ABSTRACT
Civil society, grassroots, squatters and entrepreneurs are important and decisive in shaping Jakarta's spatial and socio-economic environments. Jakarta's many social and ecological problems are ever-increasing; so are the opportunities for actors to solve them. This chapter argues that Jakarta is being transformed in an unknown speed and manner by new types of urban authorities and drivers of transformation. It explores what Watson terms 'conflicts of rationalities' – that is, how conflicts between different actors shape the city and the wider political economy in which they are embedded. The chapter aims to avoid stereotyping Jakarta as a divided city where the private investors, political establishment and civil society never meet. Two forces that have opened new fields of possibility are the ongoing, rapid urbanization, and the fast and stable economic development of the region, transforming Jakarta towards a 'world city'. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
