Why should we build a new capital city for Indonesia? No one is better to answer the question than President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Frankly speaking, it is neither a bad nor a good idea. It is a matter of perspective. However, common sense says the relocation is about to better serve the diverse populations, provinces and resources of the country with a strategic geographic location. Jakarta is no longer economically and environmentally appropriate and supportive for the capital city. Indeed Jakarta’s infrastructure and public facilities are not conducive to an efficient and reliable city in terms of environmentally friendly urbanism. So to what extent can planning and design ensure that the new capital city is effective for transforming and improving Indonesia? We have valuable lessons from Brasilia in Brazil and Putrajaya in Malaysia. The core idea of moving t...

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