Urban space in transit area of South Sumatra light rail transit in Palembang

Abstract

A new transportation system built in Palembang, the South Sumatra Light Rail Transit (otherwise known as LRT Sumsel), stretches along the road corridor from Sultan Mahmud Badarudin II Airport to the Jakabaring Sport City Palembang. In practice, a city needs criteria that must be met to develop a city properly. One of the urban development approaches is Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), an approach that emphasizes not only transit accessibility but also a sustainable environment. Therefore, in developing a city that has mass transportation, TOD calls forth the integration of all transportation modes with the elements of the city. This is closely related to the design of urban space at the transit area and how to achieve the concept of TOD. This research was conducted to find out whether the space around the South Sumatra LRT transit area has properly fulfilled the TOD concept. To achieve the success of Palembang City development, the complexity of TOD and the quality of urban space must be integrated. The goals of this research were to identify the elements of urban space in the transit area. The South Sumatra LRT station is the case study in this research employing descriptive qualitative methods using observation, stakeholder interview, and literature study. The results of the study point out that LRT Sumsel must highlight the availability of parking and attributes, which can allow more frequent transit activities. This research hopes that it can provide consideration for the development of the city of Palembang in terms of architecture and transportation utilization.