Metamorphosing the Bogor Botanical Gardens as the “Crown Jewel” of Bogor City

Abstract

The Bogor Botanical Gardens (BBG) located in Bogor City in Indonesia has a major ecological and historical impact upon the City. The BBG were expanded as a collection garden and today host more than 13,000 species discovered since the Dutch and British Empire Colonial Era. The development of Bogor City itself originates in a radially concentric BBG structure, of which the BBG lies at the centre. Although the functions of BBG are still restricted to the collection, education, and recreational activities, as a major urban green open space, the BBG offers significant social and health benefits to the City’s residents. Ultimately, the BBG plays a vital role in affording ecological values and sustainability opportunities, and thus it is correct to say that BBG is the “Crown Jewel” of Bogor City. This article presents a case study generating creative ideas to metamorph the BBG through its high values that offer a potential framework to solving or mediating the prevalent environmental issues. This study focuses on testing the accessibility intervention in BBG’s river (Ciliwung River) without omitting ecological and historical values as environmental proponents of BBG. The methodological approach of this study involves using historic urban landscape (HUL) Quick Scan that understands and elaborates the historic and basic principles in the form of proposals and ideas for the landscape of BBG’s curtilage.