Social Transformation on City Level

The rapid increase in the proportion of the urban population goes worldwide hand in hand with ballooning concerns over affordable housing, social segregation, social mobility, inter-generational justice, social space, access to public goods as well as traffic congestion. The urban development concept Social City takes account of these social aspects of urbanization.

The story of the past two centuries isn't only one of rapid industrialization, displacing agriculture as the preeminent economic activity of societies across the world, but also of relentless urbanization. By 2014, there were more people living in cities than in rural areas, marking a decisive shift in the makeup of human civilization. In 2014, according to the United Nations (UN), 54% of the world's population lived in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to move up to 66% by 2050, adding 2.5 billion people to urban population, with 90% of it concentrated in Asia and Africa. In fact, across the world, what we see today are not only cities, but "mega-cities" with populations comparable to small-size countries. Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek) has a whopping population of 28 million.

Urban centers, which are now the dominant point of concentration for the world population, are a micro-cosmos of global developments and challenges. National socio-economic and demographic changes as well as different cultures are reflected in the development of urban areas. Livable, attractive, functional and socially balanced cities, towns and neighborhoods are more and more becoming the foundations for the social cohesion of a whole society. However at the same time those socially balanced cities, towns and neighborhoods are more and more jeopardized. To strive for socially and ecologically balanced urban development is therefore of utmost significance for industrialized as well as for rapidly developing countries like Indonesia.

Against this background and in order to promote intergenerational justice, equal distribution, social mobility, social space and family friendliness in urban neighborhoods FES together with PMK, other government agencies and civil society partner supports an exchange on Social (sustainable) Cities.

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Indonesia Office

Jl. Kemang Selatan II No. 2A
Jakarta Selatan 12730
Indonesia

+62 21 7193711
+62 21 71791358

info(at)fes.or.id
indonesia.fes.de
 

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