Capital city relocation in Indonesia: compromise failure and potential dysfunction

The relocation of Indonesia’s capital city from Jakarta to Nusantara in East Kalimantan, as proposed by President Joko Widodo, represents a profound shift in the nation’s urban and political geography. This initiative, founded on development equity and national unity goals, seeks to shift from an ‘e...

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Main Authors: Indra Perwira, Susi Dwi Harijanti, Mei Susanto, Muhammad Yoppy Adhihernawan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Cogent Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2024.2345930
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author Indra Perwira
Susi Dwi Harijanti
Mei Susanto
Muhammad Yoppy Adhihernawan
author_facet Indra Perwira
Susi Dwi Harijanti
Mei Susanto
Muhammad Yoppy Adhihernawan
author_sort Indra Perwira
collection DOAJ
description The relocation of Indonesia’s capital city from Jakarta to Nusantara in East Kalimantan, as proposed by President Joko Widodo, represents a profound shift in the nation’s urban and political geography. This initiative, founded on development equity and national unity goals, seeks to shift from an ‘evolved city’ framework to a ‘designed city’ model. However, the rapid decision-making process, which lasted only 43 days, and the apparent lack of inclusive public deliberation and participation in critical decisions raises concerns about the democratic underpinnings of this endeavour. Historical precedents from countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia highlight the benefits of a democratic approach to capital determination, while examples from Nigeria highlight the risks associated with non-democratic processes. For Indonesia, ensuring a democratic, participatory, and inclusive approach is critical not only for successfully relocating the capital but also for preserving the integrative, symbolic, and cultural functions of a capital city. In Indonesia, the hasty passage of the capital city law jeopardizes not only the successful implementation of the relocation but also the integrative, symbolic, and cultural roles that a capital city should play. This paper contends that the absence of democratic and spatial compromise could jeopardize the relocation’s intended goals, putting Indonesia’s new capital’s functional efficacy at risk.
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issn 2331-1886
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publishDate 2024-12-01
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series Cogent Social Sciences
spelling doaj-art-cface4351c6949948a6ca41a912b1d002025-08-20T03:44:07ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Social Sciences2331-18862024-12-0110110.1080/23311886.2024.2345930Capital city relocation in Indonesia: compromise failure and potential dysfunctionIndra Perwira0Susi Dwi Harijanti1Mei Susanto2Muhammad Yoppy Adhihernawan3Constitutional Law Department, Faculty of Law, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, IndonesiaConstitutional Law Department, Faculty of Law, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, IndonesiaConstitutional Law Department, Faculty of Law, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, IndonesiaConstitutional Law Department, Faculty of Law, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, IndonesiaThe relocation of Indonesia’s capital city from Jakarta to Nusantara in East Kalimantan, as proposed by President Joko Widodo, represents a profound shift in the nation’s urban and political geography. This initiative, founded on development equity and national unity goals, seeks to shift from an ‘evolved city’ framework to a ‘designed city’ model. However, the rapid decision-making process, which lasted only 43 days, and the apparent lack of inclusive public deliberation and participation in critical decisions raises concerns about the democratic underpinnings of this endeavour. Historical precedents from countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia highlight the benefits of a democratic approach to capital determination, while examples from Nigeria highlight the risks associated with non-democratic processes. For Indonesia, ensuring a democratic, participatory, and inclusive approach is critical not only for successfully relocating the capital but also for preserving the integrative, symbolic, and cultural functions of a capital city. In Indonesia, the hasty passage of the capital city law jeopardizes not only the successful implementation of the relocation but also the integrative, symbolic, and cultural roles that a capital city should play. This paper contends that the absence of democratic and spatial compromise could jeopardize the relocation’s intended goals, putting Indonesia’s new capital’s functional efficacy at risk.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2024.2345930Capital city relocationdemocratic deliberationintegrative functionspatial compromisenational unityCristina Elena Popa Tache, Law, Andrei Şaguna University, Bucharest, Romania
spellingShingle Indra Perwira
Susi Dwi Harijanti
Mei Susanto
Muhammad Yoppy Adhihernawan
Capital city relocation in Indonesia: compromise failure and potential dysfunction
Cogent Social Sciences
Capital city relocation
democratic deliberation
integrative function
spatial compromise
national unity
Cristina Elena Popa Tache, Law, Andrei Şaguna University, Bucharest, Romania
title Capital city relocation in Indonesia: compromise failure and potential dysfunction
title_full Capital city relocation in Indonesia: compromise failure and potential dysfunction
title_fullStr Capital city relocation in Indonesia: compromise failure and potential dysfunction
title_full_unstemmed Capital city relocation in Indonesia: compromise failure and potential dysfunction
title_short Capital city relocation in Indonesia: compromise failure and potential dysfunction
title_sort capital city relocation in indonesia compromise failure and potential dysfunction
topic Capital city relocation
democratic deliberation
integrative function
spatial compromise
national unity
Cristina Elena Popa Tache, Law, Andrei Şaguna University, Bucharest, Romania
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2024.2345930
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AT susidwiharijanti capitalcityrelocationinindonesiacompromisefailureandpotentialdysfunction
AT meisusanto capitalcityrelocationinindonesiacompromisefailureandpotentialdysfunction
AT muhammadyoppyadhihernawan capitalcityrelocationinindonesiacompromisefailureandpotentialdysfunction