Makassar, 8 May 2025 — A new initiative was launched today in Makassar, Indonesia, to make the city more inclusive and accessible for persons with disabilities. Led by Kota Kita and UNESCO, in partnership with the Makassar Regional Development Agency (Bappeda Makassar), the Inclusive City Movement aims to address discrimination in urban planning and improve public services through community-driven data and collaboration with local stakeholders. 

This initiative will incorporate a participatory data collection in close collaboration with PerDIK (Movement of Indonesian Persons with Disabilities for Equality), a key organization advocating for disability rights and inclusion. The findings will help inform future urban planning efforts and support the development of a more equitable and accessible city.

The data collection will run from April to November 2025 and consists of five main activities: initial mapping of issues and potential survey areas; participatory surveys involving 20 youth mappers reaching 1,000 persons with disabilities across selected subdistricts; capacity-building workshops for local Disabled Persons' Organizations (DPOs); and multi-stakeholder participatory workshops. These efforts will culminate in the development of a Disability-Inclusive City Profile for Makassar, providing critical insights into challenges and opportunities at both the community and city levels. 

"An inclusive city starts with inclusive data," said Nina Asterina, Urban Inclusivity Program Manager at Kota Kita. "Through this youth-led and community-centered approach, we aim to bridge existing data gaps and inform more equitable city planning and decision-making processes in Makassar."

Inclusive Cities is a UNESCO movement to assist local authorities in combating discrimination in their capacity as policy makers and service providers, particularly in areas such as education, employment, housing provision and cultural activities. Under this, the inclusion of persons with disabilities in urban areas has been identified as a key concern for the Asia-Pacific region. 

Kota Kita’s long-standing partnership with UNESCO toward this goal began in 2017 to promote disability-inclusive cities through participatory data collection. Previous collaborations in Surakarta (Solo) and Banjarmasin catalyzed local actions to create disability-inclusive spaces through co-design approaches, receiving international recognition through the Transformative Urban Mobility Award in 2018 and the 18th IOPD Award for "Best Practice in Citizen Participation" with a Special Mention for Child and Youth Participation in 2024.

"We are proud to continue our partnership with Kota Kita in promoting Disability-Inclusive Cities in Indonesia,” said Maki Katsuno-Hayashikawa, Director and Representative of UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta. “Inclusive cities are not just about accessibility—they are about dignity, representation, and ensuring that every voice is heard in how a city grows and functions. By combining participatory approaches with robust data collection, we can foster urban environments that respect, empower, and include everyone."

This close partnership with the Makassar City Government exemplifies the city’s commitment to creating a more just, inclusive, and accessible environment for all, especially persons with disabilities. The participatory data collection initiative is just the first step, to be followed by a series of activities focused on capturing the needs and aspirations of persons with disabilities while strengthening the agency and capacity of local communities to advocate for their rights.

The Makassar Inclusive City Movement represents a critical step in Makassar’s journey toward building an urban environment where every citizen—regardless of age, gender, ability, or any other characteristic—can live and thrive. By centering the voices and experiences of persons with disabilities, the movement calls on all stakeholders—from government agencies to community organizations and citizens—to actively engage, collaborate, and drive forward the vision of a truly inclusive Makassar. Together, we can build a city where everyone can participate fully and help shape a more just and equitable future.