The Forest City Research Consortium Hosts a Successful Writeshop in Soestenberg, the Netherlands

08-09 July 2024 

The Forest City Research Project is a four year project that explores broad social and environmental impacts of the new capital city and its urban frontiers in East Kalimantan of Indonesia. On July 8-9, 2024, the Consortium successfully conducted a two-day Writeshop in Soesterberg, the Netherlands, as the inauguration of the new city approaches on 17 August 2024. The event was initiated with a brief introduction of the Forest City Project by the consortium’s principal investigators, Kei Otsuki (UU) and Rijanta (Gadjah Mada University). In this session, all seven work package managers gave updates, followed by a speech delivered by Fitriansyah, the Head of Research and Development Agency of East Kalimantan Province, one of the consortium members.

The event continued with four panels involving 14 researchers from various affiliations, including PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, university lecturers, and research institutes. These researchers are currently conducting studies on Indonesia’s new capital city development area in East Kalimantan. The manuscripts presented and discussed in the panels covered a wide range of topics, which explore broad impacts of the new capital city development, including spectacular urbanism, energy provisioning systems, conservation of endangered species, community participation in ecotourism, land brokerage, water access, inclusiveness, women-friendly cities, social impacts of industries, food sovereignty, conflicting rationalities, ecocentrism in law, and the political economy of energy transition.

The event concluded with a wrap-up by the Forest City Consortium principal investigators. The discussion focused on emerging themes and trends, and the possibility of organizing a journal special issue or an edited book related to Indonesia’s new capital city development issues. The participants also discussed to produce collectively a policy brief for the East Kalimantan Province to be able to address the impacts as the national capital moving into their territory.