New Capital Nusantara, Samarinda, Balikpapan: A Three-City-Ecosystem

TheIndonesia.id - By moving the capital city to the newly designed city Nusantara, the government is trying to develop a three-city ecosystem. Nusantara is projected to be a catalyst for East Kalimantan by encouraging future economic development through the cooperation of the triangle cities of Samarinda, Balikpapan, and Nusantara.

Nusantara will be the center of government and green innovation. Samarinda, as the historical center of East Kalimantan, will be the base for energy sector rejuvenation and Balikpapan, as the muscle, will be the center of development of the downstream oil and gas industry and logistics.

Nusantara is targeted to become the most sustainable city, a symbol of national identity, and a driving force for Indonesia's economy in the future, he said. Nusantara is also designed to be the center of the capital city with a smart city system that is integrated with harmony in the future, he added.

 "Nusantara is not only a smart city but also a modern place that meets world-class infrastructure standards," head of Nusantara’s infrastructure development at the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), Danis H. Sumadilaga, said.

Nusantara has been envisaged as a futuristic city for Indonesia’s young generation. "We hope that our younger generation can inclusively contribute and participate to accommodate innovation in the three areas prioritized for growth, from the health, energy, and economic sectors," Sumadilaga remarked during a webinar on ‘Unleashing Global Urban and Rural Digitalization Potential,’ on Tuesday, April 26, 2022.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) announced the relocation of Indonesia's capital city from Jakarta to East Kalimantan on August 18, 2022. There were several aspects that informed the President's decision to relocate the capital city, including population distribution, boosting economic growth outside Java, and tackling the clean water source crisis on Java Island.

The high rate of land conversion in Java, the concentrated urbanization in Jakarta, and the high level of economic losses in Jakarta also played a role in the decision to shift the capital city.

"We are talking about flooding, traffic, and land subsidence in Jakarta," Sumadilaga explained.