Jakarta as a Global City

Law No. 2 of 2024 on the Special Region of Jakarta (DKJ) Province was enacted on 25 April 2024. However, currently Jakarta is still the capital city of the country. Jakarta's status will only change when the Presidential Decree on the relocation of IKN to the archipelago has been issued. At that time, Jakarta will switch its role from the capital city to a global city. Of course, Jakarta's role as a global city is still important.

So, what is a global city? And what are the challenges in Jakarta's journey towards a global city? Here's the discussion.

What is a global city?

According to Saskia Sassen, a professor of sociology at Columbia University (New York City, USA), global cities are urban centres that function as key nodes in the global economic system. Sassen's concept emphasises the role of these cities in the global economy, particularly in terms of finance, trade and information.

The Jakarta Provincial Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) also established six indicators of a global city, as follows:

• a well-established and globally connected economy,
• good and continuous research and information capacity
• a comfortable space to live in,
• cultural value that attracts tourists to visit,
• a clean, comfortable and sustainable environment, and
• intra- and inter-city accessibility.

Then, what is the vision of Jakarta's development as a global city?

According to the definition of a global city, the Special Capital Region of Jakarta as the centre of the national economy and a global city, functions as a trade centre, centre of service activities and financial services, as well as national and global business activities. According to the Global City Index 2023, Jakarta as a global city is currently ranked 74th out of 156 cities in the world.

What are Jakarta's challenges in becoming a global city?

Jakarta has the potential to become a global city. However, there are a number of challenges that must be faced. These include digitalisation, low-carbon development, climate change, congestion, air pollution, flooding, land subsidence, waste, water access, population density and mobility, human resources, and slums.

Of the challenges above, congestion is one of the main problems facing Jakarta. Therefore, one of the focuses of Jakarta's preparation towards a global city is to unravel congestion.

How is congestion handled towards Jakarta as a global city?

Towards Jakarta as a global city, the DKI Jakarta Regional Government is working hard in implementing various efforts to optimally unravel Jakarta's congestion, namely through:

• provision and improvement of MRT and LRT services,
• improvement of BRT services, including the revitalisation of 57 bus stops by 2023 and the operation of electric buses,
• integration of transport services and payments,
• stage 4 station arrangement at Cikini, Klender, Grogol, Pasar Minggu, and Kalibata Stations, as well as
• implementation of various forms of efforts by the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency, including: subsidising Transjakarta, MRT, and LRT, building bicycle lanes, developing and improving intelligent traffic systems, and evaluating transport routes in the Jakarta area.

Well, citizens of the capital city, are you ready to become a global city citizen? Hopefully Jakarta as a global city can become a more liveable and sustainable city for its citizens! Here is to Jakarta's bright future as a global city!