President Jokowi Urges Municipal Governments to Prepare for Urban Growth

President Jokowi on Friday (12/15) opens the Extraordinary National Conference (Munaslub) of the Association of Indonesian Municipal Governments (Apeksi) in Puri Begawan, Bogor city, West Java province, Friday (12/15). Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has urged members of the Association of Indonesian Municipal Governments (Apeksi) to develop grand design to address population growth in urban areas.

“Urban design, grand plan and grand strategy must be prepared now. All cities must prepare their grand plan,” the President said at the opening of the Extraordinary National Conference (Munaslub) of the Apeksi in Puri Begawan, Bogor city, West Java province, Friday (12/15).

For the record, the share of urban population from the total population of Indonesia is estimated to reach 70 percent in 2045-2050, a significant increase from 49.7 percent in 2010 and 56.7 percent in 2020.

On that occasion, the President said that the grand design should accommodate the advantage of every city.

The President also underscored the importance of detail in urban architectural design so that it can highlight the differentiation and the advantage of the cities. The President mentioned several cities in the world which he considered successful in their development, including Sunnylands in California, the United States and the city of Cologne in Germany.

The President further said that consistency is important in city development planning so that the new and existing programs can continue to be implemented comprehensively. (TGH/UN) (RI/LW)