Planning and Development Coordination in Semarang and KEDUNGSEPUR

Abstract

The spread of urban development and the challenges that urban regions pose for conceptualizing cities has been widely acknowledged for decades. Only recently has greater critical attention been paid to the governance and planning of such agglomerations. The difficulties faced by expanding urban regions are often exacerbated by metropolitan institutional and governance arrangements. In such cases urban regional planning becomes as much part of the governance problem, rather than an instrument of sustainable and equitable futures. This article examines the changing nature of metropolitan urbanisation across administrative and sectoral boundaries, focusing particularly on the planning challenges and institutional impediments which thwart the better coordination of land use and infrastructure planning and provision. It does this through describing the lesser researched experience and approaches of Kedungsepur (centred around the city of Semarang) in Central Java, Indonesia. The research highlighted the need for inclusive and new forms of governance and institutions to deal with urban region. What is clearly evident is the need to advance integrated planning mechanisms which cross administrative and other boundaries through the development of both formal and informal relationships. These linkages and interpersonal relations also are maximised if they exist simultaneously at the political, administrative, financial (budgetary,) and technical levels.