Source: Untar Public Relations – VA

As part of the reflection toward Jakarta’s 500th anniversary, the Urban Lab of the Urban and Regional Planning Study Program (PWK) held a panel discussion titled “500 Years of Jakarta: Jakarta’s Future in the Global Era – Champion or Cheerleader?” The event took place on Wednesday (06/08/2025) at the Tarumanagara Knowledge Center (TKC), Main Building, Campus I Untar.

The panel featured two distinguished speakers, Prof. Abidin Kusno from York University, Toronto, and Dr. Miya Irawati from Untar. The discussion was moderated by Dr.-Ing. Jo Santoso and Kemal Taruc from Untar.

In her presentation, Dr. Miya Irawati highlighted that Jakarta’s urban planning direction still reflects significant social inequalities. She pointed out that many parts of the city continue to lag behind in terms of infrastructure and access to adequate living spaces for low-income communities. “Our urban planning remains too often biased toward investment and city aesthetics, whereas urban development should be oriented toward social justice,” she stated.

The discussion served as a platform for students and lecturers to collectively reflect on and evaluate Jakarta’s future development trajectory. Key issues such as the climate crisis, spatial inequality, and the right to the city were among the major topics explored throughout the event.

“From today’s discussion, I have seen many brilliant ideas from the participants. Hopefully, forums like this can help address Jakarta’s major challenges in the future,” Prof. Abidin remarked at the conclusion of the event.

The activity also reaffirmed Untar’s commitment to fostering education and discourse that are closely connected to real-world societal issues. Through Urban Lab, Untar continues to encourage the development of future urban planners who are not only critical and professional, but also deeply committed to the broader community.

(VA/YS)