PARTICIPATORY PLANNING IN INDONESIA

After three decades of authoritarian rule which discouraged citizen participation, Indonesia is slowly moving towards increased engagement between state and society. This is happening within the framework of decentralisation policies; although it is largely being driven by non governmental organisations. Although formal political structures have democratised, local level civic engagement is yet to increase significantly. Despite this, the Municipality of Solo in Central Java has initiated a collaborative development program which has been recognised as an exemplar of good practice by an international consortium for participatory planning. This article describes the background to Indonesian development policies, and examines the problems and successes experienced in the Solo program. Although increasing familiarity with inclusiveness, equity, and good governance is evident, tangible change remains largely elusive at the local level.