Events

CHAIRPERSON

Prof Mike Douglass, Asia Research Institute and Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore.

ABSTRACT

The past decade has seen a burgeoning of critical trans-disciplinary research on urban policy mobilities. The trans-Atlantic dissemination of progressive policies and practices of urban planning, management and finance among local governments flourished especially during the first half of the twentieth century, creating direct linkages and communities of practice across the ocean. Trans-Atlantic exchanges continue to be emphasized in the contemporary literature on the subject of the mobility of urban policies – though their progressive credentials have waned somewhat. However, recent literature has also moved to provide something of a corrective when identifying the significant inter-referencing that now exists elsewhere in the world and notably among Asian cities. In this paper we examine the development of urban policy and practice and indications of their travels among Indonesian cities and districts in the era of decentralization since 2001. While Indonesia represents a vast and diverse laboratory in and of itself, there is also some evidence of policy and practice exchange extending to cities elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. We close by speculating on whether the patterns and processes of dissemination into which Indonesian cities and districts are woven are suggestive of the emergence of a distinctly progressive twenty-first century Asia-Pacific era comparable to that of the Atlantic in the 20th century.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Nicholas Phelps is Professor of Urban and Regional Development at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London. He trained as a geographer and had previously taught in Geography and Planning Schools at Cardiff, Leeds and Southampton. He received his PhD in Geography from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and BA (Hons) in Geography from the University College London. His background is as an economic geographer with broad interests in the economic development implications and geographical organisation of multinational companies. He has pursued some of these research interests in the Asia region – examining Singapore’s overseas industrial parks and issues surrounding the attraction of overseas investment in Southeast Asia. For the past ten years he has been researching the planning and politics of suburban and edge urban development internationally, though with less of a focus on Asia.

REGISTRATION

Admission is free. We would greatly appreciate if you RSVP Mr Jonathan Lee via email: jonathan.lee@nus.edu.sg