Understanding Urban Sprawl and Sustainable Urban Development in Indonesia
Keywords:
Urban Sprawl, Sustainable Urban Development, Spatial Planning, Urbanization, IndonesiaAbstract
Along with increasing urbanization, many cities in Indonesia are experiencing rapid and
uncontrolled expansion into the suburbs. This phenomenon, a form of urban sprawl, is particularly
prevalent in metropolitan and surrounding peri-urban areas. The impacts of this phenomenon are
quite diverse, ranging from the conversion of agricultural land and environmental degradation to
disparities in access to public services and the increasing cost of infrastructure provision. This
study was conducted to understand how urban sprawl develops in Indonesia, identify its causal
factors, examine its impacts, and explore strategies to support sustainable urban development.
This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach. Analysis was conducted through a review
of literature, policy documents, and various reports from national and international institutions
relevant to the research topic. The results show that the phenomenon of urban sprawl in Indonesia
is influenced by various interrelated conditions, such as the growth of property investment,
suboptimal spatial planning control, institutional fragmentation, infrastructure inequality, and the
increasing preference of people to settle in suburban areas. Uncontrolled urban expansion also
affects environmental and social conditions. The impacts are evident in the reduction of green
open spaces, declining environmental quality, increasing socioeconomic disparities, and reduced
efficiency of urban development. Uncontrolled urban expansion also affects environmental and
social conditions. The impacts are evident in the reduction of green open spaces, declining
environmental quality, increasing socioeconomic disparities, and reduced efficiency of urban
development, strengthening coordination of metropolitan area governance, more optimal
utilization of geospatial technology, and increasing the role of the community as part of an
inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban development strategy. This research shows that the
success of urban development in Indonesia in the future depends heavily on the ability to control
urban sprawl while also serving as a reference in policy development for metropolitan areas facing
similar challenges in developing countries.
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