Indonesia Government Passes Bill To Build New City

Written by on 24/02/2022

  • In an effort to relieve huge environmental challenges facing Jakarta and redistribute wealth, President Joko Widodo has recently announced the plan to move Indonesia’s capital – a plan that could go ahead in 2024.
  • How would this new plan reduce the burden on Jakarta, a city of 10 million?
  • Will Indonesia’s New City Nusantara Be A Capital For The Music Community?

One of the fastest sinking cities in the world, Jakarta, in the Java islands, is home to 60% of the country’s population and more than half of its economic activity. With plans to move its government administration functions to East Kalimantan, how will Jakarta stand alone as a commercial and financial center?

Indonesia’s Parliament, as recent as January 18, 2022, has passed the Capital City Bill into law to construct Nusantara – the country’s new capital – as early as 2024: a planned relocation from Jakarta to East Kalimantan province.

Estimated to cost over US$35 billion to construct, the new capital’s name Nusantara, which translates as ‘archipelago’, will underline Indonesia’s official national motto of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity).

In an article titled ‘Indonesia Passes Bill to Build New Capital City: Deadline 2024′[1], published on ASEAN Briefing, Ayman Falak Medina describes the plans of its new city to include the development of a smart city, and even maritime infrastructure and sea toll program that will now open to 100 percent foreign ownership.

According to Nikkei Asia, amongst the many controversies sparked by its name of Sanskrit and Bornean origins, the government has already started building a dam, water system and roads near its planned ‘core central government area’ covering roughly 6,600 hectares.[2]

Considering politics aside, as we indulge in the plans of one of Southeast Asia’s largest city relocation, we also contemplate on the possibility of how this new city – in all its splendor also as a city that promotes sustainable growth and renewable energy – would also be a hub for the music community.

Envisaging a city full of creative prospects held esteemed by an advanced and digitally connected world, a new city would desperately need music and entertainment to propel forward. Some questions that came to mind: “Who will be moving to this new city?”/ “Where will the creative center be?”/ “How will live music, music education program and its benefits be applied into the cityscape?”/ “How will live music be a favorable option for a growing new city, especially for Nusantara?”

On the subject regarding the environment, Rebecca Ratcliffe, South-east Asia correspondent to The Guardian, has also briefly mentioned in her article on the reactions of environmentalists, who have warned the move would ‘risks accelerating pollution in East Kalimantan, and contributing to the destruction of rainforests that are home to orangutans, sun bears and long-nosed monkeys.’[3]

On Feb 2, 2022, Science.org published Dennis Normile’s article explaining how Indonesia’s utopian could speed deforestation, all the while seeking options to move away from Jakarta; a city that has climatologist experts predict will have 25% of the capital area submerged by 2050.[4]


References depending on factors including the economy, trade, and environment mentioned above are only initial although not entirely comprehensive considerations on how a music city of the future would look like. Below are further readings and references:

[1]https://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/indonesia-passes-bill-to-build-new-capital-city-deadline-2024/?_cldee=bW9uaWNhQG11c2ljcHJlc3Nhc2lhLmNvbQ%3d%3d&recipientid=lead-09937ad6fdabeb118236000d3ac8f7a8-d9a274bf247142ed94f3e3e2ec3b4148&utm_source=ClickDimensions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Local%20ASEAN%20Market%202022&esid=ebdc71f8-ef8a-ec11-93b0-000d3a08e332
[2]https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Indonesia-s-new-capital-Nusantara-sparks-controversy
[3]https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/18/indonesia-names-new-capital-nusantara-replacing-sinking-city-of-jakarta
[4]https://www.science.org/content/article/indonesia-s-utopian-new-capital-may-not-be-green-it-looks

The post Indonesia Government Passes Bill To Build New City appeared first on Music Press Asia.


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