A new city springs from the rainforest to become Indonesia's tech hub

If an entire major city was designed from scratch today, what technologies would be built into its fabric? We're discovering as we watch Indonesia erect a new capital with tech at its heart. The nation's future capital, Nusantara, opened its doors last month to up to 300 members of the general public daily for daytime bus …

[harrys]

just been reading the pdf ... wow sounds like a tech utopia in the making - be a nice place to live :)

shame it reads like something written from an ivory tower of comfort and ease

consequently what is missing is detailed info on the procurement process's and inbuilt checks and balances against against corruption/collusion (which will occur - especially once the place starts filling up - prob already occured during initial phase)

the litmus test will be WHEN not IF, info comes out about some dodgy procurement process involving some friends of some politician or other... will it be stamped on dissuading others to try the same

cynically I think not, probably never even hear about it, why ......

https://aji.or.id/informasi/indonesia-2023-highest-number-press-freedom-attack-decade

[Irongut]

Do you really care that your house was built on the back of a brown envelope to some government official? I'd be more worried about the constant 100% surveilance.

[Mentat74]

Welcome...

To privacy nightmare city.

Where your benevolent government can keep an eye on you rubes 24 hours a day...

[deadlockvictim]

Privacy Nightmare City

El Reg» The app is designed to take data from its users and personalize its services.

With «personalise» being the important word because, we want you to know that if you are being anything less than the perfect citizen, then we will know. Oh, and we define what «perfect» means...

[MyffyW]

With apologies to WH Auden

"Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd: Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard."

[tiggity]

@harrys

"be a nice place to live"

If you don't like much in the way of free speech perhaps.

UK has some draconian laws in place making e.g. expressing the idea that various "proscribed terrorist organisations" might be freedom fighters rather than terrorists can lead to a criminal record, but they are nothing compared to Indonesia & its many restrictions on free speech.

[IGotOut]

Someone I know has just had to do a online course for the council and under terrorism and

"PREVENT"

They classification of terrorism can cover

"single cause protesters" e.g. "Stop Oil" can come under terrorism.

I'm going to contact my local council and demand they do something about that ne'er do well organisation called Shelter, oh and Cancer Research....and that bastion of terror (insert hospital fundraising charity).

[PhilipN]

"AI-powered ...."

What is that^?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: "AI-powered ...."

Hot air, AKA powered by a stirling engine....

[Pascal Monett]

"75% of its area dedicated to green spaces"

That will never hold true.

I wonder if they have a plan for the inevitable homeless people that will flock to the city.

[PhilipN]

Re: "75% of its area dedicated to green spaces"

Exactly so. In one of the most populous countries on the planet : not much less than 300M and creeping up every year

[deadlockvictim]

Re: "75% of its area dedicated to green spaces"

PM» I wonder if they have a plan for the inevitable homeless people that will flock to the city.

Think Favelas but more Blade Runner style. The the underclasses will literally be underclasses.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: "75% of its area dedicated to green spaces"

They like that number! Also "75 percent satisfaction rate.". Is it just me or does that seem like a low bar?

[wiggers]

Is that Sim City?

Or designed in Cities Skylines?

[seven of five]

Re: Is that Sim City?

Could be Brigador, sooner or later...

[PRR]

New city or hot air?

Google birdeye shows that area as an intersection of a hard road with dirt roads and a tiny scooter sales/repair shop. Lots of clay (not American Red Clay but probably the same gumbo when wet). The second place mentioned has had a 10 minute drag with a bulldozer. Have they really made so much change (let's not assume "progress") since G-Maps updated? Or is it a lot of hot air?

The job can be done. Oddly I had just re-remembered Brasilia, a New Capital risen from the jungle in Brazil in 1960. It was the butt-end of nowhere for more than a decade, but is now an honest city, 3rd biggest in Brazil which means big. The Chinese are probably building (their equivalent of) County Seats by the dozens to handle their urban growth, and factory cities (or Potemkin Villages) every day but they have more resources (eager labour, funny money) than anybody.

> "75% of its area dedicated to green spaces"

Bah. My town, and much of the upper Maine Coast, is 75% to 95+% green space. My own 5 acres of heaven is 4.5 acres of hardly-touched and quickly grown-back boreal forest (spruce). I can imagine the back-country of Borneo will aggressively green-out Man's works.

[Slow Joe Crow]

Adam Something video in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Building a city in the middle of nowhere is a bit of a feat. Granted Myanmar just did it recently but this feels like one of those Arab Sheikh pipe dreams like Neom but in the jungle. I suppose it could become a Canberra or Brasilia. The tech promises make it sound more like Neom.