Planning Indonesia's New Capital City

Book excerpt: This book critically analyzes the hidden political dimensions associated with the planning of Indonesia's new capital. Planning Indonesia’s New Capital City reveals the underlying agendas behind the Indonesian government’s decisive and rapid action, under the leadership of President Jokowi, to relocate the national capital amid precarious global political and economic conditions. The central argument posits that the capital relocation is politically justified, reflecting the president's ambitions for megaprojects and, to a significant extent, the interests of his governing coalitions. The desire to establish a political legacy has emerged as a primary hidden agenda that compels state leaders and their allies to pursue the ambitious initiative of moving the capital from Jakarta to Nusantara on Kalimantan Island. As a lasting monument and symbol of modernization and prosperity, the Capital City of Nusantara (IKN) aims to reflects the enduring influence of the builder-in-chief of the world’s third-largest democracy. The long-term viability of this capital city megaproject as a political legacy is contingent upon the effectiveness of formal, informal, and cultural institutional mechanisms both prior to and following the pivotal events of the 2024 presidential election and the subsequent transition of leadership. Addressing a significant gap in the literature and a timely contribution, this book will be of interest to researchers in the fields of human geography, Asian urban studies, Southeast Asian Studies and megaproject management.