This research aims to develop and implement a “new knowledge and methodology of urban management” capable of facilitating an effective energy shift at the scale of urban habitation in tropical cities of emerging countries undergoing rapid expansion.
Focusing on Indonesian cities as case studies, the research centers on urban villages (kampung)—where the majority of citizens reside—and seeks to empower and revitalize communities facing urban heat island (UHI) effects and economic disadvantage. This will be achieved through the creation of an “environmentally harmonious air conditioning model” that integrates residents’ vernacular knowledge and construction techniques with contemporary cooling technologies.
Based on this foundation, the project further explores how community-scale transformations in energy consumption patterns, tied to improvements in quality of life and community revitalization, can be scaled up to the city level. Ultimately, it aims to build and propose urban-energy policies capable of restructuring urban energy systems.
By adopting a transdisciplinary approach, this research aspires to contribute to global environmental policy and to serve as a scalable model for other cities and regions across the Global South in addressing the challenges of climate change.