The Future of the Capital City

Indonesia plans to move its capital city from Jakarta on the island of Java to a new forest city on the island of Borneo called Nusantara. We talk to three experts in urban planning and ecology to find out why, what the problems are with Jakarta – and what the environmental impacts of the project could be.

Featuring Eka Permanasari, associate professor in urban design, Monash University Australia, Hendricus Andy Simarmata, lecturer in urban planning at the University of Indonesia and Alex Lechner, associate professor in landscape ecology at Monash University Indonesia.

The Conversation Weekly is produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode available here.

Further reading

• How not to build a capital: what Indonesia can learn from other master-planned cities’ mistakes
• Does Indonesia really need to move its capital?
• Assessing Jokowi’s $33-billion project to move Indonesia’s capital for the country’s economic development
• Moving Indonesia’s capital city won’t fix Jakarta’s problems and will increase fire risk in Borneo