Speaker: Yu Sing (Akanoma Studio)

Commentator: Kenta Kishi (Akita University of Art)

Title: Vertical Densification of Big Cities in Indonesia: Challenges & Opportunities

Language: English

Registration: For online attendance, please register from here.

* For in-person attendance, no registration is required.

Abstract: Further urbanization and higher density are severe issues in big cities in Indonesia. Some cities have a density of around 10,000-15,000 people/km2, while Tokyo has about 6,250 people/km². Currently, less than 5% of the national capital of Jakarta residents live in apartments and flats, while 68.7% (2015) of Tokyo residents live in apartments (vertical housing).

In such conditions, Jakarta, and many big cities in Indonesia experience increasingly poor urban environmental quality. Cities must be built vertically to make urban space more viable and livable. In general, 76.9% of houses in urban Indonesia are self-built, and only 7.32% are from developers. This condition results in high density with a full of low-rise landed houses. Many developers are also still building landed houses. This has resulted in chaotic urban sprawl.

Land in urban villages, almost all of which are in urban growth centers, represents the most significant opportunity for vertical densification. The government must play a more substantial role in encouraging vertical housing through funding assistance and supportive regulations. Vertical densification in urban kampung provides decent housing in strategic locations. It promotes economic growth for urban village residents, most of whom belong to the lower middle economic class.

Many of the houses in the kampung are micro houses. Kampung are not just housing; they are a collection of homes for resting. But it is also the settlement for residents’ livelihood. Our studio, Akanoma Studio built several mock-ups of micro houses and researched various flat/vertical village design models integrated with economic functions.

In my presentation, I will discuss the opportunities and challenges of vertical densification in urban Indonesia with examples of vertical design model houses.

Bio: Architect Yu Sing, a graduate of Bandung Institute of Technology, founded Studio Akanoma in 2008. His focus is on serving diverse communities, particularly those with lower incomes. The firm aims to offer affordable and eco-friendly architecture, emphasizing sustainable development. His commitment to sustainability and contributions in village improvement and social housing have earned him a number of awards since 2009.

Event organizers: Masaaki Okamoto (CSEAS), Satoru Kobayashi (CSEAS), Hiroshi Aihara (Daikin Industries), Chika Yamada (CSEAS)

Contact: Chika Yamada (chika128[at]cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp)