As Indonesia moves towards its Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, a city\u2019s\nprogress should not be measured solely by economic productivity and\nimposing modern infrastructure. True progress is also reflected in\ncommunities that continue to care for their history, preserve traditions\nand nurture their cultural life.<\/p>\n
Surabaya (ANTARA) - A city may have wide roads, towering buildings,\nmodern shopping centres and an improving transport network. But physical\ndevelopment alone does not necessarily give it a strong character.<\/p>\n
Some things cannot be built with cement and steel: an identity shaped\nby history, customs, language, the arts and the way people live\nalongside one another.<\/p>\n
That identity makes one city different from another. It can be seen\nin historic architecture, local food, traditions passed down through\ngenerations and the habit of residents helping one another.<\/p>\n
When these elements are pushed aside by uniform development, a city\nmay look increasingly modern but gradually lose the stories that make it\ndistinctive.<\/p>\n
These issues came to the fore at the Forum Rembuk Kebudayaan Kota\nKita, organised by the Association of Indonesian Municipalities (APEKSI)\nin Singkawang, West Kalimantan, on 16 October 2026.<\/p>\n
APEKSI\u2019s chair and Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi urged municipal\ngovernments to build modern cities while remaining rooted in their\ncultural heritage. His message deserves to be understood as more than a\ncall to preserve the arts or protect historic buildings.<\/p>\n
Amid competition among cities to attract investment, tourists and\nskilled workers, culture can be a defining asset that shapes both a\ncity\u2019s appeal and the quality of urban life.<\/p>\n
The challenge is that modern development is often easier to assess\nthrough physical indicators. Road length, the number of buildings,\ninvestment values and economic growth can be measured relatively\ndirectly.<\/p>\n
By contrast, success in preserving regional languages, maintaining\nspaces for people to meet, passing on traditional knowledge or\nstrengthening tolerance does not always receive comparable recognition\nin assessments of development.<\/p>\n
Yet a good city is more than a place where people work and move about\nefficiently. It is also a space where communities build relationships,\npreserve collective memory and pass values on to the next\ngeneration.<\/p>\n
Modernisation, therefore, should not be set against tradition.\nInfrastructure remains necessary to raise productivity and wellbeing,\nbut development must also address a more fundamental question: what kind\nof city do we want to leave to our children and grandchildren?<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/reaching-for-greatness-without-losing-our-roots-1792205436", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }