Urban Development in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Urbanization as a process is rife with inequality, in Southeast Asia as anywhere else, but resistance and contestation persist on the ground. In this element, the author sets out to achieve three goals: 1) to examine the political nature of urban development; 2) to scrutinize the implications of power inequality in urban development discussions; and 3) to highlight topical and methodological contributions to urban studies from Southeast Asia. The key to a robust understanding is groundedness: knowledge about the everyday realities of urban life that are hard to see on the surface but dominate how the city functions, with particular attention to human agency and the political life of marginalized groups. Ignoring politics in research on urbanization essentially perpetuates the power inequities in urban development; this element thus focuses not just on Southeast Asian cities and urbanization per se, but also on critical perspectives on patterns and processes in their development.

Who belongs where? Geographies of (inter)religion and urban segregation in Surabaya, Indonesia

“…A kampung is a form of urban settlement in Southeast Asia commonly inhabited by low-income households and characterised by irregular and narrow alleys, community-focused sociality, strong social interactions, and informal economic activities (Hawken & Sunindijo, 2018). Under the Dutch colonisers, the kampung 1 "Indonesian Muslim Converts to Christianity After Witnessing Miracle" https://youtu.be/TVOqkRscGnc (web archive link, ); "Muslims secretly converted to Christianity in Indonesia" https://youtu.be/m-u24Rc3ym4 (web archive link, ); "Pancasila Interfaith Dialogue, Indonesia" https://youtu.be/-N lsbmJPq1g was designated as the quarters for "other natives," which allowed locals in the kampung in Surabaya to welcome new migrants without ethnic restrictions and to accommodate interethnic families (Padawangi, 2022;Perkasa, Padawangi, & Farida, 2022). The kampung forms a fundamental part of the structure of most Indonesian cities and is inhabited mostly by Muslim middle and lower classes.…”

Business Capabilities In Thailand’s Lower-Tier Cities: Importance-Performance Analysis

“…Southeast Asia is experiencing dynamism in second-tier and third-tier urban centers, as many major cities such as Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Jakarta have been dominating more than half of GDP compared to their supporting provinces in their respective countries (Rimmer and Dick, 2009;Padawangi, 2022). And thus, second-tier and lower-tier cities would now emerge to challenge more inclusive government attention on resources and private investments.…”

“…And thus, second-tier and lower-tier cities would now emerge to challenge more inclusive government attention on resources and private investments. For lower-tier cities to shine, developing strategies shall be put in order to close the gap, such as building airports, land and water logistics, public landscapes, etc (Padawangi, 2022). At the same time, they would also need to attract various investment schemes for development as burdens are always around lower-tier cities (Rimmer & Dick, 2009;Padawangi, 2022).…”

“…For lower-tier cities to shine, developing strategies shall be put in order to close the gap, such as building airports, land and water logistics, public landscapes, etc (Padawangi, 2022). At the same time, they would also need to attract various investment schemes for development as burdens are always around lower-tier cities (Rimmer & Dick, 2009;Padawangi, 2022). And the characteristics of those cities are not similar to urban cities, when it comes to relying on their economic structures, geographic areas, and relation with surrounding cities (Padawangi, 2022).…”

“…At the same time, they would also need to attract various investment schemes for development as burdens are always around lower-tier cities (Rimmer & Dick, 2009;Padawangi, 2022). And the characteristics of those cities are not similar to urban cities, when it comes to relying on their economic structures, geographic areas, and relation with surrounding cities (Padawangi, 2022).…”