Archive · 29 Dec 2025
Nusantara: Indonesia's New Green Capital Faces Challenges
Indonesia is building a new capital city called Nusantara on the island of Borneo.
It's designed to be green and easy to get around, with lots of walking and biking paths.
The city has big plans, like using only clean energy and having everything you need within a 10-minute walk.
But it's still very new, and not many people live there yet.
Some people love the idea and think it's exciting, while others worry it might not work out.
The city has cool things like a huge bird statue and electric buses, but it's still mostly empty with lots of trees and not many shops or restaurants.
The future of Nusantara is still unclear, but the government says it's too late to stop now.
Nusantara is Indonesia's new capital city being built on Borneo, designed as a sustainable '10-minute city'.
The city faces challenges, including low population, limited amenities, and environmental concerns.
Residents and visitors praise the city's cleanliness and lack of traffic, but critics question its viability.
The project has an estimated cost of $30 billion and aims to be fully powered by clean energy.
Despite setbacks, officials insist the project will continue, with plans to make it a political and administrative hub.
- Who
- Indonesian government and residents, including civil servants and young transplants
- What
- Construction and development of Nusantara, Indonesia's new capital
- When
- Three years after groundbreaking, with ongoing development
- Where
- On the island of Borneo, Indonesia
- Why
- To move the capital away from sinking Jakarta and create a sustainable, modern city
- Location
- Borneo, Indonesia
- Population
- 155,000 (projected)
- Size
- Nearly 1,000 square miles
- Cost
- $30 billion (estimated)
- Key Feature
- 250-foot-tall Garuda monument
- Transportation
- Zero-emission shuttle buses
- Energy Goal
- Fully clean energy
- Current Residents
- Mostly construction workers