This is Jakarta. The capital of Indonesia and home to over
10 million people. It’s over-crowded, polluted and it’s literally
sinking into the ocean. And This is Nusantara. The future capital city, opening later this
year with construction being in full swing. Nusantara isn’t ready yet but it promises
to be a “smart forest city”. With a price tag of an estimated $33 billion,
it’s supposed to be a high-tech metropolis, powered by renewables and perfectly blending
in with the surrounding environmen
t. In today’s video, we’re going to look
at how South East Asia’s biggest country is planning to carve a brand new megacity
out of the jungle and why this is not only beneficial but also problematic. Quick Overview Just a quick reminder, in 7 days we will change
our YouTube name to MegaBuilds! Indonesia’s newest city doesn’t look like
much yet, but it’s going to be a game-changer. On a site 4 times bigger than Jakarta and
40 times bigger than Manhattan, construction is underway on the first of f
ive phases, all
of which are due to be completed by 2045. It might seem enormous, especially since it’s
only being built for less than two million people, but that’s because 65% of the city
is going to be green space, with forests, gardens and parks. Another 10% of the city will be taken up by
farming, meaning that only one quarter of Nusantara will be covered in buildings. This is all part of Indonesia’s target to
be carbon-neutral by 2060, and Nusantara is part of that. It will be powered enti
rely by renewables
and 80% of journeys within the city will be by public transport, walking or cycling. Thanks to a smart public transport system,
you’re supposed to reach everything you need, like shops, restaurants and so on, within
10 minutes, no matter where you live. And the urban rainforests that weave through
the city will make Nusantara feel more like something out of Avatar than real life. If the plans are anything to go by, living
here doesn't look too bad. How the idea was born
At fir
st glance, Nusantara looks like a paradise, perhaps even too good to be true. So, to understand it properly, let’s zoom
out for a second and look at why exactly it is being built. Indonesia is an island nation, otherwise known
as an archipelago. In fact, it’s actually the biggest archipelago
in the world, with over 17,000 islands! Since the 1600s, the capital city has been
here, on the North coast of the island of Java. But Jakarta was never built to house the 10
million people that live there t
oday. Thirteen separate rivers run through Jakarta
and flooding is now a massive problem. This is made even worse by poor water management. A large percentage of the population relies
on groundwater which also comes from wells. These wells draw water from far below the
city, weakening the earth and causing the ground to move. As a result, Jakarta is sinking into the ocean. The speed varies, but some neighborhoods sink
as much as 11 inches a year, making it the fastest sinking city in the world.
In fact, 40% of Jakarta is already below sea-level
and with oceans set to continue rising, Jakarta has a major problem. Given this whole situation, Indonesia decided
to build a new capital city. Over 700 miles away, in the middle of the
jungle. This is the island of Borneo. It’s the third largest island on the planet
and it’s covered by a massive rainforest. The island is split between Malaysia and Brunei
in the North and Indonesia in the South, and over here, in a region called East Kalimantan,
is where Nusantara is being built. But why here? Well, the location is more in the center of
Indonesia. This should allow better connectivity between
the government and the many parts of the country. At the same time, it will also redistribute
resources, and people, away from the island of Java, which currently makes up over 60%
of the national economy. East Kalimantan is also better protected from
natural disasters like floods and earthquakes that affect much of the country. On top of that, th
e rainforest offers an enormous
amount of natural resources, as well as the natural beauty and biodiversity. There’s also just a lot more space, something
severely lacking in Jakarta. It’s been overcrowded and sinking for decades
now, which might make you wonder why this is only happening now. Well, the idea of moving the capital isn’t
actually new. It was first discussed way back in the 1950s
but no-one was prepared to push for it as much as the current President, Joko Widodo. Widodo, who was a
furniture maker before getting
into politics, became the Governor of Jakarta in 2012. But it wasn’t until he was elected President
in 2014 that he could really make progress on his dream of a new Indonesian capital. Finally, in 2019, he announced the plan to
officially relocate. Design & Architecture
So what is the vision for this new capital? 300 different companies submitted designs
for Nusantara but it was an Indonesian architecture and design firm, Urban+, who were eventually
selected to de
sign the majority of the city. Their vision - to create a city that works
with the natural environment rather than against it. A smart urban landscape that captures the
biodiversity of Indonesia, as well as its rich cultural heritage. Nusantara actually means archipelago and a
look around the city clearly shows how the designers have tried to capture the identity
of the island nation. So let's take a look at some design details. Elevated walkways will provide links between
transport hubs, allowi
ng residents to access the fully electric public transport system
and avoid the hilly jungle terrain. These walkways, along with some of buildings
that are on stilts, will allow better airflow and rainwater dispersal throughout the city. It sounds rather elaborate to put buildings
on stilts, but this is nothing new in Indonesia. Many homes are raised above the ground to
protect them from flooding, and the same technique is used here in Nusantara too. And that’s not all. At the heart of the city
is the Presidential
Palace. This unique masterpiece will be in the shape
of Garuda - a mythical bird and the national symbol of Indonesia. There is also a huge statue of it in Bali,
which we have already featured in our video about the world's tallest statues. The Garuda represents knowledge, power and
bravery and its giant glass wingspan will stretch out for 177m as it towers above Nusantara. Along this long straight road through the
middle of the city it will certainly stand out. Then there is
the Vice-Presidential Palace,
which was actually designed as part of an open competition run by the government, with
the winning design coming from a company called SHAU. Despite its more modern appearance, the design
was actually selected thanks to its connection with indigenous Indonesian architecture. It’s based on a classic building, known
as a longhouse, and uses traditional design features that split the building into three
parts. All these renders show that the plan for this
city is to i
ntegrate it into nature and preserve many green spaces. And that is definitely an advantage compared
to existing cities. They can allocate the space entirely from
scratch. For a city of this size it would definitely
be a new approach… if Indonesia is actually able to build it. Construction & Timeline
So how exactly do they plan to realize this massive undertaking? The project has been split into 5 phases and
construction is already underway, though the deadlines are tight. As we will see, certai
n areas, such as the
governmental zone, will take priority and infrastructure will be upgraded as the city
grows in line with the later phases. The first, and perhaps the most ambitious
phase has a timeline of only 2 years and is scheduled to be finished later this year. President Widodo, who leaves office in October,
has made Nusanatara his legacy and plans to officially inaugurate the city with the opening
of the presidential palace on Indonesian Independence Day… August 17th! In the first pha
se the Governmental Zone is
being carved out of the jungle. On top of that all the very basic infrastructure
needs to be put in place before anyone can move in. That means roads, electricity and water supply
as well as a core public transport system. During phase one, the focus is on the so-called
Governmental Zone, made up of government offices, the palaces and buildings for branches of
the army and police. The next phases of construction have a little
more time to come together, with 4 - 5 yea
rs planned for each stage. Phase 2 will see big developments in what’s
called “mixed-use areas”. This means that areas will be developed for
industry and business, as well as educational institutions, food and retail. By the end of this phase, in 2029, the government
plans for 1.2 million people to have relocated to Nusantara. Kind of hard to believe when you look at the
building site that’s standing there today. In only 5 years, 1.2 million people should
live here? Do you think that’s possible?
Phase 3, starting in 2030, will see the development
of a mass transportation system, as well the expansion of waste and water management projects
and a focus on the economic development of local businesses. Regional railway networks will be laid as
part of Phase 4 as well as an extension of education and health services due to the projected
population increase. The final phase of construction, due for completion
in time for the 100th anniversary of Indonesian Independence in 2045, will involve
more industrial
development and a focus on stable population growth, with a planned 1.9 million residents. That's if everything goes to plan though. With only a few months to go until the official
opening, it is already being talked about that meeting the deadlines will be tough. Construction has been slower than planned
due to severe tropical weather and supply chain issues. Gathering all the necessary resources to build
a city from scratch isn’t easy, especially in this jungle location. Proble
ms
And this is where multiple issues arise. If you enjoyed this video so far, subscribe
to our channel. This would help us a lot! So let’s take a look at 4 major points of
criticism & problems. Firstly, there have been a lot of illegal
mining operations in this area. East Kalimantan has enormous reserves of natural
resources including coal, oil, nickel and gold. According to surveys from the Environment
and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, there are around 2,400 abandoned mines on
the site
of Nusantara alone. In order to continue construction, these pits
need to be refilled, and although this should be done by the mining companies, the government
is now largely paying for it. Secondly, funding also appears to be a big
challenge. 20% of the $33 billion budget is coming from
the Indonesian state but the remaining 80% is supposed to be financed through domestic
and foreign investments and this is proving difficult. A big Japanese investor pulled out in 2022
as they could no longer ag
ree on investment conditions. And despite Indonesia offering tax breaks
and land rights to potential investors, it seems like no major investment has been signed. As of December 2023, the government said they
had received letters of intent from 323, mostly Asian, investors. Also Australia has formally signed on, with
a relatively small investment and the offer of “expert technicians” to help with development
(1). Thirdly, critics within the Indonesian population
say that the plans have been rush
ed through parliament without proper oversight, and that
President Widodo rushes to open the city before he leaves office. The Indigenous Peoples' Alliance of Nusantara,
also called AMAN, advocates for the rights of indigenous peoples. In a report they said that 21 indigenous communities
live on the site of Nusantara and they estimated that at least 20,000 indigenous people would
have to be displaced. So, solutions still need to be found to further
integrate the locals into the project. Of cours
e, the developers are in talks, but
this topic needs more attention. Many think that the government has been pushing
ahead without properly considering, consulting or informing local residents. And lastly, some call into question the green
credentials of Nusantara. Whilst it is planned to operate with clean
energy, only 19% of Indonesian power is currently generated by renewables. That means that the enormous coal mines in
Borneo will be used to power the construction of this green utopia, and t
he resulting impact
on the local environment may well be extreme. To conclude this, we can say that the road
ahead isn’t clear yet. In regard to the problems in Jakarta, it is
obvious that something needs to be done. However, it remains to be seen whether this
new plan is the best option. That’s why we want to hear your opinions
on it. What do you think? Is Nusantara a good solution for their current
situation? And will their plans work out? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks a lot for wa
tching and supporting us
and we’ll see you in the next one.
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