Bali's Proposed High-Rise Buildings Spark Criticism

The Meru Sanur Hotel (formerly Bali Beach Hotel), a 10-storey building standing at 32 metres, is currently Bali’s tallest. Completed during President Sukarno’s era before height restrictions of 15 metres—or the height of a coconut tree—were implemented. The Bali Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) is now proposing to relax the rules with specific zoning, allowing up to 45 metres. However, the proposal has faced significant opposition.

Academic I Putu Gede Suyoga of the Bali Institute of Design and Business warned that relaxing the rules without strong governance risks spatial chaos. ‘If the 45-metre limit is introduced without proper governance, chaos will ensue,’ Suyoga stated at a discussion forum titled ‘Bali’s Skyline and Building Height Limits’ organised by the Center for Dharmic Studies (CDS) on Thursday, 28 May 2026.

He added that the debate over high-rises in Bali is not merely a technical spatial planning issue but also concerns cultural identity, spiritual landscapes, and the island’s future amid growing investment and development pressures.

The proposal to allow buildings up to 45 metres resurfaced in April 2026 after the DPRD Bali’s Special Committee on Spatial Planning, Assets, and Licensing (Pansus TRAP) suggested a ‘Value-Based Special Height Zoning’ concept. Under the plan, the general 15-metre height limit would remain, but areas including Nusa Dua, South Kuta, parts of Sanur, Tabanan’s coastline, and Gianyar could allow buildings up to 45 metres.

Pansus TRAP argued the policy was necessary due to rising land pressure, soaring property prices, increased investment demands, and to curb horizontal development, which they say causes spatial planning violations.

PHDI Bali chairman I Nyoman Kenak urged the government not to rush the change, calling the jump from 15 to 45 metres too drastic and a threat to Bali’s cultural and spiritual values.

Suyoga explained that Bali’s current situation differs significantly from 20 to 30 years ago, with southern Bali facing heightened development pressure due to urban sprawl. Productive rice fields continue to be converted into villas, hotels, and commercial areas. Meanwhile, demand for modern urban facilities—such as vertical housing, hospitals, educational centres, integrated parking, and mixed-use zones—has grown.

He noted Bali’s tourism pattern is shifting towards a metropolitan tourist city model. Suyoga acknowledged supporters of the height revision have rational arguments. The 15-metre limit, he said, has driven horizontal expansion, causing villas and hotels to encroach on farmland, worsening traffic and uncontrolled land consumption.

However, he stressed that allowing 45-metre buildings carries significant risks, including the loss of Bali’s visual identity, threats to spiritual sanctity and taksu (spiritual power), pressure on clean water infrastructure, and rising property speculation that could displace locals from economic hubs. He also highlighted ecological threats such as earthquakes, coastal erosion, floods, and water shortages that could worsen without adequate infrastructure for vertical development.

Suyoga noted that tall buildings are not new to Bali. Vertical structures have existed since the 8th to 19th centuries, even during colonial times. In early Balinese architecture, tall buildings symbolised the cosmos, particularly mountains manifested as meru temples. During the Bali Madya era and Majapahit influence, vertical concepts evolved in sacred and symbolic architecture.

Thus, he argued, the core issue is not building height but how Bali’s spaces are managed. ‘Bali’s issue is not insufficient building height, but chaotic spatial planning, uncontrolled development, and traffic,’ he said.

Height regulations have been considered since the 1970s when Bali developed as an international tourist destination. The principle of a maximum 15-metre height—or coconut tree height—remains relevant today due to its ties to Balinese customs, culture, and spiritual landscapes. ‘Bali does not need a total liberalisation to 45 metres across all areas,’ he said.

He said selective regulatory reforms through special zoning in specific metropolitan areas, transit zones, modern business districts, or parts of tourist areas like Nusa Dua and South Kuta—underpinned by thorough ecological studies and strict development controls—are needed. ‘High-rises for whom?’ he asked.

Suyoga also highlighted how indigenous communities are often marginalised when facing formal laws and large-scale investment interests. He stressed indigenous communities must be given space to voice their interests and narratives to avoid being overwhelmed by global investment logic. ‘Bali’s face is our collective responsibility,’ he said.

He urged lawmakers to thoroughly examine the issue before deciding on height regulation revisions. When asked how to ensure development does not lead to ecological ruin, Suyoga stressed the need for objective and independent environmental impact assessments (EIA). ‘The EIA must be clear. The assessment team must be competent, impartial, and objective in evaluating potential phenomena,’ he insisted.