New Direction in the Culturally Inspired Urban Forms of Indonesia’s New Capital City of Nusantara

Abstract

The plan to relocate Indonesia’s capital to Nusantara, Penajam Paser, Kalimantan Timur is a big leap in Indonesian history. Nusantara is visioned to represent Indonesia’s identity; establish social, economic, and environmental sustainability; and create a smart, modern, and international standard city (Smart Metropolis). Situated in the equator zone, Kalimantan Island, known also as Borneo, has a rain forest ecosystem with great biodiversity. Therefore, the relocation has sparked debate on deforestation in Borneo. From the contrary perspective, the existing environment of Nusantara is seen as an opportunity for Indonesia to forge an extraordinary example of city development that brings together nature and city as one ecosystem by rooting to Indonesia’s nature and cultural heritage, and by adopting advanced smart technology as enablers to create a city for the future. Nusantara is designed to respect and emulate the wisdom enshrined in the forests and culture of Indonesia. The axis principle of mountains and ocean in traditional Indonesian cosmology is used to create the city’s underlying structure. The tradition of stilt houses, the concept of veranda in tropical buildings, and provision of arcades for street vendors have been incorporated in the design in modern forms. This article describes the strategies and concepts underlying this new capital city of Nusantara.