Land Readjustment for Upgrading Indonesian Kampung: A Proposal

Abstract

A majority of Jakarta's population resides in unregulated and densely populated settlements called kampung, with no access to utilities. The urban development policy of previous municipal governments focused strongly on modernization of the city to the neglect of the poor kampung population. The Kampung Improvement Programme, started in 1969, is considered a notable exception to this tendency. However, despite efforts to improve the conditions in kampung, the number of kampung dwellers is increasing. The governor of Jakarta aims to revitalize 350 kampung in his first term of office (by 2017). This paper investigates whether the land readjustment procedure that is applied in many countries may contribute to the realization of this ambition. The findings indicate that such is indeed the case and a pilot project is recommended.