Nine years ago, we at Kota Kita initiated the Urban Social Forum with a mission to provide an open and inclusive space for exchanging knowledge, debating ideas, and networking between civil society organizations, activists, academics, and students working on pressing urban issues. The Forum, ultimately, strived to become a truly public and democratic space for people to put forward alternative ideas with a collective call that ‘Another City is Possible!’. Since then, the Urban Social Forum has grown and expanded the critical conversation about what kind of city we want and need and how cities can be more inclusive of all sorts of aspirations, communities, people, and futures. But, similar to many civil society movements, the period between 2020 and 2021 was a blip for the Forum as we could not organize the 7th and 8th Urban Social Forum with an entirely in-person format due to COVID-19 restrictions. Regardless of the unpredictable condition, we maintained our commitment by hosting small-scale workshops with local civil organizations in different cities in Indonesia and a series of webinars.

After two years of remote arrangement, we were thrilled to organize with an in-person format again for The 9th Urban Social Forum. This year — for the first time — the Forum was held in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia and a bustling epicenter of critical urban development and discourses. In collaboration with Rame Rame Jakarta as Co-Organizer and other civil society organizations, The 9th Urban Social Forum consisted of various activities and discussions where students, activists, government officials, academia, and many others gathered to exchange knowledge, debate ideas, and network. The issues discussed at the Forum included urban citizenship and civic space, informality, inclusive public transportation, and the future of public spaces.

• 11 Discussion Panels, Field Expeditions, and Community Activities
• 270+ Participants 
• 17 Speakers and Moderators
• 13 Collaborators and Partners

Year after year, the Forum was established and continues to exist, with the mission to advocate and promote a more socially just, sustainable, and democratic city by creating spaces that encourage active citizen participation. As 2023 approaches and the Forum reaches its tenth year, we are excited to organize various activities to celebrate a decade of cultivating discourses, networks, and collaborations in Indonesian cities next year. Stay tuned for more updates on the Urban Social Forum!

Another City is Possible!