Spatial Imaginaries of 'City' and 'Non-City' in the Jakarta City- Region

This research aims to respond to the call for interrogating the
'urban questions' from the Global South perspective. It contributes
to the debate by exploring how the particularity of history,
culture, and geography in the Global South context may produce
distinctive imaginaries of 'city' and 'non-city' that might differ
from the Global North's. By drawing upon the concept of
'spatial imaginaries' and choosing Jakarta City-region (JCR),
Indonesia as an investigation site, the study aims to address
the following questions: What are the imaginaries of 'city' and
'non-city' in the JCR, and how have they come about? Who are
the key actors in these imaginaries' production and circulation,
and which interests they serve? What are the practices through
which the imaginaries of the 'city' and 'non-city' are produced,
circulated, and challenged? What are the performative effects
of these imaginaries, and how do they shape the planning and
governance of JCR? The JCR is chosen for its significance in
Indonesia, its variety of landscape allowing exploration of diverse
spatial imaginaries of 'city' and 'non-city' while avoiding
'methodological cityism,' and the significance of newly issued
Presidential Decree concerning the new spatial plan of the cityregion.
The study will employ a qualitative research strategy
that involves analyzing policy documents and the findings from
focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. It will
utilize critical discourse analysis to address the research question.