Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, feature prominently in the medium-term plan Indonesia 2014-2019 of the Indonesian government: as large cities, as priority location for a new town, as future growth center, and mainly as (the only) metropolitan area in Indonesian Borneo. It explains the prospects of a doubled population by 2030 (from 652.000 inhabitants in 2010 to 1.27 million in 2030). Simultaneously Banjarmasin is undergoing a dramatic transformation, shifting its waterbased origins towards road-based transport.
Today both mentioned partners renew their focus towards ‘Advocating Urban Planning for City Leaders’, revising their guidelines towards a more integrated comprehensive planning across sectors. The focus of UN-Habitat on urban planning is framed against the very rapid and often uncontrolled urbanization, looking for more sustainable, empowering and inclusive ways to guide this expected massive urban growth or urban sprawl.