SMART CITY GOVERNANCE IN THE NEW INDONESIAN CAPITAL (IKN) OF NUSANTARA: A FRAMEWORK FOR INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
Article Sidebar
-
Citizen Participation, IKN Nusantara, Smart City Governance, Technological Integration, Urban Governance
Abstract
The establishment of Nusantara (IKN) as Indonesia’s new capital represents a monumental endeavor in urban development, explicitly aiming to be a “smart city.” However, the global challenge for smart cities lies not merely in deploying technology, but in creating governance structures that effectively integrate these digital systems with inclusive, genuine citizen participation. This research addresses the critical gap in how IKN’s smart city ambitions will be governed, focusing on the essential synergy between technological infrastructure and participatory democracy. This study aims to develop and propose a comprehensive governance framework specifically tailored for IKN Nusantara. The objective is to conceptualize a model that operationalizes the integration of advanced technologies (e.g., IoT, AI, big data) with robust mechanisms for citizen engagement in policy-making and urban management. A qualitative, constructive research design was employed. The framework was developed through a rigorous analysis of existing global smart city governance models, a systematic review of IKN’s foundational policy documents, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, including urban planners, technology experts, and civil society representatives. The primary outcome is the “IKN Integrated Governance Framework” (IGF). This framework identifies four critical pillars: (1) A unified data and technology platform, (2) Multi-channel citizen participation portals (digital and physical), (3) Data-driven, transparent decision-making processes, and (4) Adaptive regulatory oversight. The findings emphasize that a technology-first approach without embedded participation mechanisms risks creating an exclusionary, top-down city. The proposed framework provides an essential blueprint for IKN to avoid the pitfalls of “techno-solutionism.” By structurally embedding citizen participation within the technological architecture, Nusantara can pioneer a smart city governance model that is not only efficient and intelligent but also human-centric, resilient, and democratically accountable.
Full text article
References
Ardhiati, Y., & Hasan, A. (2025). Energy-Saving of the Garuda Palace Building: Shaping the New Capital City of Nusantara. Future Cities and Environment, 11. https://doi.org/10.70917/fce-2025-039
Centre for Southeast Asian Social Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, Rachmawati, R., Department of Development Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, Urban Development Research Group, Department of Development Geography, Faculty of Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, Kumorotomo, W., Centre for Southeast Asian Social Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, Department of Public Policy and Management, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, Rohmah, A. ‘Ainur, Centre for Southeast Asian Social Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, Graduate Program on Regional Development, Faculty of Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, Haris, N. A., Centre for Southeast Asian Social Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, Susilowati, A. P. E., Centre for Southeast Asian Social Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, & Graduate Program on Regional Development, Faculty of Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia. (2025). The new capital city of Indonesia – social polarisation or social cohesion in Nusantara? Human Geographies – Journal of Studies and Research in Human Geography, 19(2/2025), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.5719/hgeo.2025.192.1
Frigo, G., Zurbrügg, C., Juwana, I., & Binder, C. R. (2025). Where does plastic waste go? Local dynamics of waste flows in Indonesian neighbourhoods. Environmental Challenges, 19, 101135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2025.101135
Jati, W. R. (2025). From potential nature to social disasters: The challenges of the new Indonesian capital city project. Development in Practice, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/09614524.2025.2602612
Jumardi, A., Yusgiantoro, P., & Siagian, U. (2025). DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY SYSTEM MODELING IN EAST KALIMANTAN’S HOUSEHOLD SECTOR WITH BOTTOM-UP APPROACH FOR ENERGY DEMAND FORECAST IN 2060. Scientific Contributions Oil and Gas, 48(1), 159–177. https://doi.org/10.29017/scog.v48i1.1732
Kusumasari, B., & Yahya, B. N. (2025). Algorithmic governance and AI: Balancing innovation and oversight in Indonesian policy analyst. AI & SOCIETY, 40(4), 2479–2491. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-024-02002-1
Montesano, A., & Seinfeld, S. (2025). Virtual Reality in Psychotherapy: A Three?Dimensional Framework to Navigate Immersive Clinical Applications. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 81(9), 783–789. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.70004
Rustam, Matius, P., Boer, C., Sardjono, M. A., Syoim, M., Ariyanto, Prasetya, A., Fredriksson, G., Nuryani, A., Nainggolan, K., & Landon, N. (2025). The Mammals of Indonesia’s New Capital: Baseline Mammalian Data for Forest City Management and Wildlife Monitoring. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1447(1), 012013. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1447/1/012013
Safitri, M. A., & Adiwijaya, A. J. S. (2025). Realizing ecological justice in Urban Development Laws: Indonesian experiences and challenges to protect biodiversity in its new capital city. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1447(1), 012021. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1447/1/012021
Sitepu, B. S., Chasani, A. R., Mukhlisi, M., Atmoko, T., Adman, B., & Prihatini, I. (2025). Camptostemon philippinensis, a new record of endangered mangrove species in the Balikpapan Bay, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. F1000Research, 12, 1394. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.140887.3
Soetanto, T. V., & Agustia, D. (2025). Financial statement comparability and cash holding: Moderated by ESG performance in Indonesia. Asian Review of Accounting, 33(3), 441–463. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARA-12-2023-0354
Suganda, D., Yuliawati, S., Rachmat, A., & Suparman, T. (2025). Exploring the negative criticism of readers’ comments on online news on the construction of a new capital city of Indonesia (IKN). Cogent Arts & Humanities, 12(1), 2450888. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2025.2450888
Suhardjo, I., & Suparman, M. (2025). Harmonizing sustainability certification standards: The Indonesian palm oil case. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 28(1), 19–34. https://doi.org/10.22434/ifamr.1218
Suroso, Gandhi, R. M., & Santoso, P. B. (2025). Non-stationary TRMM Satellite Analysis of Extreme Rainfall for Infrastructure Design in the Nusantara Capital City (IKN). In K.-C. Tsai, M. Shahin, S. A. Kristiawan, A. R. M. Sam, & P. D. Hai (Eds.), Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Rehabilitation and Maintenance in Civil Engineering—Volume 1 (Vol. 625, pp. 451–460). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-2143-9_48
Widhiyani, N. L. S., Setiawan, P. E., Krisnadewi, K. A., Ardiana, P. A., Widiani, N. M. S., Pratama, E. A., & Yanthi, K. D. L. (2025). Navigating timeliness: Decoupling in corporate external reporting by Indonesian state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Public Money & Management, 45(7), 819–827. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2025.2462784
Authors
Copyright (c) 2025 Alson Kessai, Leni Tiebak , Melvin Kime
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
