Indonesia’s New Capital City: A Modern vision Grapples with Ghost Town Concerns
Indonesia’s aspiring plan to relocate its capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, known as IKN, is forging ahead, but faces mounting questions about its viability and impact on local communities. Initially envisioned as a solution to Jakarta’s challenges – including severe pollution, overpopulation, and land subsidence – IKN is now drawing comparisons to a “ghost city” as advancement progresses, raising concerns about whether the project can truly become the thriving political and economic hub its proponents promise.
A City Inspired by Singapore, Haunted by silence
Early impressions of IKN are striking, with visitors describing a landscape reminiscent of Singapore. “It feels like Singapore. Clean, modern, like something impractical in the middle of the jungle,” remarked a visitor from the island of Sulawesi, as reported by The Guardian on October 31, 2025. However, this modern sheen is juxtaposed with an unsettling emptiness. Despite the presence of notable infrastructure – including the Garuda Palace,Kusuma Bangsa Park,apartments,ministry buildings,hospitals,roads,water systems,and an airport – the city feels largely uninhabited. Currently, approximately 2,000 civil servants and 8,000 construction workers reside in IKN, but as one resident noted, “it also feels strange and lonely. There’s no one here yet.”
A Shift in Focus: From Capital to Tourist Destination
Officially designated as the future political capital through Presidential Regulation Number 79 of 2025, IKN is currently experiencing a surge in tourism.The city attracted 64,000 domestic and foreign tourists between March 27 and April 5,2025,peaking at 14,104 visitors on April 3. Tourists from countries including Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, China, Europe, and South korea are eager to witness the ongoing transformation firsthand. This influx suggests a shift in IKN’s immediate role, functioning more as a construction site attraction than a functioning capital.
Ambitious Targets for 2028
The Indonesian goverment has outlined concrete targets for IKN’s development over the next three years. These include developing 800-850 hectares of the Central Government core Area,achieving 20% completion of building and office construction,and ensuring 50% of residential development is decent,affordable,and sustainable. Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka is slated to establish an office in IKN following a decree issued on June 30, 2025, signaling a commitment to the relocation process.
Equitable Development and Regional Concerns
The impetus for moving the capital extends beyond addressing Jakarta’s issues. Many hope IKN will foster more equitable development across Indonesia,shifting the nation’s center of gravity away from the island of Java,which has historically dominated political and economic activity. “For us who live in the eastern region, it feels more centralized if the capital is here,” explained the visitor from Sulawesi, highlighting the potential for greater regional representation.
Local Communities Face Unintended Consequences
Though, the promise of progress is not universally shared. the construction of IKN is already impacting the lives of indigenous communities, particularly the balik tribe who reside along the Sepaku River. One local farmer and fisherman, Arman, reports that flooding has worsened due to the construction of a water treatment plant, leading to a 50% reduction in crop yields. Despite government assurances, residents are not receiving the same access to clean water as those within IKN. “the water only flows to IKN,” Arman stated, expressing a growing sense of disparity.
Arman acknowledges the potential benefits of IKN but emphasizes the need for inclusive development. “If this project stops, we lose everything, but if it continues without involving us, we also lose,” he said, underscoring the delicate balance between progress and the preservation of local livelihoods and cultural heritage. The future of IKN hinges not only on its architectural grandeur but also on its ability to address the concerns of those most affected by its creation.
