Decontextualisation: Some issues in the Southeast Asian urban and regional spatial constructs
Document Type
Conference Item
Publication Date
1-1-2020
Abstract
The problem of urban system in Southeast Asian countries (with the exception of Singapore, which is a city-state) is top-heavy. In the latter case, if the larger urban region of Jabotabek is considered, Jakarta has a population of some 30 million population, making it the largest urban conurbation in Southeast Asia! What led to these macrocephalic tendencies in Southeast Asia? This keynote paper briefly reviews the overall trend of Southeast Asian urbanisation and urban growth; and asseverates that the reactions/counter-reactions to these processes have decontextualised a quintessential and important maxim - ``it is the people (whether social, cultural, or physical) that matters in cities''. There are three recognisable urbanisation processes and urban growth patterns in the last five to seven decades in Southeast Asia: 1) Superinduced Metropolitan Development, 2) Extended Metropolitan Region, and 3) Urban Convolution. Some disturbing features in the current strategies. Social disparity, Fragmented solution to QOL problems, Growing lead-lag disparity and Decontextualisation at the local level. Several pertinent questions ought to be asked. Will greenfield urban space development, like smart cities and new capital cities, lose their underlying charm of informality, like the para-transits (trishaws, tut-tuts) or the popular Southeast Asian al-fresco eateries (the street food vendors and hawkers)?
Keywords
Asian countries, Metropolitan regions, Southeast Asia, Street foods, Urban growth patterns, Urban regions, Urban spaces, Urban systems
Divisions
universiti
Funders
None
Volume
451
Publisher
IOP PUBLISHING LTD
Publisher Location
DIRAC HOUSE, TEMPLE BACK, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND
Event Title
3rd Environmental Resources Management in Global Region
Event Location
Yogyakarta
Event Dates
14 November 2019
Event Type
conference