Karsa CityLab has concluded a series of strategic working visits and dialogues across the UK and Scotland (London and Edinburgh). In London, the itinerary commenced with a high-level visit to the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group headquarters to engage directly with Andrea Fernández (Managing Director, Climate Finance) and Anna Beech (Managing Director, Governance and Executive Engagement). The meeting served as a reflective moment on Jakarta’s landmark achievement in winning the 2021 Sustainable Transport Award—a testament to advancing inclusive urban mobility through enhanced walkable spaces, integrated flat-rate fares within a 3-hour travel window, and safer dedicated cycling corridors. Building upon this foundation, Karsa CityLab presented its ongoing urban projects and explored collaborative avenues to accelerate innovative city development across Indonesia.
Complementing the urban climate agenda, the visit fostered vibrant academic and youth engagement across prestigious institutions. At the London School of Economics (LSE), a public lecture hosted by renowned academic Prof. Hyun Bang Shin and featuring PhD candidate Paulista Surjadi addressed the challenges and potential of Indonesian cities, highlighting how students can drive meaningful societal impact post-graduation. This was complemented by an intimate roundtable hosted by the Indonesian Students Association in the UK (PPI UK) at University College London (UCL), focusing on systemic city and national development strategies.
The journey concluded in Scotland with Urban 101 x ScotCity, a collaborative event with PPI Edinburgh marking Karsa CityLab’s first international Urban 101 session. Discussions surrounding Indonesia’s urban landscape generated exceptional enthusiasm, prompting participants to extend the conversation onto the steps of the historic Old College at the University of Edinburgh. First constructed in 1789 during the height of the Scottish Enlightenment, this iconic landmark once again buzzed with intellectual discourse as Indonesian students sat together on its steps, exchanging perspectives, debating solutions, and envisioning the future of cities back home.
