I wish I just need to walk to my workplace

First, I have spent most of my life working long hours away from home. My residence is 10 kilometers from my high school. That meant that I had to travel 20 kilometers each day back then. However, my case doesn't seem out of the ordinary. Many of my college acquaintances attended high school in cities other than their hometowns. Especially those who attended high school in Jakarta, Indonesia's capital; many live in nearby cities or regencies to Jakarta, e.g., Bekasi.

I won't discuss the education disparity in Indonesia, which is so deficient that my friends have to attend school outside of town--we can go into greater detail on that subject later. Indeed, I'm OK with commuting, referring to my experiences studying in Ibaraki and living in Minami-suita. But only when public transit is good, and there are no traffic jams. When I lived in Osaka, it took me thirty minutes to travel to the university. Even so, I could read books and finish my daily Qur'an recitation target while riding the train. The rest of the time, it took me only five minutes to walk from my residence to the station or the station to the university.

After a week of WFO in Central Jakarta, I grew even more in love and realized how great it was to get to work only by walking. The office was approximately 500 meters from where I was staying, so I took a leisurely 10-minute walk after breakfast each day. That's fantastic, really! No stress of driving through gridlock or getting dressed two hours before work.

However, ideal circumstances are challenging because office locations are frequently found in the city center, where residential cost is high.

I'm thinking of two things. First, enhancing public transportation for sure! I once read that, according to studies, people walk more when there is adequate access to public transportation. According to a friend, walking to bus stops and train stations takes longer than using the bus or train. Thus, she would prefer to use her own vehicle. In my city, angkot is the most popular public transportation. But is it cozy? Obviously not! We also have Trans Metro Deli buses, but sadly there aren't many routes, even no route goes by my house.

Working remotely or from home is the second choice. I don't expect all work to be done remotely, though. It's impossible for my friend who needs to do her experiment in the lab--she is a chemist! My mum, too. She works with state data that can only be accessed at the office for security reasons. But, come on! Is it necessary to be in the office to complete reports? Is writing only permitted in offices? Let's work from home if the work can be done in numerous locations. The prerequisite is that "we" must pay attention to work ethics. Even if we work from home, that's not the reason we can sleep all day and not finish the work.

Realizing transit-oriented development (TOD) is the finest and most complete option. It is a style of urban planning that increases the amount of residential, commercial, and recreational space accessible by foot from public transportation. Besides public transit development, TOD is also linked to efficiency in the planning and use of urban space, the provision of public services, and the construction of infrastructure and amenities in the city.

But yes, TOD is a work that is massive, complex, and touches many aspects. I won't discuss it further here, but the point is, living near workplace is incredible! I can arrive at work early and get a good head start on my tasks for the day. Since I'm less stressed from commuting, I'll have a fresh mind for work and have the energy to be more productive.

I wish I just needed to walk to my workplace!