He stressed that the new capital city development should be supported with the latest technology so that the city could become a home for innovation and creativity while being environmentally friendly. Renewable energy and clean technology will result in sustainable lives for social and economic development, he emphasized at the time.

This is in line with another government initiative to create 100 smart cities in the country. Cities such as Jakarta, the West Java capital of Bandung and the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar have been working to transform themselves by applying technology to various aspects of the people’s lives.

Transforming an existing city into a smart city is a difficult task, since the degree of change required may be very disruptive for the people currently living in that city. In contrast,

Indonesia’s new capital city in East Kalimantan is like a blank canvas on which the government can paint from scratch anything it desires or dreams of. It is like starting anew to build a better city, and we are in the rare situation of being able to design the new city from the ground up and to create a smart city that could become a model for all cities in Indonesia in the future.

How should we design and build a smart city?

A smart city is not just about its technology: first and foremost, it is about serving the people living in the city, visiting the city, or otherwise engaging with the city. We should not use technology gratuitously, but instead to serve the people and make their lives better. Therefore, the design of a smart city must start with understanding the need of the people and envisioning how they will live in their future city. The design goal is to provide the best experience for people in the city.

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