2012 EJRNL PP TOMMY FIRMAN
Terbatas Rd. Lenny Fatimah N., Dra
» ITB
Terbatas Rd. Lenny Fatimah N., Dra
» ITB
Past studies on urbanization in East Asia in general and in Indonesia in particular have taken the edge of
large cities as the extension of the metropolitan core where the zones of urban–rural transition take
shape. The current article argues that the emergence of global cities and decentralization trends in the
last decades have challenged this traditional conception. Jakarta Metropolitan Region (JMR) is beginning
to join the global trend of post-suburbia, which refers to the decentralization of urban life to the outskirts
of a metropolis. Several post-suburban elements in JMR are identified in this article, including planned
deconcentration of hi-tech industries and multinational companies, followed by the growth of projects
beyond land and property development, including suburban cultural centers with a Western flavor.
Despite these commonalities, this article argues that post-suburbia in JMR has its own uniqueness due
to the reduced carrying capacity of the metropolitan core, the persistent yet relatively passive influence
of the state, symbiotic relations between the market and the public sector, and the privatization of planning
rules.