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Creating More Resilient and Inclusive Cities in 2022

Vanesha Manuturi
Wed, 09 Feb 2022

The Kota Kita team at the Annual Strategic Planning Meeting in January 2022.

2 min read

Dear Kota Kita friends and supporters,

In mid-January, the Kota Kita team was fortunate to have gathered for our annual strategic planning to reflect on the challenges, lessons, and achievements of 2021 and set our minds towards our goals for 2022 (Note: The meeting was conducted in compliance with COVID-19 health protocols in Indonesia). Like everyone else around the world, 2021 presented some challenges for our organization as pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic persisted. Still, we are grateful that we achieved several milestones last year. Among our achievements, we continued our collaboration with the residents of Kampong Ngampon in Solo, Central Java, to co-design a collective space for residents to work, play, and connect, which received multiple recognitions from the Placemaker Awards ASEAN. With the City of Banjarmasin and numerous partners, we publicly launched the TUMI Inclusive Banjarmasin program as a collective effort to address urban accessibility and mobility issues in Banjarmasin. We participated in discussions on social inclusion and the climate crisis at several side events during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). Internally, we have recruited new passionate young urbanists to join the team; and strengthened our expertise in geographic information systems (GIS) and social change campaigns. These are all possible thanks to the support of our donors, partners, and friends.

We have much to look forward to in 2022. Reflecting on our past lessons and achievements, the Kota Kita team will be deepening our efforts to promote participatory approaches that encourage meaningful participation and involve citizens in creating cities that are resilient, inclusive, and equitable for all. In particular, we will focus on six key issues —  transportation, inclusive public spaces, climate crisis, urban food systems, economic resilience, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) — and seek to address critical questions on how each issue influences one another. For instance, how can we ensure public transportation systems that are both sustainable and inclusive? Is it possible to create an urban food system that is resilient to the impacts of the climate crisis and strengthen informal vendors' economic resilience? What does an inclusive and sustainable public space look like, and how does it contribute to the overall climate resilience of cities? These initiatives will primarily build on our long-time collaboration with the City of Solo and the City of Banjarmasin; however, we are looking forward to extending our reach in Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta this year. 

Many more stories are to come, and we realize that building more inclusive and resilient cities demands solidarity and coalitions. If you or your organization are interested in these issues, we would love to connect with you at info@kotakita.org

Thank you for your support of Kota Kita. As we embrace 2022, let’s double down on collective action to create more resilient and inclusive cities in Indonesia and beyond.

Warmest regards,
Kota Kita