{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 2058972,
        "msgid": "why-doesnt-yogyakarta-have-tall-buildings-heres-why-1793170223",
        "date": "2026-10-28 13:19:53",
        "title": "Why Doesn\u2019t Yogyakarta Have Tall Buildings? Here\u2019s Why",
        "author": "",
        "source": "DETIK_JOGJA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Infrastructure",
        "summary": "Yogyakarta\u2019s building-height limits vary by area and are designed to protect the city\u2019s historic districts and the UNESCO-listed Philosophical Axis, while also taking account of geography and disaster risks. Local regulations set height caps ranging from 12 to 32 metres in different zones, with some exceptions requiring official recommendations.",
        "content": "<p>If you have ever noticed, the Student City does not appear to have\nskyscrapers reaching hundreds of metres into the sky. In other major\ncities, such as Jakarta, tall buildings are much more common.<\/p>\n<p>According to Indonesia Baik, Indonesia\u2019s tallest building is\nAutograph Tower, in the Thamrin Nine complex in Central Jakarta. It\nrises 382.9 metres. Luminary Tower, on Jalan MH Thamrin in Jakarta, is\nalso listed at 301.2 metres.<\/p>\n<p>So why does Yogyakarta have no tall buildings? Worldometer ranked\nJogja as Indonesia\u2019s sixth most densely populated city last year. Surely\ntall structures could provide more space?<\/p>\n<p>There are several reasons for the absence of tall buildings in Jogja.\nOne is the city\u2019s building-height regulations, which vary from zone to\nzone. Details are set out in Yogyakarta Mayor Regulation No.\u00a0118 of 2021\non the Yogyakarta City Detailed Spatial Plan for 2021\u20132041.<\/p>\n<p>For example, buildings in Kotabaru may be no more than 20 metres\nhigh, measured from ground level to the top of the roof.<\/p>\n<p>In Kotagede, buildings must not exceed the height of the Kotagede\nMosque. In the Kraton area, buildings must be lower than Siti\nHinggil.<\/p>\n<p>In the area around Puro Pakualaman, the height limit is based on the\nheight of Sewatama Hall, with a maximum of 13 metres.<\/p>\n<p>Some areas, such as the buffer zone around the Kotabaru Cultural\nHeritage Area, allow buildings up to 32 metres high. These limits can be\nexceeded, however, if recommendations are obtained from the mayor and\nthe commander of Adisutjipto Air Base.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAny increase and\/or exceedance of Building Height, floor area and\/or\nFloor Area Coefficient as referred to in paragraph (1) must obtain\nrecommendations from the Mayor of Yogyakarta and the Commander of\nAdisutjipto Air Base,\u201d states paragraph (5) of Article 48 of the\nregulation.<\/p>\n<p>One reason for regulating building heights is to protect Yogyakarta\u2019s\nPhilosophical Axis.<\/p>\n<p>According to the official website of the Sonobudoyo Museum, the\nPhilosophical Axis is a spatial-planning concept linking Mount Merapi,\nthe Yogyakarta Palace and the South Sea. In the city\u2019s layout, the axis\nis represented by a line connecting Tugu Pal Putih, the Yogyakarta\nPalace and Panggung Krapyak.<\/p>\n<p>The Philosophical Axis was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site on\n18 September 2023. It must be preserved in various ways, including\nthrough building-height regulations.<\/p>\n<p>Specific height restrictions intended to manage the Philosophical\nAxis are set out in Yogyakarta Mayor Regulation No.\u00a025 of 2025. The\nregulation details limits inside the Kraton walls, in the core zone and\nin buffer zones.<\/p>\n<p>Under paragraph (2) of Article 8, the limits are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><p>Inside the Kraton walls and the jagang (moat): a maximum of 12\nmetres.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p>Core zone: a maximum of 18 metres.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p>Buffer zone: a maximum of 24 metres.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p>Development zone: a maximum of 28 metres.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p>Development zone bordering a buffer zone: determined by\nADWB\/HIA.<\/p><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These restrictions are intended to allow development in Yogyakarta\nwhile preserving its cultural heritage, ensuring that the visual\ncharacter and universal value of the Philosophical Axis endure as the\ncity grows.<\/p>\n<p>Cultural preservation is not the only consideration. Yogyakarta\u2019s\ngeographical conditions and disaster risks also influence the absence of\ntall buildings. The DIY Regional Secretariat Legal Bureau\u2019s JDIH account\nsaid on Instagram, <span class=\"citation\" data-cites=\"birohukumdiy\">@birohukumdiy<\/span>:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBuilding heights are regulated to ensure that historical heritage\nremains visible and respected, to take geographical conditions and\ndisaster risks into account, to keep Jogja\u2019s skyline open and liveable,\nand to align with the applicable spatial-planning rules,\u201d it said, as\nquoted on Wednesday (28 October 2026).<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/why-doesnt-yogyakarta-have-tall-buildings-heres-why-1793170223",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}