Grand Pangandaran – An Integrated Township Envisioned to Become West Java’s Marine Tourism and Development Centre | December 2018
Tourism has been designated as one of the drivers for economic growth by the Indonesian Central Government, and in order to support this 10 locations across the Archipelago have been designated as ‘new Bali’s’. In addition, the Government has opened the opportunity for developers and local governments to apply for ‘Special Economic Zone’ (“KEK”) status in selected areas. TOWNLAND is proud to announce that in recent months it has been the Master Planning Consultant of Choice for Three such applications, and that all three are set to be awarded the heavily contested KEK status.
Most recently, the local authorities of Pangandaran and the Governor of West Java, together with investor PT Pancajaya Makmur Bersama, held a meeting to discuss progress and process on how to take their project forward and implement it. The governor of West-Java could not contain his excitement, and published an overview on in his Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/p/BqtzB99HS41/
The Site is located on prime 200 hectare piece of land in the City of Pangandaran, which is locally known for its wide and long beaches, abundant natural resources and history of seafarers and fishing – and as a popular destination for local tourists during (long) weekends. However, due to lack of quality infrastructure and diversified accommodation and product offering, the area is unable to attract and facilitate additional national and international tourists, and a catalyst to drive a metamorphosis to capitalize on the region’s opportunities is needed.
Inspired by the Site’s strong maritime culture and history, TOWNLAND’s team proposed a Vision for Grand Pangandaran to revive the glory of Indonesia’s maritime history through tourism and development of a marine business & research center; to become a new economic and development generator for the southernmost region of West Java. The Site is proposed as a new “Kota Pesisir” (Coastal City) that provides visitors with various type of accommodation – ranging from budget hotels and glamping to 5-star resorts – as well as marine and ocean themed entertainment, a lifestyle mall, and a complete experience of local culture and culinary traditions in ‘Bahari Town’, an area which is fully pedestrianized and provides easy access to the nearby beach. One of features in this development are the preserved paddy fields which are enhanced with boardwalks and Sundanese themed restaurants, creating a picturesque landscape and a new potential tourism – and ‘Instagrammable’ – hotspot for the Pangandaran area.
To further support and promote economic development, Grand Pangandaran provides a Marine Technopark that will allow for research and collaboration between multidisciplinary sectors with a focus on Marine technologies, and will provide opportunities for incubator business and start-ups, as well as training for local people to develop their skills in marine related business. An important aspect to facilitate the Project’s success is the fact that local and regional governments had recently approved an integrated Marine Research Centre (PiaMari) close to the Site, and as such the Project is a continuation of existing movement and development of the region.
Client’s Project Director, Timotius Sudarmono, said of TOWNLAND’s input: “Townland’s creative yet pragmatic ideas have helped us to create a very strong vision for our Site. We look forward to achieving the much coveted KEK status over the next few months, and will start with implementing and realizing our dream shortly after”.


