Planning System in Transitional Indonesia: Between Institutions, Culture, and Neo-liberalism

Paper published in International Planning Studies , vol. 12, no. 3, 2007; developed based on master thesis titled Institution, Culture, and Neo-liberalism: Reshaping Planning System in the Transitional Indonesia (2006)

Following economic and political crises in the late 1990s, Indonesia has been experiencing radical institutional transformation in all major policy fields, included spatial planning system. This paper concerns with the interaction between the dynamics of formal-institutional arrangements in guiding democratic transitional process, the persistence of long-established political culture, and growing neo-liberalist tensions in the long discussion on the formulation of the draft of new Spatial Planning Act during 2005-2006. The extent to which globalising neo-liberal ideas have changed the planning system irrespective on domestic institutional-cultural forces is critically examined. Although the neo-liberal ideas cannot change the whole nature of the planning system, this paper shows that they tend to fragment the system and conflict with the existing institutional-cultural forces. While removal of government participation in urban development should be analysed critically, it argues that the ideas of rule of law and decentralisation should be encouraged in order to develop a more effective spatial planning system in Indonesia.

Keywords: globalising neo-liberalism, Indonesia, institutional-cultural forces, spatial planning system.

Empowerment Approaches in Squatters Management: The Case of West Java, Indonesia

Empowerment Approaches to urban poverty alleviation and sustainable development promotion are not new and still need further studies in levels of concept, planning, and implementation. Involving the World Bank and other non-government institutions, the Government of Indonesia recently develop an integrated and participative approach through Squatter Settlements Pilot Assistance Project (PPM-Squatter). This article aims to critique the involvement of the non-government institutions in financing and assisting the project. Besides, this paper also shows that: (1) interpretation of concept of the project and typology of squatter, (2) political absorption by government in all level, and (3) facilitation, monitoting, and evaluation are factors determining the performance of empowerment approaches in squatter settlements management.
Keywords: empowerment approaches, squatter, participation, non-government organization.


Links:
- This has been modified from the original abstract
- Full version of the article is published in Jurnal Perencanaan Wilayah dan Kota (Journal of regional and city planning) ITB, 2005