ABSTRACT
Indonesian cities are recognizably diverse, but Jakarta is the capital city, the political centre of Indonesia and the site for capitalist modernization. Jakarta too is undergoing such a change, although some argue that for Jakarta, decentralization means only delegating administrative authority to the municipality but the urban development paradigm continues to follow the national agenda. It is interesting to examine how Ahok legitimizes his method of governing through use of the jargon of 'good governance' – which includes transparency, accountability and, to a lesser extent, participation. Issues of fairness, justice and equality have indeed been part of political campaigns, but populist politicians also know very well the limits to addressing such issues. Indonesian historiography is generally marked by elite politics, and one could also imagine that planning history, if it is not written critically, would be restricted to planners making plans for the city.
