This pilot study assesses the impact of Indonesia’s decentralization project on four Indonesian cities: Jakarta, Banda Aceh, Padang and Sidoarjo. The project explores the relationship between decentralization and urban transformation within these cities as units of analysis in their own right, as well as the networks and linkages forged between cities as a result of the devolution of state power and resources. The selected cities share a recent history of particular localized challenges that have forced local governments to try to reinvent themselves as new centers of innovation and creativity while establishing networks with other cities in Indonesia and beyond. The comparative potential of the lessons learned from these sites will be established to determine their value in approaching other urban environments experiencing the processes and structures of decentralization within and beyond Asia.

PI & Co-PI(s): Michelle Miller & Tim Bunnell