Participatory Urban Planning in Papua: Empowering Indigenous Communities in Jayapura's Metropolitan Development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55927/ijsd.v5i1.3Keywords:
Participatory Planning, Indigenous Communities, Urban Development, Papua, Jayapura, Arnstein's Ladder, DecolonizationAbstract
This study examines the implementation of participatory urban planning approaches in Jayapura, Papua Province, Indonesia, with specific focus on empowering indigenous Papuan communities in metropolitan development processes. Utilizing Arnstein's Ladder of Citizen Participation (1969) and contemporary Indigenous Planning theories (Friedmann, 1992; Walker et al., 2024), this research analyzes the current state of community engagement in Jayapura's urban development. Mixed-methods research combining quantitative surveys (n=385) and qualitative interviews with 25 indigenous community leaders reveals that participatory practices remain at the 'consultation' and 'placation' levels (rungs 4-5) of Arnstein's ladder, falling short of genuine power-sharing. Key findings indicate that despite Papua's Special Autonomy status, indigenous Papuans—who comprise only 35% of Jayapura's urban population—face systematic exclusion from planning decisions. The study proposes a context-specific participatory framework integrating customary governance systems (adat), traditional knowledge, and modern planning methodologies to advance toward partnership and delegated power levels. This research contributes to the growing discourse on decolonizing urban planning and provides practical recommendations for policymakers, urban planners, and indigenous advocacy organizations in Papua and similar post-colonial contexts.
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