Jakarta is often described in superlatives: one of the world’s largest megacities, one of its fastest‑growing urban regions, and one of its most complex planning environments.
For Sonia Roitman, Associate Professor of Urban Planning at UQ, it is important not only to consider Jakarta’s growth, but also how it is growing and the complex challenges associated with this growth.
Sonia is co‑editor of the newly published book Growth of a Megacity: Planning Jakarta in the Post‑Suburban Era, alongside Prof Deden Rukmana from the University of Texas at Arlington. Published by University of Hawaiʻi Press, the work brings together scholars and practitioners to examine how Jakarta’s rapid urban transformation is unfolding, and what this means for planning practice in Indonesia and across the Global South. The book is the output of several years of collaboration, with a first book published by Routledge in 2023 examining the dynamics of many cities in Indonesia, including Jakarta: 'Routledge Handbook of Urban Indonesia', edited by Sonia Roitman and Deden Rukmana (2023, Routledge, UK).
The everyday impacts of metropolitan change
The book examines the new forms and uses associated with the growth of Jakarta in a post-suburban era where the expansion of the city to the outer suburbs is not restricted to a residential function, but a combination of uses including employment commercial and recreational uses. Jakarta is not only growing outwards (horizontally) but also upwards (vertically), increasing density in central areas of the city. The book analyses changes in housing, employment, public space, and environmental conditions across both inner‑city neighbourhoods and suburban districts. It highlights how processes such as segregation, gentrification, and displacement can occur simultaneously, often producing unequal outcomes across the metropolitan region.
Understanding Jakarta’s transformation means looking beyond infrastructure and population figures. It means paying close attention to how urban change affects everyday lives - where people can afford to live, how far they travel to work, and whether redevelopment brings inclusion or displacement.
“Urban growth is never just spatial, it is social, economic, and deeply lived.”
Planning for an uncertain future
Rather than treating Jakarta’s growth as inevitable or unmanageable, Growth of a Megacity places strong emphasis on planning institutions, policies, and practices. Organised into four thematic sections, economic development; environmental challenges; housing and public space; and gentrification and displacement, the volume explores how planning decisions shape metropolitan futures.
“Planning matters most where growth is fastest and inequalities are deepest."
With contributions from twenty‑two academics, planners, urban designers, and architects, the book connects theory with practice, offering insights that speak directly to policymakers and practitioners working in rapidly urbanising contexts.
Lessons beyond Jakarta
While grounded in Jakarta’s specific social, political, and environmental conditions, Sonia notes that the book also contributes to wider debates about megacity governance. Many cities across the Global South are experiencing forms of growth that do not fit neatly within established planning models.
“Jakarta reminds us that there is no single template for urban futures."
As Jakarta looks ahead to the next two decades of growth, Growth of a Megacity underscores the importance of flexible, inclusive, and context‑sensitive planning approaches, and the role of planning as a critical tool for shaping more equitable and resilient urban futures.
Book launch: Growth of a Megacity
To mark the publication of Growth of a Megacity, a public online book launch will be held in April. The event will bring together editors and contributors to introduce the book and discuss its key insights into Jakarta’s post‑suburban transformation.
Join us to find out more.
Event details
Date: 10 April 2026
Time: 9:00 AM Jakarta time
12pm Brisbane time
Format: Online (Zoom)
Zoom link: https://go.hawaii.edu/DZH
Password: 786414
