Governing Urban Indonesia

About the conference

Indonesia is now a majority urban country, with almost 60% of the population living in urban areas. This transition brings with it challenges typical of urbanisation, such as managing garbage, flooding, traffic, and public transport.

As well as examining these issues, the conference will discuss urban design and planning, the rise of gated communities, the politics of urban security, and kampung clearance and evictions. It will also look at how politics shapes urban governance, examining why some cities are pioneering better service delivery and public amenities for their citizens, while others remain mired in corruption, their streets filled with potholes.

The 2023 Indonesia update will be convened by Prof. Edward Aspinall from the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University (ANU), and Dr Amalinda Savirani from the Department of Politics and Government, Universitas Gadjah Mada. It will be held in-person at the ANU in Canberra and online.

Conference program

Download the conference program here (coming soon) or click the sessions tab at the top of this page.

About the conference series

The Indonesia Update has been conducted annually since 1983. It is organised by the ANU Indonesia Project, and receives support from the ANU Department of Political and Social Change and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

The ANU Indonesia Project wishes to thank the ANU and DFAT for their substantial and continuing support.