avoided if, in the first place, the government had enforced strict laws against illegal development there. Since the cost of returning the landscape takes a long time and can never be fully restored to its natural conditions.

Method

I used Google Earth Engine (GEE) to retrieve satellite imagery of each city over time, from 1990 to 2020, to show landscape change in a hilly area. Since I am not a female coder, I used an already runnable code from Ramadhan, a GIS YouTuber who shares GEE tutorials covering various topics.

So, I simply took that code, made minor modifications for my project, and ran it to create the map in this article. The landscape change area is derived from a calculated spectral value of satellite imagery. The built-up area, which shows gradual landscape change in a hilly area, is generated using NDBI and MNDWI. You can find the detailed calculations in the code link.

Result

Landscape change in Puncak, Bogor Regency from 1990 to 2020

From the map above, in just 30 years, the built-up areas are expanding and encroaching upon the hilly area.

• We can see that the major expansions are more prevalent near the road (shown in the yellow line), especially in Cisarua.
• We can also see that the built-up area is also prevalent near Gede’s Mountain. You can see at the bottom of this map — where it shows more green — that it is the mountainous topography.
• It can be seen that the development is spreading throughout this hilly area. I assume that this type of building tries to locate itself in the middle of hills to provide the best view for villas and lodges.
• Also, the recreational activities in the hilly area utilize the natural landscape as a free attraction. So, placing these structures in the middle, instead of near the road, could provide natural attractions and views such as waterfalls, rafting on the river, and various artificial decorations for selfie spots for visitors.

Four Recreational Sites with Illegal Permits

The Burden on Hilly Areas | ©Google Earth

Now, I want to delve deeper into specific sites that were closed by the government and are going to be demolished since they were built without permits and environmental assessments.

1. Hibisc Fantasy Puncak, Jl. Raya Puncak — Gadog, Tugu Sel., Cisarua, Bogor Regency

The landscape change in the recreational site | ©Google Street View

If you are an adventurous nature seeker and greenery lover, honestly, what type of nature would you prefer? The first condition, right? Not the artificially colorful recreational site.

2. Rest area Gunung Mas, South Tugu, Cisarua, Bogor Regency

The landscape change in the recreational site | ©Google Street View

Are you surprised that all the images above are from the same location, but the conditions have changed so much from greenery into concrete with fewer trees in just 10 years? I don’t know why, but it seems the developers did not build differently based on the natural landscape. I see the condition in 2024 resembling a gate of housing complex, not a recreational site in a hilly area. There are only two trees, and the species do not seem appropriate for the natural conditions.

What is an appropriate recreational site in a hilly area?

I know that experiencing greenery in a hilly area is different from an urban park or a urban forest. Not only is the temperature colder, but the sensations from seeing trees on hilly topography attract people to visit. Of course, building a recreational park is not the main problem, but ethically constructing it based on the topographical conditions and without altering the natural landscape is the proper approach.

Use natural materials and follow topographical conditions

Trail attraction using wood materials | Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OI6ldxY1Qs

Do not alter soil conditions; instead, use floating huts and tracks with natural materials

Floating construction in hilly area | Babakan Siliwangi and Alicias Ridge

Ensure the site is dominated by natural landscapes with diverse tree species

Visitors seeking the natural views so mantain it | Alicias Ridge

Since the government has closed and is planning to demolish villas built without permits and environmental assessments, what has changed?

Landscape Changes Due to Villa Development in Puncak, Bogor Regency

Landscape change due to development of villas on Puncak, Bogor Regency | © Google Street View

Landscape change in North Tugu, Cisarua, due to housing development in hilly areas, which has become a temporary residence for visitors and urban dwellers who want to stay longer in Puncak. In just 10 years, we can see buildings constructed in topographical areas that cascade — yet the landscape appears to vanish due to excessive construction. The buildings are also made of concrete, without consideration for appropriate materials for this area, which should primarily use natural elements to adapt to the conditions.

What is the appropriate house in a hilly area?

• Build houses according to the contour area without altering it, as it is crucial for the hydrological system.
• Use natural elements as the primary construction material.
• Avoid copying urban-style buildings in this area. Your holiday home does not need to be too large.

Huts in the hilly area | Alicias Ridge

If you want to stay a night or more, this could be the most appropriate building in a hilly area. Or, for greater convenience, camping remains the most eco-friendly choice.