Extractive Urbanization – The New Capital City of Indonesia and what it tells us about our urban futures

Join us on February 18th for an engaging Friends of the Future seminar with Kei Otsuki, professor of International Development Studies at the Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning here at Utrecht University. Otsuki will share insights from ‘Following Frontiers of the Forest City’ in this seminar. The research project evolves around the highly contested plan to relocate Indonesia’s national capital city from Jakarta to the forest highlands of eastern Kalimantan. Through an innovative ‘Forest City’ master plan, proponents argue that the relocation of the capital city decentralises development opportunities and alleviates Jakarta’s environmental problems. Critics contend, however, that the relocation leaves Jakarta’s problems unsolved, and the new city will negatively impact Kalimantan’s ecosystem and societies. Both arguments fail to address how the new Forest City might lead to sustainable and inclusive urbanisation. Learn more about this project and register for this interactive seminar here: https://forms.uu.nl/universiteitutrecht-geo/friends-of-the-future-Kei-Otsuki

About Kei Otsuki

Kei Otsuki is Professor of International Development Studies at Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Utrecht University. Her research and education interests centre on social equity and justice for sustainable development. She critically explores often contested relationships between the global agenda for sustainability transitions and local everyday lives. She has a wide range of research and education experiences on the nexus between environmental change, land and infrastructure development and investment flows, and various forms of human agency, everyday lives and practices in Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Indonesia and Japan. 

About 'Friends of the Future'

The Friends of the Future seminars are the Urban Futures Studio’s take on public seminars: warm, interactive, and focused on hope. Each month, we invite an academic, activist, artist, or practitioner to chat with us on the sofa in front of a circle of colleagues and guests. All are welcome.