Rahmat Aris Pratomo

This dissertation embarks on a critical exploration of urbanisation as a double-edged sword: a phenomenon that simultaneously offers pathways to progress and harbours significant threats to local communities. This duality forms the foundation of our inquiry, aptly titled ‘Hope or Despair’. Urbanisation and large-scale developments, such as new town projects, aim to address various urban challenges. The development of new towns seeks to stimulate economic growth, improve infrastructure, and create job opportunities. New town developments in peri-urban areas can transform suburban regions into new growth centres with better facilities, potentially enhancing the local economy. Furthermore, these towns are designed to provide high-quality housing and improve overall quality of life. Ultimately, new town development aims to create more innovative, organised, and balanced cities. However, these developments often lead to despair among local communities. These projects frequently prioritise the interests of the upper middle class while neglecting social inclusivity. The most common negative impacts include displacement and the loss of agricultural land, which directly threaten the livelihoods and social structures of long-standing residents. Although the promise of numerous job opportunities appears enticing, the available jobs tend to be filled by external workers, thereby limiting long-term employment prospects for local communities. Additionally, environmental changes such as rising temperatures, water and air pollution, spatial segregation, and increased crime rates can diminish the quality of life for the communities. This issue is exacerbated by a fragmented understanding of property rights, which can worsen the vulnerability of communities during the development process.

This research seeks to delve deeper into the relationship between new town development and the sustainability of local communities’ lives. Without a clear understanding of the primary impacts of new town development and a holistic assessment of community life components, it is challenging to obtain a comprehensive picture of how these elements interact. Therefore, this research addresses the following main research question:
How does new town development in peri-urban areas influence the sustainability of local communities?

To answer this question, Chapter 2 attempts to reformulate a quality of life (QoL) framework for a comprehensive sustainability assessment. The case study of Metro Tanjung Bunga (MTB) in Makassar is examined through a 25-year longitudinal analysis. By integrating subjective indicators (community perceptions) and objective indicators (factual conditions), it is revealed that while new town development brings infrastructure and investment, it also increasingly marginalises coastal communities. The findings indicate that new town development tends to reduce the QoL of local communities, thereby challenging the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly concerning poverty alleviation and inclusive urban development.

Chapter 3 compares the impacts of new town development in two geographical contexts: coastal areas (Metro Tanjung Bunga - MTB) and inland areas (Kota Baru Parahyangan - KBP). The results demonstrate that geographic differences significantly influence community sustainability. Coastal communities, heavily reliant on fishery resources, experience a sharper decline in QoL compared to land-based agricultural communities. Thus, geographic settings emerge as a key factor mediating the impacts of new town development on sustainability.

Chapter 4 discusses how new town development affects property rights and security levels. Using case studies from Kota Harapan Indah (KHI), KBP, and MTB, this chapter explores the concept of the bundle of rights (ownership, use, access, and formal recognition). The findings show that new town development tends to weaken appropriation rights and diminish property rights security, particularly under urbanisation pressure. This directly impacts the social, economic, and cultural stability of local communities whose identities are closely tied to the land.

Chapter 5 aims to connect three main impacts of new town development – displacement, changes in property rights, and changes in spatial quality – with the QoL of communities. Statistical analysis reveals that the type of displacement, socio-economic conditions, and levels of security in land rights are the most influential factors affecting changes in QoL. Moreover, the degradation of spatial quality – including environmental pollution, segregation, and reduced social interaction – also diminishes well-being. This chapter emphasises that these three impacts are interrelated and determine whether communities can sustain themselves or become increasingly marginalised. In addition, through this chapter, the dissertation highlights the critical role of geographical context in moderating the main impacts of large-scale land development. The statistical findings indicate that geographical settings can amplify these effects, particularly those related to spatial quality, with positive relationships observed in relation to changes in QoL.

Finally, Chapter 6 synthesises all research findings and concludes that new town development in peri-urban areas often undermines the sustainability of local communities. While it may enhance economic growth and infrastructure, these benefits are predominantly enjoyed by certain groups, particularly newcomers from middle to upper economic strata, while local residents become more vulnerable to losing land, livelihoods, and social cohesion. This dissertation asserts that sustainability must be understood holistically, considering QoL to depict the sustainability of local communities, encompassing both subjective and objective aspects, as well as geographic variations and property rights security. By integrating local community perspectives into planning and governance, new town development can be directed towards a more inclusive, equitable, and long-term sustainable future.