East Kalimantan Urbanization

Context

Shinta Kusumawardani / UN-Habitat ROAP

Date: 14 July 2023
Introduction
Capital City Relocation

 The urgency: 1. Javacentric development 2. Water

scarcity in Java in particular Jakarta. 3. Highest
trend of land conversion in Java. 4. High
urbanization that pose challenges such as pollution
and congestion. 5. Jakarta’s environmental
deteoritation (water quality, sea level rise,
groundwater level). 6. Disaster risk in Jakarta
(flood, earthquake, tsunami, volcano eruption, land
subsidence)

 Why East Kalimantan: Geographically located in

the center of Indonesia representing equality,
availability of publicly/state enterprise owned land
(production forest and plantation), low disaster Source: Law Of The Republic of Indonesia Number 3 of 2022 Concerning The Capital City Of The Country

risks, proximity to existing cities for efficiency of

initial investment (high accessibility to  Location: Penajam Paser Utara Regency (Penajam and Sepaku
Balikpapan and Samarinda) Districts) and Kutai Kartanagara Regency (Loa Kulu, Loa
Janan, Muara Jawa, and Samboja Districts)
Nusantara

 Vision: World’s most sustainable city, Indonesia’s

symbolic identity, Economic driver of Indonesia

 8 design principles: Unity in diversity; opportunity

for all; Net zero emission; Connected, active, &
accessible; Safe and affordable; Convenience &
efficiency through technology; Circular and
resilient; Designing with nature

 75% of the area of Nusantara is planned to be

green open spaces where 65% will be protected
areas and 10% for food production. The other
25% is dedicated for highly controlled urban
area.
Literature Review

 Cities do not exist in isolation to their surroundings. To make informed decision, planning must take into account a city-
level perspective as well as how it interacts with wider context (UN-Habitat 2016)

 New cities are subject to realities of urban development and urbanization (Van Leynseele 2019)

 On planning a regional city: region’s physical design to overcome sprawl (defining urban boundaries and interconnectedness of
land use and transportation planning) and region’s social and economic opportunities strategy (fair-share housing and
deconcentration of poverty, regional tax-base sharing, regional eductation facilities balance) to overcome inequity (Calthorpe and
Fulton 2001)

 The importance of incorporating rights-based and inclusiveness approaches into planning of new cities and region (Van Leynseele
2019)

 Understanding the logics behind urbanization and urban growth for future needs and planning: Density ( Ehrlich et al. 2018,
Lehmann 2017, Krehl et al. 2016), population distribution (Gao et al. 2018), spatial analysis with GIS (Duan and
Mamoru 2009, Boori et al. n.d)
Research Question

“What is the current planning, urbanization, and spatial profile of East Kalimantan?

“What could be the implications of the development of the new capital city of Indonesia on the region?”

Methodology

 Literature study on regional planning, urbanization, and spatial profile to develop a theoretical framework
 Analysis on processed empirical data (maps, statistical data) and grey literature (relevant policy documents) along with
literary review on secondary data sources (scientific journals)
Regional Context
Overview – East
Kalimantan

 Total number of population: 3.8 million (2020) with a population density of 30.6 people/sqkm

 Small and medium cities; Samarinda, Balikpapan, Tarakan, Bontang (population 100,000 – 1
million)

 Rich in resources (coal, gas, petroleum, agriculture product) and one of the biggest contributors to
Indonesia’s GDP

 Strategic issues: a) Increasing the competitiveness of human resources, b). Accelerating the
transformation of the economy based on non-renewable natural resources into renewable natural
resources vertically and horizontally, c) Increasing accessibility and strengthening connectivity as
well as developing basic infrastructure for development, d) Improving the Quality of the
Environment, e) Professional and accountable governance, f) Fulfillment of Minimum Service
Standards, g) Development of the State Capital (IKN) and h) Structural Reform towards a New
Normal Order Post COVID-19 (RPJMD 2019-2023)

Regional Planning Context
Relevant Policies
Law Number 3 of 2022 regarding State Capital
East Kalimantan 2023-2032 Regional Spatial Plan (has incorporated
Nusantara in the articles but not in the map)
North Penajam Paser Regency 2013-2033 Regional Spatial Plan
Regency Kutai Kartanegara 2013-2033 Regional Spatial Plan
Balikpapan 2012-2032 Regional Spatial Plan
Samarinda 2022-2042 Regional Spatial Plan (recently approved.
unpublished?)
Some governments have not included Nusantara in their
development vision, possibly because the current spatial plan will
extend until 2033 (formulation is just about to begin).
Regional Collaboration Forum (Tim Kajian PKP2A III LAN 2012)
 Government Regulation No. 50 of 2007 regarding Inter-Regional
Cooperation states that a cooperation body can be formed if the
cooperation is carried out for a minimum period of five years.
 Regional cooperation in Kalimantan is applied in joint formed
authorities namely coordination and consultation forum of Forum
Kerjasama Revitalisasi dan Percepatan Pembangunan
Regional Kalimantan (FKRP2RK) since 1986
 The effectiveness of the cooperation is in low performance (has no
concrete action plan/program, only problem formulation). This is
due to challenges such as legal, technical guidelines and human
resources capacity.
 Economic Sector Working Group, Infrastructure Sector Working
Group, and Spatial Planning Working Group
 Other: board of KTB (tourism).
Opportunities to make use of the regional forum?
Spatial Planning

Current policy: East Kalimantan 2023-2032 Regional

Spatial Plan (RTRW)

Issues:
 Overlapping of permits between sector (eg. forestry and
coal mining, or coal mining and plantation)
 Inefficient realization of land use implementation (eg.
for plantation, the realized number is 30% of the overall
permit)

Strategic Area in East Kalimantan (East Kalimantan 2023-2032 Regional Spatial Plan)
 Major Transportation Route in East Kalimantan
Mapped and drawn by author (2023)
Based on:
Roads and administrative boundary (Indonesia Geospatial Portal 2020)

Location and Ministy of Environment and Forestry’s Land Cover Map for Mining Area (2017)

Connectivity

 Vertical axis along the shore line that

connects major cities/towns and
infrastructures in East Kalimantan with
North Kalimantan and South Kalimantan

 2 horizontal axis (Central and South

Trans Kalimantan) that connects with
Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan,
passing through the city of Palangkaraya
(Provincial capital) or mining sites in
western East Kalimantan

 Balikpapan and Samarinda is well

connected with a highway

 Planned development around Nusantara:

Airport toll road
Accessing Kalimantan Island’s
Major Cities

 Tarakan
 Tanjung Selor
 Bontang
 Samarinda
 Balikpapan
 Banjarmasin
 Palangkaraya
 Pontianak
 Kuching (Malaysia)
 Kota Kinabalu
 Population Distribution in East Kalimantan

Current Demographic and

Drawn by author (2023)
Based on:
Statistics’ Indonesia Population and Area Data (2022)

Population Distribution Administrative boundary (Indonesia Geospatial Portal 2020)

 East Kalimantan is very sparsely populated

 The majority of population in East

Kalimantan is concentrated in Balikpapan,
Samarinda, and Bontang, with just a little bit
over 1000 population/sqkm of density

Total Population
Municipality/ Regency Yearly Growth Rate Population Dens ity
(1000)
Pas er 280,1 0,95 26
Kutai Barat 176 1,22 13
Kutai Kartanegara 738,2 0,69 27
Kutai Timur 468,8 4,45 15
Berau 258,5 2,4 12
Penajam Pas er Utara 183 1,39 58
Mahakam Ulu 33,5 1,78 2
Kota Balikpapan 703,6 1,26 1 380
Kota Samarinda 834,8 0,47 1 165
Kota Bontang 183,2 1,35 1 139
Kalimantan Timur 3 859,8 1,41 30
Population Distribution

 The concentration of the

population is following the
topographical feature and
infrastructure network

 Concentrated in relatively flat

areas along the shoreline or
pockets of plateau between the
slopes

 Expansion to the west is limited by

the topography

Population Distribution in East Kalimantan (Topography)

Drawn by author (2023)
Based on:
Roads and administrative boundary (Indonesia Geospatial Portal 2020)
Topography (DEM USGS Earth Explorer)
Populated place (Humanitarian Open Street Map Team 2020
 World City Populations Interactive Map 1950-2035 (luminocity3d.org)

Urban Agglomeration: A Comparison

 World Population Density Interactive Map (luminocity3d.org)

Population Density: A Comparison

Samarinda
Nusantara

Balikpapan
 Global Human Settlement - Visualisation - European Commission (europa.eu)

Degree of Urbanization: A Comparison

Eastern Kalimantan Western Java

Sparsely located urban areas Massive urban agglomerations
Land Cover Transformation

 East Kalimantan is mainly dominated by forest (primary

forest and agricultural forest)

 The area has a prominent peatland ecosystems

 Changes in crop and plantation designated land to shrubs can

be observed along with the expansion of agricultural land to
forest area

Land Cover Changes (2011 & 2017)

Drawn and classified by author (2023)
Based on:
Administrative boundary (Indonesia Geospatial Portal 2020)
Ministy of Environment and Forestry’s Land Cover Map (2011 & 2017)
 East Kalimantan Flood and Landslide Hazards
Drawn and classified by author (2023)
Based on:
Roads and administrative boundary (Indonesia Geospatial Portal 2022)

Disaster Risk
Waterways (Humanitarian Open Street Map Team 2020)
Hazard map ( National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure 2023)

 The majority of East Kalimantan is

hilly, and rivers run through the
area. This geographical composition
poses hazards such as landslides and
floods.

 Samarinda and Balikpapan is

especially vulnerable to flood and
landslides

 Others: Tsunami risks from

Makassar and there are risks of
earthquake in Paser Regency,
Tanjung Mangkaliat Kutai Timur
and Sulaiman Bay, Berau
Balikpapan and Samarinda
Overview - Balikpapan

 Total number of population: 0.7 million with a

density of 1350 people/sqkm (2020)
 The most dense municipality in East
Kalimantan
 Oil manufacturing industry
 Gateway to Makassar strait and connections to
Jakarta and other major cities through its
international airport and ports
 Strategic issues: Provision of urban basic
services and facilites; solid waste, wastewater,
and environmental management, disaster
mitigation, social security provision,
improving the economy (RPJMD 2021-2026)
Overview - Samarinda

 The capital city of East Kalimantan

 Total number of population: 0.7 million with
a density of 1156 people/sqkm (2020)
 The second most dense municipality in East
Kalimantan
 Important river route, crossed by the biggest
river in Kalimantan (Mahakam River)
 Coal mining and agriculture
 Govt. priority programmes: Flood control
and construction of modern drainage system,
mass transport system development, green
open spaces development (RPJMD 2021-
2026)
Spatial Planning and Land Use

Current policy: Balikpapan 2012-2032

Regional Spatial Plan

Issues:
 Enforcement of land use plan
(inconsistency between designated land
use and the real activities)
 The rate of infrastructure development is
not as fast as the rate of urban expansion
and land use conversion
 Inconsistency between approved
development permit and implementation
(eg. private sector failed to built the
intended infrastructure due to costs)
Spatial Planning and Land Use

Current policy: Samarinda 2022-2042

Regional Spatial Plan

Issues:
• Forest conversion and fragmentation as
built area expansion pushes agricultural
areas outwards
• Realization of green spaces

Gambar 5. Rencana Pola Ruang Kota Samarinda 2014-2034

Spatial Impact of
Urbanization

 Balikpapan both experienced a considerable increase in

urban concentration (infill) and urban expansion at the
fringes between 1990-2020

 In 2020, the expansion became a much larger patch

 Ribbon development along the route that connects to

Samarinda

 Polycentricity as urban areas expanded

1980, 2000, and 2020 Balikpapan Population-density 1980, 2000, and 2020 Balikpapan Built-density
(Schiavina, Marcello; Freire, Sergio; Alessandra Carioli; (Pesaresi, Martino; Politis, Panagiotis 2023)
MacManus, Kytt 2023)
Spatial Impact of
Urbanization

 Urban expansion in Samarinda is moving

towards all direction, but in particular,
geared to the North. Besides developing
around the edges, there are also patches of
new development that are disconnected
from the rest

 Ribbon development westward (along

Mahakam river and route that connects to
Tenggarong and eastward (to the mining
areas and route to Balikpapan)

 Edge expansion is followed by

development of new agricultural land,
resulting in desakota pattern (a mix of
built areas, mining, agriculture and forest
landscape)

1980, 2000, and 2020 Balikpapan Built-density 1980, 2000, and 2020 Balikpapan Population-density
(Pesaresi, Martino; Politis, Panagiotis 2023) (Schiavina, Marcello; Freire, Sergio; Alessandra Carioli;
MacManus, Kytt 2023)
Access to Adequate and Affordable Housing

 East Kalimantan has 31,677 inadequate housings, with 216 in

Balikpapan and 801 in Samarinda (PUPR 2023)

 Informal settlement can be found in overcrowded areas in the urban

centres of Balikpapan and along the coastal areas. In Samarinda, the
informal settlement si located along the river bank in the urban centre
and in the urban fringes.

 The informal settlements are classified according to the slum

indicators (in colors). Slum indicators: Building, access, drinking
water, drainage, wastewater, waste, and fire protection

 Importance of securing adequate and affordable housing for all in

anticipating future urban influx

Top: Informal Settlement in Samarinda (PUPR 2020)

Bottom: Informal Settlement in Balikpapan(PUPR 2020)
GIS - Profile Kumuh Kotaku
 dada

Urban Fabric  ,
- Balikpapan

Clockwise:
1. Industrial zone x residential
area
2. High-density residential
area
3. Coastal informal settlement
4. Low-density residential area
near the city centre
5. Growth beyond the urban
limit
6. Sprawling (private
developer housing projects)

Source: Google Maps (2023)

Urban Fabric
- Samarinda

Clockwise:
1. High-density informal
settlement
2. Riverbank informal
settlement
3. Sprawling (private
developer housing projects)

Source: Google Maps (2023)

Discussion and Conclusion
Discussion : Spatial Profile

Identified issues:
 Projected massive urbanization due to rapid economic growth and the uncontained urban influx from the low-
density Nusantara
 Planning for urban expansion and controlling land conversion. Current expansion is at the expense of the
natural resources and is generally unplanned
 Planning for urban densification. Current densification is characterized with low-rise high-density overcrowded
settlement inefficient in accommodating population growth while preserving high-quality urban environment.
 Spatial inequalities in the form of unequal distribution of infrastructure (due to the sparse distribution of
population as well as faster expansion rate than infrastructure development), areas deprived of green open spaces,
and pockets of informal settlement
 Areas still exposed to disaster risks (eg. riverbank, areas in the hazard zone) or are vulnerable to hazards such as
fire due to its spatial organization (eg. overcrowded settlement in Balikpapan)
 Inconsistency between the intended spatial planning and the implementation
Discussion : Implications on regional planning and way forward

To ensure a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urbanization and integrated regional planning in regards to the upcoming massive urban
influx:
 Planning a controlled urban extension as well as infrastructure development without the expense of natural resource, taking into
account different possible scenarios of growth
 Ensuring consistency of development plans between neighboring cities for an integrated spatial planning in the region, limiting
expansion as well as collaboration between neighboring localities to deal with the extended urbanization and careful attention to
infrastructure and service gaps
 Planning both for both the urban expansion as well as densification in the core (redevelopment, urban infill)
 Physical design and socio-economic planning to deal with expansion and inequality (Calthorpe and Fulton 2001)
 Ensuring equality and spatial justice amids the projected rapid economic growth (affordable housing, access to facilities, not
subjected to market mechanism)
 Ensuring disaster resiliency and enforcing development control at disaster prone area (neighborhood/infrastructure at risk. for
example: overcrowding, being in the risk zone etc)
 Ensuring an integrated urban and regional basic services (ex: solid waste management) and upgrading the existing urban basic
services (carrying capacities of the buffer zones)
 Increasing not only the planning capacities of local government but also the capacities to implement the plans (Fahmi 2014)
 In regards to the increasing role of kabupaten in absorbing urban population growth, capacity building on the regencies that are
Study Limitation and Future Research

This study has found inconsistencies in statistical data of total number of population and area.

Furthermore, statistical data on built-area expansion (sqkm) throughout the years is unavailable to fully grasp the extent of
the expansion.

In addition, this study has not delved further into the following issues due to time and data resource constrain to ensure a
comprehensive urban profiling:

 Drivers of urbanization
 Spatial distribution of urban basic services and facilities access (Inclusivity)
 Climate change issues (Resilience)
 Environmental challenges (Sustainability)
 Policy-making, programming, and investments that are underway
 Thank you!

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