Jakarta as a Global Dining Destination: What’s Missing?
Jakarta is already a city with a serious dining scene. From bustling street stalls and food courts to high-end restaurants and bars, the capital’s culinary offering is vast and diverse. Yet while individual venues often shine on their own, the city as a whole has yet to make the leap into being recognised as a
The Role of Food in Society
Times have changed, and keep on changing, and we need to reassess the entire role of food in our lives. We used to – very, very, long ago when we were ‘hunter/gatherers’ – have a nicely balanced diet based mostly on fruit, nuts, forest products, small animals and fish, and occasionally a major hunt would
Is Jakarta ‘Fit for Fitness?’
With more and more Jakarta residents adopting active lifestyles, the city’s urban landscape must adapt to its citizens’ needs. What’s driven this massive increase, and is Jakarta ready to accommodate this new culture? Strength in Numbers In April 2025, the fitness tracking and social networking application, Strava, introduced Bahasa Indonesia as an official language on
Why Jakarta Needs Cultural Collaboration, with Bambang Prihadi of Jakarta Arts Council
What does Jakarta need to do in order to be recognised as a cultural city? In this opinion series, NOW! Jakarta hears from the leaders of the city’s artistic institutions to gain insight into fosteringand developing specific areas of culture. Bambang Prihadi of Jakarta Arts Council talks to us about cultural collaboration. For the past five decades,
Why Jakarta Needs Music, with Nathania Karina of TRUST
What does Jakarta need to do in order to be recognised as a cultural city? In this opinion series, NOW! Jakarta hears from the leaders of the city’s artistic institutions to gain insight into fosteringand developing specific areas of culture. Nathania Karina of TRUST Orchestra talks to us about music. Nathania Karina and the Trinity Youth Symphony
Why Jakarta Needs Art Communities, with Ayu Utami of Salihara Art Centre
What does Jakarta need to do in order to be recognised as a cultural city? In this opinion series, NOW! Jakarta hears from the leaders of the city’s artistic institutions to gain insight into fostering and developing specific areas of culture. Ayu Utami of Salihara Art Centre talks to us about art communities and festivals.
Why Jakarta Needs Literature, with Laura Prinsloo of Pulau Imaji
What does Jakarta need to do in order to be recognised as a cultural city? In this opinion series, NOW! Jakarta hears from the leaders of the city’s artistic institutions to gain insight into fosteringand developing specific areas of culture. Laura Prinsloo of Pulau Imaji talks to us about literature. Did you know that Jakarta
Why Jakarta Needs Contemporary Art, with Venus Lau of Museum MACAN
What does Jakarta need to do in order to be recognised as a cultural city? In this opinion series, NOW! Jakarta hears from the leaders of the city’s artistic institutions to gain insight into fosteringand developing specific areas of culture. Venus Lau of Museum MACAN talks to us about art. London has the Tate Modern,
Reinventing Our Territories: Urban Relocation as a Response to Climate Change
Climate change, intensified by human activities, is redefining lifestyles and territorial dynamics, presenting critical human rights challenges globally. In recent years, devastating floods in Jakarta and beyond illustrate the increasing vulnerability of Indonesia to these disruptions. Cities affected by climate change are entering an “era of scarcity,” highlighting the urgent need to rethink urban areas
Jakarta Needs a Project Manager, Not a Politician
As Jakarta approaches its 2024 gubernatorial election, the stakes have never been higher. The city, soon to be stripped of its title as the capital of Indonesia, will transition into a financial powerhouse, shaping the future of its nearly 11 million residents (not including Greater Jakarta). Yet, instead of focusing on what the city truly
A Birthday Wish for DKI Jakarta
How should cities “develop”? And what can we do to ensure it is done correctly? Those are probably the questions that many people inside – and outside – the city government are asking. What do we have to do to ensure a good future for the citizens of the city of Jakarta, especially when it
Can Surabaya Become a Sustainable City?
Surabaya is probably not the first place you would have chosen as the preferred model for sustainability – its hot, busy, industrial and very developed… but as you will see when we examine all the reasons and criteria, it has an excellent chance of indeed becoming the first Indonesian city to be at least on
The Evolution of Chinese-Indonesian Rights and the Sign of a New Indonesia
In the Indonesia we see today, one might take for granted the freedoms and liberties we currently have. However, older generation Chinese-Indonesians are one group that certainly do not take this lightly, many of whom continue to live with the mental and emotional scars of the country’s darker, discriminatory past. The open cultural celebrations of
