Recently
Kompas Daily, along with Bandung Institute of Technology corporate formulated
Indonesian Smart City Index (IKCI) which was released on 24 March 2015 in order
to assess and rate the level of maturity of cities. Since last March until
August 2015, Eventually Kompas R&D (Litbang) along with ITB, declared the
rating and gave award to Surabaya as Indonesia Smart City 2015 at once.
There are 93
cities are included in the rating of the smart city, respectively grouped into
three categories based on population. Those are Big City with more than 1
million people. And the second, medium city with more than 200,000 people and
the third is small city with maximum population 200.000 people.
Each city
assessed based on three main aspects, Economical, Social, and environment. The
result of Indonesia Smart City Index is: Category of cities with more than
200.000 people put Magelang City on the first place, followed by Madiun, Bontang,
Mojokerto and Salatiga. While Category of Cities with 200.000 until 1 million
people put Yogyakarta City on the first place, followed by Balikpapan,
Surakarta, Pontianak and Malang.
And the
first place of Smart City for category big City with population more than 1
million people achieved by Surabaya City, followed by Tangerang, Bandung, Depok
and Semarang. Based on main aspect of assessment, Magelang awarded as
Economical Smart City of 2015, while Madiun City crowned as Social Smart City
of 2015 and Surabaya City as environment Smart City of 2015. (Kompas, 14 August
2015)
Then what about our beloved city? Medan. Medan as the
third biggest city with population according to the records of Population and
Civil Registration (Disdukcapil) recorded 2.763.632 inhabitants of course
placed Medan in category of Big City with more than 1 million people. Alas, it
was not included in the top five rankings of Indonesia Smart Cities, even
perhaps was not included on frontrunner in the beginning of data collection
process.
How come, if we consider on the characteristic of
assessment on formulating the rankings of smart cities, it is still far from
the fire. Smart cities means the city is able to fulfill the need of its
society in the field of economic, social and environment.
Kompas R&D stated that a city was deemed as
economical smart city if the city is able to gain potential and solve
economical problem smartly. Economical smart city must be able to develop and
maximize its infinite natural resources, included water and field.
While social smart city is the city which is able to
empower and provide security and comfort for its residents, able to give health
services, transportation and decent public services. While environment smart
city is the city which is able to provide healthy residents, good energy
management, suitability city planning, and the availability of green-opened
space.
Form these three aspects, as Medan residents we are
able to guess on which aspect Medan is more dominant? Alas, not in all three.
Because if on one of those three aspects were able to be provided by Medan, of
course Medan would become one of the top five or be one of superior candidates.
Although Medan is one of the biggest cities in
Indonesia, in fact in economical management, the power of business and
industry, Medan is still not be able to fulfill the indicator of Indonesia
Smart City Rankings. Not to mention on social aspect, do not ask whether Medan
is able to provide security and comfort for its residents. Because there are
many people was anxious if travel around the city. Begal (robbers) are still
rampant, motorcycle gang, thief, drugs etc still haunt the city.
transportation is very difficult to be found so that residents prefer driving private vehicle either car or motorcycle.