Is Indonesia Serious About Initiating Spatial Planning Reforms?
The Ministry of Agraria and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency is currently working at high speed to complete spatial plans throughout Indonesia. Following orders from President Prabowo, Indonesian ministries have suddenly recognised the vital importance of spatial planning. After landslides, floods, and disasters that have claimed lives, Indonesia is expected to begin a serious struggle to understand the true essence of spatial planning.
Although the objective is clear, both central and regional governments still appear hesitant in determining how to accelerate the President’s directives, which are certainly not easy or simple. For a long time, the state has been dividing land and space like a jet aircraft without a gyroscope. The absence of sensors used to measure and maintain orientation and angular velocity makes the state flounder, leaving our living spaces looking fragmented.
Approximately 400 Detailed Spatial Plans (RDTR) have been tendered for completion in the 2026 fiscal year, alongside the review and revision of around 100 City/Regency-level Spatial Plans (RT/RW) across Indonesia. This is a technocratic task that is not easy and requires strong commitment. With over 1,500 certified and licensed planners and more than 40 Urban and Regional Planning (PWK) study programmes in universities from Sabang to Merauke, the ecosystem is actually ready to act as a partner to the government.
The Directorate General of Spatial Planning within the Ministry of ATR/BPN must be willing and able to work closely with professional urban planning associations, such as the Indonesian Association of Planners (IAP), where certified experts can be deployed to address field challenges. The opportunity to expedite 400 RDTRs within a single fiscal year should be used as momentum to improve professional quality at both central and regional levels. Spatial planning has failed to act as the primary authority because of confusion caused by the government treating planning documents as nothing more than licensing tools. From a scientific perspective, the opposite is true: planning documents are essentially the strategy and vision for regulating space and the resources within it. All permits must adhere to the spatial planning documents.