Commune Formation in Jakarta’s Urban Landscape as Indonesia’s Previous/Existing Capital City

Our postdoctoral researcher, Bosman Batubara, along with his colleagues, has published a paper discussing the formation of an urban poor settlement known as ‘kampungkota’ in North Jakarta, Indonesia. This was Indonesia’s existing Capital City before moving to Nusantara in Kalimantan in mid-2024. The paper highlights the tension between direct actions and electoral politics.

The paper focuses on the experience of Kampung Akuarium, detailing its history from land occupation in the 1980s to its re-occupation and eventual legalization as a housing cooperative. The study reveals how Jakarta’s urban poor engage in direct actions and leverage electoral politics to secure housing rights, culminating in a political contract during the 2017 gubernatorial election. The paper also offers a nuanced understanding of urban poor movements, contrasting revolutionary anarchism with the pragmatic approach of securing living space within the state framework.

In relation to the ‘Forest City’ project and its implications for sustainable and inclusive urbanization in Kalimantan and beyond, several key takeaways have been identified. The project emphasizes the importance of involving the urban poor in the commune formation processes since 1980. It aims to promote sustainable urban development practices by focusing on ensuring that urbanization benefits all segments of society.

For more detailed insights, please access to the full article here.

Batubara, B., Guntoro, Rachman, N. F., Herlily, & Adianto, J. (2024). Land Occupation, Re-occupation, and Housing Cooperative: Commune Formation by Jakarta’s Urban Poor. Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy, 13(1), 89-109. https://doi.org/10.1177/22779760241226816