For someone whose day unfolds while most of the city sleeps, the park offers more than just open space. It is where Dewi can pause to catch her breath and summon the strength to carry on.

Jakarta will mark its 498th anniversary this weekend with a renewed vision of transforming into a global center for trade, services, finance and business, even as the city faces persistent questions about its livability and its impending loss of capital status.

The government’s free, nutritious meal program has once again come under public scrutiny following reports of uncooked ingredients and ultra-processed foods being distributed in South Tangerang, Banten, as schools begin their holiday break this week.

The government’s proposal to develop compact, subsidized housing for urban youth is facing growing criticism from both experts and potential occupants, who say the poor design and cramped living conditions of these “mini houses” could jeopardize their inhabitants’ physical and psychological well-being.

Despite criticism from environmentalists and apparent conflict with Governor Pramono Anung’s conservation pledge, the Jakarta administration has committed to supporting President Prabowo’s ambitious seawall megaproject along the city’s northern coast following the President’s request last week.

Deputy Governor Rano Karno introduced the Jakarta Film Commission (JFC) as an independent body to be managed by film industry professionals, aimed at supporting filmmakers from within and outside the country.

Exercising in the evening may help improve physical and mental health, but working out too hard at nighttime may disrupt one's sleep pattern and quality, experts have warned.

The city administration is still preparing the free private school initiative that is expected to launch as early as this year, but officials said that 40 schools, some in East Jakarta, will be selected for the program's initial stage .

Thousands of fire victims in Kapuk Muara, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, remain in precarious conditions after a massive blaze destroyed their homes last Friday, prompting calls for the Jakarta administration to provide reconstruction aid or relocate them to safer, more permanent housing.

Worsening air quality in Greater Jakarta has brought to light the government’s unfulfilled responsibility to ensure citizens’ right to clean air and to curb emissions from coal-fired power plants and motor vehicles.

The University of Indonesia (UI) and several civil society organizations have condemned the police’s alleged use of excessive force and criminalization of student protesters during the May Day rally in Jakarta last month, describing the actions as an abuse of power that threatens citizens' democratic rights.

While a recent survey reveals public satisfaction with many of Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung’s programs, activist groups have pointed out several flaws in his policies during his first 100 days in office.

KAI Commuter has received eight new trains, consisting of 96 carriages, from China to replace aging units, as part of a total order of 27 new electric trains, totaling 324 electric rail cars. 

The Jakarta Environment Agency, which operates the Bantar Gebang landfill in neighboring West Java, is found to have failed to upgrade the waste water management system at the site, as well as failing to submit new documents on hazardous waste management.

The Jakarta administration is aiming to build more communal toilets in dense neighborhoods to eliminate open defecation, which is still practiced by more than 5,000 households across the city, according to 2024 data by the Statistics Indonesia (BPS).

Jakarta plans to issue a regulation that bans the use of ondel-ondel in street busking as part of a broader effort to preserve the cultural integrity of the Betawi people, the city’s native inhabitants.

Data from the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry shows a 20 percent drop in Jakarta’s marine fisheries production in 2023 compared with the year before, while data for 2024 has yet to be released.

The Jakarta administration has launched a major revitalization project in South Jakarta’s Blok M, aiming to transform the long-standing commercial area into a 24-hour economic hub as part of the capital’s push to become a globally competitive city.

The 15 students arrested by the Jakarta Police are charged with inciting mob violence, resisting officers and assaulting police after a violent clash broke out during the protest on Wednesday.

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung launched on May 22 a new route for the Transjabodetabek intercity bus service connecting Blok M in South Jakarta with the integrated residential area Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) 2 in Tangerang regency, Banten.

Banten Deputy Governor Achmad Dimyati Natakusumah urged Transjabodetabek to extend its bus service to Serang, as the province is one of the key satellite areas supporting Jakarta.

Governor Pramono Anung admitted recently that the issue of illegal parking in the capital has seen little progress over the past decades, echoing suggestions from the City Council to accelerate cashless parking.

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has pledged to upgrade all of the city’s slum areas by 2027 without relocating any residents, but many remain skeptical, recalling past administrations that evicted people in the name of urban development.

PT Transjakarta will make real-time route adjustments as up to 500,000 online motorcycle taxi, or ojol, drivers stage a protest on Tuesday.

The city administration has officially extended the operating hours of five public parks as part of Governor Pramono Anung’s campaign to expand access to public spaces and stimulate nighttime economic activity in the capital. 

The new route is part of the Transjabodetabek bus service expansion plan promised by Governor Pramono Anung to connect Jakarta with its satellite cities and to address the city’s perennial traffic problem.

The Jakarta administration plans to build two additional rusunawa (low-cost rental apartment complexes) and revitalize an existing one in the coming years to address the capital’s housing backlog, with experts stressing that the projects must be easily accessible and located near economic hubs to attract tenants.