ABSTRACT
Studies on the socioeconomic problems experienced by the local people in the built environment of Indonesia have always provided information about the practice of late colonial politics from the 19th to the early 20th century. However, the engagement of nationalist politics to shape and influence the direction of the policy-making process on a city’s governance is rarely considered in systematic ways. By focusing on Surabaya in the early 20th century and its importance as an intersection of eastern and western parts of the Indonesian archipelago, this study highlights the political articulation of nationalist politics at the local level. It also shows the sustained and persistent efforts made by Indonesian nationalists to offer unique versions of city governance as well as propose a substantial challenge to the structure of colonial power at the local level.
