Urbanisation in Indonesia has accelerated since the country became independent. Currently, more than half of Indonesia's population live in cities. Consequently, urban planning, the discipline managing urban growth and responding to the service and infrastructure needs of the population so that they may have good quality lives, has a significant role to play in Indonesia. In this chapter, I discuss historic and current conditions of urban planning in Indonesia, and how ‘Indonesian Planning’ has contributed to the conceptual and empirical development of what is often called ‘Southern Planning’ (Watson 2016)—the theory and practice of urban planning as it has developed in the Global South.

I argue that three structural conditions have significantly affected the growth of Indonesian cities, namely, poverty, informality and the growth of the middle class. In addition, as I discuss later, the role of the private sector, whose actions have been targeted towards the demands of uppermiddle and middle groups, has shaped the character of the Indonesian planning system. Lately, a second group of challenges linked to the provision of infrastructure and environmental impacts has become critical in urban areas. These are a consequence of urbanisation and economic development, and include provision of housing, managing vulnerability to disasters and providing adequate solid waste disposal. They are not the only challenges faced in cities, but overcoming them is important for moving towards resilient, safe, inclusive and sustainable cities (as expressed in Sustainable Development Goal 11, adopted by the United Nations in 2015). I show that, despite all the problems, actors within the Indonesian planning system, especially particular communities as critical stakeholders within that system, have opportunities to address these challenges. In this chapter, I discuss these challenges and how the Indonesian planning system helps illustrate the conditions of Southern Planning.

The chapter is organised into seven sections. The next two sections look at the meaning of Southern Planning, and provide an in-depth discussion of the Indonesian planning system. In the fourth section, I elaborate on structural challenges experienced in Indonesian cities, focusing on poverty, informality and the growth of the middle class. The fifth section examines the most recent challenges in cities linked to infrastructure provision and environmental impacts. A sixth section looks at the opportunities that the current planning system can use to improve Indonesian cities. Finally, the conclusion reflects on the contribution of Indonesian planning to a broader analysis of Southern Planning.