Civil Talks: Towards a World-Class City for All at Universitas Pembangunan Jaya

Bintaro, South Tangerang, 15/05/2024 – The Civil Engineering Student Association at Universitas Pembangunan Jaya successfully held the inaugural seminar and opening of the 2024 Civil Engineering Exhibition (CEE). The seminar, titled "Welcome to the Jungle: Leveraging Smart Forest City Systems to Construct Indonesia's New Green Utopia Capital," aimed to enhance understanding of future infrastructure development, particularly in Indonesia.

The event was opened by Maulana Rizky Nugraha, Deputy for Infrastructure and Facilities in the development of the Nusantara Capital (IKN). Maulana outlined the vision and mission of the IKN development located in East Kalimantan, designed as a world-class city that is inclusive, providing equal access and opportunities for everyone. The IKN development is based on three main aspects: economic, social, and environmental.

In his presentation, Maulana emphasized the smart city concept to be implemented in IKN, including the use of technology to improve city efficiency and comfort, the sponge city concept for effective water resource management to reduce flood risks, and the forest city concept, which preserves 25% of the land as green and forested areas. He also highlighted the importance of comprehensive transportation planning to ensure smooth traffic flow and effective transportation systems.

"The role of the community is to actively utilize technology. Utilizing existing facilities will enhance the quality of life," said Maulana.

Maulana stressed the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to achieve the IKN development goals, and encouraged students to actively participate in discussions, forums, research, and use social media to voice their ideas and opinions.

The second speaker, Wahanudin from the Ministry of Planning and Social Development, discussed the challenges of fragmented urban management. Wahanudin explained that urban development should include the creation of new cities, satellite cities, and urban agglomerations based on cooperation with nearby cities such as Balikpapan and Samarinda.

Wahanudin also highlighted the importance of basic services such as sanitation to avoid health issues like child stunting. The strategy for improving human resources (HR) quality involves developing infrastructure such as sea tolls outside Java Island and collaborating with local communities. Bappenas also works with private investors, civil organizations, and experts.

"This development is not only the responsibility of the government, but the government is mandated to plan this by involving various parties to realize the vision of IKN," Wahanudin said to conclude the seminar session.

The final session featured Nyoman Nuarta and Made Tasya Nuarta-Wiphasya, who provided insights into the design of IKN. Nyoman Nuarta highlighted the construction aspects of IKN, including the use of smart geometry technology, which will facilitate future infrastructure maintenance

By: Gisela Rara Wening Pinasthi (2022041101) | Student of Communication Science Study Program