ABSTRACT
Islamic values have been echoed as the leading precedent for the planning of Banda Aceh City, which adopts Islamic law. However, it was unclear whether the reference to the values was a systematic effort to develop visionary planning sensitive to the Islamic teaching and local tradition or a mere political agenda. This chapter discusses how Islamic values were adopted, represented, or claimed in the planning discourse and practice in Banda Aceh. General planning documents, government media outreach, and general news were reviewed, followed by interviews with representatives of planning stakeholders. The chapter then examined whether Islamic values were adopted in a popular sectoral programme, the green open spaces planning. The role of Islamic values for the urbanites at the individual level through interactions with natural elements in urban areas was also discussed using data from a resident survey. The chapter eventually argues that understanding the interpretation and translation of Islamic values at multiple levels would contribute to an evidence-based planning policy approach in the city with a strong Islamic tradition. It would also contribute to developing more grounded planning theories for Banda Aceh and other cities with similar characters.
