What makes people choose a new city as home? Ridwan Kamil returns to share how Nusantara aims to evolve from master plan to living city, all while balancing bold aspirations with the practical steps needed to build a thriving capital.
As Nusantara’s Development Curator, Ridwan brings decades of experience in reshaping urbanscapes in Indonesia. The architect-turned-politician has consistently proven how architectural thinking can drive positive change in public service.
A champion of liveable cities, Ridwan outlines Nusantara’s pragmatic path forward. He shares how climate-responsive design, environmental integration, and economic incentives will deliver Indonesia’s city of tomorrow.
| 00:01:15 | Building a forest city |
| 00:02:45 | “Overall, it aims to be a net-zero carbon emission city.” |
| 00:04:35 | “I’m very confident that the whole of Nusantara, if executed well […] can be a model [for all] new development in Indonesia.” |
| 00:11:52 | “If you go to Nusantara, the promise is you have a better life — so it means you have a better income.” |
| 00:12:55 | “You get lower corporate tax if you build something in Nusantara compared if you build something in Jakarta.” |
| 00:16:48 | Indigenous and environmental impact |
| 00:17:03 | “Ninety-five percent of the land is […] plantations of this eucalyptus tree.” |
| 00:18:23 | “[…] there is no way the President or the country would harm its own citizens […]” |
| 00:18:53 | Funding Nusantara’s vision |
| 00:19:55 | “[…] domestic investors already placed 4 billion US dollars.” |
Nusantara, also known as Ibu Kota Nusantara, or IKN, is Indonesia’s ambitious new capital city under construction in East Kalimantan. Hopes abound that it will set high benchmarks for sustainable urban development. But how will these aspirations translate into reality?
At the heart of the city’s environmental strategy lies its identity as a ‘forest city’, where architecture takes a deliberate back seat to vegetation. Buildings must also meet stringent green building codes.
The Vice President’s Palace (“Huma Betang Umai”) designed by SHAU with APTA and Cilaki Studio, exemplifies this approach. It responds directly to site conditions and climate patterns.
The design of the Vice President’s Palace was led by SHAU with a focus on sustainability, integrating site-specific climate and microclimate research.The project of Nusantara faces challenges that extend far beyond city limits. While nearby cities are experiencing economic benefits from the development, questions remain about supply chains and their environmental impact.
The ripple effects of Nusantara’s development are being felt in nearby cities, with Balikpapan seeing rising land prices and increased demand for hotels and housing.Perhaps the most pressing challenge is attracting people to this new city. The strategy includes incentives like reduced taxes, but creating a vibrant urban community requires more than economic benefits.
The immediate focus is establishing government functions and tourism, with business activities expected to follow. The long-term goal is a full-scale city where government, business, and tourism coexist.
The Kemenko Buildings were designed by URBAN+ to emphasise public spaces and ground-floor activities, with elevated walkways connecting building clusters.Critics worry that building Nusantara might divert resources from addressing Jakarta’s urgent problems, including its sinking ground and severe congestion. However, the plan to relocate Indonesia’s capital stretches back to colonial times.
Jakarta will remain Indonesia’s economic centre, with only government functions moving to Nusantara. In fact, the relocation might offer Jakarta new opportunities to reinvent itself as a global city, Ridwan suggests.
Jakarta will retain its role as Indonesia’s business capital, while government operations move to new buildings in Nusantara, such as the Vice President’s Palace.Can Nusantara become both liveable and lovable? The former might be achievable through careful planning and design. The latter requires time, allowing culture and community to evolve organically.
As construction continues and the first residents prepare to move in, the world watches to see if this ambitious experiment in city-building can deliver on its promises.
This episode is brought to you by:
| The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction The Holcim Foundation helps drive systemic change towards a more sustainable built environment. It was founded in 2003 to define and promote the key principles of sustainability for the construction sector and is committed to accelerating the sector’s transformation so that people and the planet can thrive. The Foundation has investigated various aspects of sustainable construction via a series of roundtables and conferences with international experts. It has also recognised excellent contributions to this field with the Holcim Foundation Awards which are considered the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design. Committed to a holistic approach that recognises the equal importance and interdependence of four key goals, the Foundation combines the collective knowledge, ideas, and solutions of our global community of experts with a recognised platform of international competitions to democratise thought leadership for the entire sector. |  |
This episode is brought to you by:
The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction
The Holcim Foundation helps drive systemic change towards a more sustainable built environment. It was founded in 2003 to define and promote the key principles of sustainability for the construction sector and is committed to accelerating the sector’s transformation so that people and the planet can thrive.
The Foundation has investigated various aspects of sustainable construction via a series of roundtables and conferences with international experts. It has also recognised excellent contributions to this field with the Holcim Foundation Awards which are considered the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design.
Committed to a holistic approach that recognises the equal importance and interdependence of four key goals, the Foundation combines the collective knowledge, ideas, and solutions of our global community of experts with a recognised platform of international competitions to democratise thought leadership for the entire sector.
Ridwan Kamil is a self-described “multi-dimensional person” who brings a unique blend of expertise to his role as Development Curator of Nusantara (IKN), Indonesia’s new capital city. Born in 1971 to academic parents in Bandung, he founded the award-winning design practice Urbane Indonesia before entering politics. His career spans roles as Mayor of Bandung and Governor of West Java, while maintaining parallel interests in business. He received an honorary degree from Glasgow University in 2024 (Doctor of the University).
Beyond his architectural and political achievements, Kamil has emerged as one of Indonesia’s most influential public figures, with nearly 30 million social media followers across platforms. He’s also made cameo appearances in 17 Indonesian films, strictly following three rules: filming only in Bandung or West Java, keeping appearances brief, and taking no payment – using these appearances to promote his region.
E | rk@urbane.co.idt
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| 00:02:38 | “…specific acts of rewilding. It will…” “What is rewilding?” | Rewilding Europe |
| 00:28:36 | “…coming from CSR money…” “What Is CSR? Corporate Social Responsibility Explained” | Investopedia |
| 00:00:44 | “…Ridwan Kamil, one of the best-known…” “Mochamad Ridwan Kamil” | Bloomberg |
| 00:03:10 | “…the architects, SHAU, previously on …” “SHAU” | SHAU |
| 00:03:15 | “…you know… Florian… and also…” “Florian Heinzelamann (Dr)” | National University of Singapore |
| 00:03:16 | “…and also Daliana, for example…” “Daliana Suryawinata” | Holcim Foundation |
| 00:21:03 | “…President Jokowi lobbied many domestic…” “Joko Widodo” | Britannica |
| 00:27:29 | “…Ibu Risma of Surabaya, now…” “Ibu Tri Rismaharini” | Australia Indonesia Centre |
| 00:27:35 | “…was another mayor in Makassar…” “Visit from the Mayor of Makassar” | Monash University |
| 00:00:40 | “…Nusantara, the new capital of Indonesia…” “Nusantara” (East Kalimantan, Indonesia) | Britannica |
| 00:00:41 | “…new capital of Indonesia, is well underway…” “Indonesia” | Britannica |
| 00:01:50 | “…the next Governor of Jakarta…” “Jakarta” (West Java, Indonesia) | Britannica |
| 00:02:10 | “…under construction since 2022 in East Kalimantan…” “East Kalimantan” (Indonesia) | Britannica |
| 00:02:19 | “…purpose-built capitals like Brasilia…” “Brasília” (Brazil) | Britannica |
| 00:02:20 | “…capitals like Brasilia or Canberra…” “Canberra” (Australian Capital Territory, Australia) | Britannica |
| 00:03:04 | “…the design of the Vice President’s Palace by SHAU Architects…” “Vice President’s Palace Officially Under Construction in Nusantara” (Nusantara, East Kalimantan, Indonesia) | Nusantara |
| 00:03:09 | “…based in Singapore — you know.…” “Singapore” | Britannica |
| 00:08:17 | “…Balikpapan is so busy right now…” “Balikpapan” (East Kalimantan, Indonesia) | Britannica |
| 00:08:35 | “…Samarinda, another city — we call it…” “Samarinda” (East Kalimantan, Indonesia) | Britannica |
| 00:08:56 | “…the nearby island like Sulawesi where…” “Sulawesi” (Indonesia) | Wikipedia |
| 00:09:05 | “…you cannot ship everything from Java Island…” “Java” (Indonesia) | Britannica |
There are no design features discussed in this episode.
| 00:02:43 | “…the use of electric vehicles…” “How Do All-Electric Cars Work?” | US Department of Energy |
| 00:10:06 | “…use the economy of carbon trading…” “Carbon Trade: Definition, Purpose, and How Carbon Trading Works” | Investopedia |
Host
Nirmal Kishnani
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Maxime Flores
Editor-at-large
Narelle Yabuka
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Sana Gupta
Senior editor
Tyler Yeo
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Alexander Melck | Phlogiston
Sound technician and editor
Kelvin Brown | Phlogiston
Video editors
Guellor Muguruka | Phlogiston
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