Lesson video

Hello, and welcome.

My name's Ms. Harrison, and I'm so excited to be learning with you today.

Grab everything you might need for today's lesson, and let's begin our learning.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to explain, using an example, how urban planning is improving quality of life for the urban poor in Jakarta.

Before we can begin this learning, we need to define the keywords that we'll be using throughout today's lesson.

The keywords in today's lesson are: sustainable, bottom-up development, and cooperative.

Sustainable.

This is the development that meets the needs of people today without damaging the environment or reducing resources for future generations.

Bottom-up development.

These are small-scale projects led by local people to meet community needs, often supported by NGOs.

These are non-governmental organisations.

And cooperative.

This is a group of people working together to achieve shared goals.

A housing cooperative is where residents help plan and manage their homes, often in partnership with the local government or NGOs.

Now that we've defined these keywords, we can begin our learning.

The first area we're going to explore in today's lesson is improving housing for Jakarta's urban poor.

Urban planning is all about deciding how land and cities should be used.

It includes decisions like where houses should be built, where to put services such as schools, hospitals, parks, and transport links, how to design spaces that are safe, efficient, and fair for everyone.

The main goal of urban planning is to make cities that are livable, well-organized, and sustainable, places where people can live, work, and move around easily without harming the environment.

In many cases, planning is led by the city government, and this is called top-down development, where decisions are made by authorities or experts and then carried out across the city.

Top-down projects can be useful for solving big problems like improving transport or sanitation, but they don't always take into account what local people want or need.

Not all urban planning is done by governments or big organisations.

Sometimes, local communities take the lead.

This is called bottom-up development.

In bottom-up development, the people living in the area, especially in poorer or informal neighbourhoods, help them plan and carry out projects themselves.

So let's break this down a bit more.

The key players in bottom-up planning include community groups, local workers, and non-governmental organisations.

They use tools like aid, such as support from charities or NGOs; microfinance, which are small loans to help people start businesses or improve their homes; and unionisation, where organising workers to fight for better pay or conditions.

The main aim is to create small-scale sustainable solutions that actually meet the real needs of the community, like access to clean water, proper toilets, safe housing, or local schools.

Bottom-up projects often work well because they're affordable, appropriate, and involve the people they're meant to help.

However, they may lack funding or face challenges scaling up to help larger areas.

What advantage might bottom-up urban planning have over top-down government-led projects? Pause the video here whilst you have a think and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Let's hear some answers.

One student said that bottom-up development is community-driven, often more sustainable and responsive to local needs, but it may be slower, less well-funded, and harder to scale, and they're correct.

Well done, I hope you managed to come up with a similar answer.

True or false? Urban planning in newly emerging economies is always designed and led by local communities.

Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

This statement is false.

I would like you to explain why.

Pause the video here and press play to continue.

Brilliant.

The reason why it's false is because much urban planning is led by governments or large corporations, not by local communities.

This top-down development often aims to improve infrastructure at a citywide or national level.

Well done if you managed to explain that correctly.

In Jakarta, millions of people live in kampungs.

These are informal settlements built by communities themselves.

So why do kampungs exist? There is a huge shortage of affordable, planned housing, especially for low-income families, and as a result, people have no choice but to build their own homes, often using scrap materials, on flood plains, riverbanks, or unused land.

These are not officially planned or approved, so they're classed as informal, and around 3.

5 million people, that's nearly 1/3 of Jakarta's population, live in kampungs.

Most kampungs are self-built and overcrowded, lack basic infrastructure such as clean water, sewage systems, electricity, and waste collection, are in areas of high risk of flooding, especially during the rainy season.

And kampungs are a clear example of where bottom-up development could make a huge difference, but they also show how quickly cities can grow beyond what governments are prepared for.

I would like you to identify the missing labels of the characteristics of kampungs.

Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Fantastic.

The missing labels are: built on flood plains or wasteland, and lack of infrastructure.

Well done if you identified those correctly.

Kampung Aquarium in Jakarta is a powerful example of how communities can lead change through bottom-up development.

In 2016, the original kampung was demolished, leaving many residents without homes.

But instead of giving up, residents returned to the site and began to rebuild their homes themselves.

In 2017, with the help of NGOs and community groups, the residents secured an agreement with the government to allow them to stay and rebuild properly.

In 2019, the community formed a housing cooperative.

This meant they were able to design and manage the construction of their own homes, choosing what worked best for them.

By 2021, the first two housing blocks were completed.

Over 900 residents were rehoused in safe, permanent buildings.

And now, over 900 people live in Kampung Aquarium, and they finally have permanent homes, access to clean water and sanitation, and for the first time, legal land ownership.

And this shows how bottom-up development can lead to real, long-lasting improvements, especially when communities, NGOs, and governments work together.

It's also a rare success story of kampung residents gaining legal rights and a better quality of life.

We can see how Kampung Aquarium has changed over time using satellite images from ArcGIS's Wayback tool.

These images help us track the transformation of the area, showing the impact of bottom-up development step by step.

In 2014, we can see the original kampung, which is made up of densely packed self-built housing.

Homes here were informal, without planning or access to proper infrastructure like clean water or sanitation.

By 2017, the kampung had been demolished and residents have returned and restarted rebuilding basic shelters.

This was the early stage of the community fighting for their right to return, and was supported by NGOs and community groups.

By 2025, we can see the new housing blocks that were designed and built by the community through the housing cooperative.

These buildings are safe, permanent structures with green space, proper layouts, and services like water and sanitation.

This timeline is a great example of how community-led planning can create long-lasting positive change, even in places where informal housing was once dominated.

How did the Kampung Aquarium project improve quality of life for some poorer residents of Jakarta? Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The answer is B, residents got secure homes with government support.

Well done if you identified that correctly.

How many people were rehoused in Kampung Aquarium by 2021? Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The answer is C, 900.

Well done.

Kampung Pulo, a community in Jakarta, shows how government-led and community-led approaches to urban planning can work together.

The kampung is built on a floodplain along the Ciliwung River, where frequent flooding has damaged homes and put people at risk.

The government worked with the community to identify which residents were most vulnerable.

Some families were relocated to safe areas, and at the same time, around 160 families who stayed received upgraded services, including toilets, better lighting, and improved drainage, making daily life healthier and safer.

The city also built new flood defences along the river, visible in the satellite image from 2025.

You can see a much clearer river channel and reduced overcrowding near the banks compared to 2014.

This is a good example of how top-down planning, like flood defences, and bottom-up action, like community involvement and local improvements, can be combined to create safer, more resilient urban areas.

Why might some residents choose to stay rather than relocate? Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Let's hear some answers.

Aisha said, "Some residents stay because they've lived there for generations, and it's where their family, jobs, and support networks are.

Alex said, "People might stay because they don't trust the government's promises, or they fear being moved far away from work and schools." And they're both correct.

I hope you managed to come up with similar answers.

Urban planning isn't just about buildings and maps, it's about real people's lives.

The bottom-up development of Kampung Aquarium has transformed this community, and these two stories show them.

Mariam, age 68, has lived in Kampung Aquarium since the 1980s.

In 2016, her home was demolished during the government clearance, but thanks to the community-led housing project, she now lives in one of the new flats built in 2021.

And she says, "This is the first time I've felt safe and secure in my own home." Rafi, age 26, is a construction worker and a member of the local housing cooperative.

He helped design and build the new homes along with other residents.

He says, "I'm earning money and improving our community." Over 900 residents were rehoused through this project.

They now have clean water, proper sanitation, and permanent housing, and something they never had before, legal ownership of the land they live on.

This project is a powerful example of how bottom-up development can create long-lasting change when the community is involved in every step of the way.

Lucas and Sofia are having a discussion about whether Rafi and Mariam's stories show the strengths of bottom-up projects.

I would like you to decide who is correct.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Lucas is correct.

I would like you to explain why.

Pause here and press play to continue.

Brilliant.

The reason why Lucas is correct is because the project was community-led, not government-led.

Rafi was part of the cooperative, and Mariam's housing was the result of planning and partnership.

Well done if you managed to explain that correctly, you've done brilliantly.

I would now like you to fill in the blanks using the words below.

The text is about improving housing for Jakarta's urban poor.

Pause the video here whilst you attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Let's check our answers.

Your text should read like this: Kampung Aquarium is a bottom-up urban planning project.

After being demolished in 2016, residents returned.

By 2021, over 900 people were rehoused with land rights and better sanitation.

Kampung Pulo mixes bottom-up and top-down urban planning.

It's built on a flood plain.

And some families moved, others stayed and got lights, toilets, and drainage.

New flood defences were built on the Ciliwung River.

Well done if you managed to include all of those in your answer, you've done brilliantly.

We're now going to explore a secondary of this lesson: Improving services for Jakarta's urban poor.

In many parts of Jakarta, government services don't reach everyone equally, especially in informal settlements like kampungs.

Many kampungs lack basic services such as clinics, clean school toilets, and safe drinking water.

And only 10% of homes across Jakarta are connected to a proper piped sewage system, meaning millions rely on unsafe or informal waste disposal.

Because the government can't meet all needs, community groups and NGOs have stepped in to fill the gaps.

Over 600 Posyandu clinics have been set up by local groups to provide healthcare for mothers and children, and around 300 schools have had their toilets and hygiene facilities improved, helping reduce illness and improve education outcomes.

This shows how bottom-up efforts can support health and education when top-down services are limited or missing.

Why might a government struggle to support all clinics? Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play to continue.

Excellent.

There are several reasons.

Limited funding.

Jakarta is a huge, rapidly growing city, and the government may not have enough money to build and run clinics in every neighbourhood.

Rapid urban growth.

New settlements, especially informal ones, grow faster than the government can keep up with.

Poor access.

Some kampungs are built in crowded or hard-to-reach areas.

Unequal opportunities.

Governments may focus resources on business districts or wealthier areas first, leaving poorer communities behind.

And this is why community-led solutions and support from NGOs are so important in cities like Jakarta.

True or false? Most kampungs in Jakarta have access to piped sewage and government-run clinics.

Pause the video here whilst you attempt this and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

This statement is false.

I would like you to explain why.

Pause the video here and press play to continue.

Well done.

The reason why it's false is because only 10% of homes in kampungs have piped sewage.

Many kampungs lack clinics and clean school toilets, which is why NGOs have stepped in, supporting 600 Posyandu clinics and improving 300 schools.

Well done if you managed to explain that correctly.

You've done brilliantly.

In many kampungs, access to official healthcare is limited.

To fill the gap, thousands of Posyandu clinics have been set up, and they're run by trained local people, not doctors or hospitals.

Let's look at what Posyandu clinics actually do.

They train local residents to run small health clinics with their own communities.

These locals can weigh babies, give basic health advice, and refer serious cases to hospitals.

And because they live in the area, they can offer trusted advice in a way people can understand.

Why are local-led health projects more trusted than official services? Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The reason why they're so successful is because they're run by familiar, trusted people from the local community, not outsiders.

They speak the same language or dialect and understand local customs or concerns.

Clinics are easier to access and often nearby and free, with no long travel or paperwork.

And people feel more comfortable asking questions and accepting advice in a relaxed, community-led setting.

In some cases, there's distrust of government services, especially if previous support has been poor or unequal.

So bottom-up health projects like Posyandu work because they're local, relatable, and responsive to real needs.

What makes Posyandu clinics an effective way of improving services for Jakarta's poorer residents? Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The answer is B, they are community-run, offer trusted advice, and have raised immunisation rates by 20%.

Well done if you managed to explain that correctly.

Basic hygiene is essential for keeping children healthy and in school, especially in poorer areas where illness spreads easily.

But in Jakarta, only 68% of public schools had working toilets with soap and water.

A further 48% had soap and water but no toilets, so hygiene was still poor.

In response, UNICEF launched the WASH programme in 2021 to fix this.

WASH stands for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene.

UNICEF helped instal proper hygiene facilities in over 300 schools across Jakarta.

The results were clear.

In schools where new WASH facilities were, students' absence from illness dropped by 30%, meaning more children could stay in school and learn.

I would like you to think about why is the WASH programme a sustainable solution? Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The WASH programme is sustainable because it improves long-term health, reduces illness and the need for medical care.

It helps students stay in school, leading to better education and future opportunities.

And facilities like toilets, water taps, and soap are permanent and can be maintained locally.

The programme teaches good hygiene habits which children can carry into their homes and communities.

It targets schools, creating a system-wide change in how hygiene is delivered and prioritised.

By combining infrastructure and education, WASH supports both people and the environment over a long term.

Well done if you managed to come up with those answers as well.

How much did school absence drop by in upgraded WASH schools? Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The answer is C, 30%.

Well done.

In some schools, students who menstruate miss classes every month because of lack of hygiene facilities, embarrassment, or fear of stigma.

To solve this, the menstrual hygiene programme ran from 2021 to 2023, reaching over 3,000 girls and boys.

The programme included educational comics that made the topics easy to understand, training sessions for students and teachers, hygiene packs to help students feel prepared and confident.

And the results were powerful.

Attendance increased by 20% among students targeted by the project.

Students reported feeling less embarrassed and more supported.

And this shows that education and awareness can remove barriers that prevent young people, especially people who menstruate, from fully accessing their right to education.

Here's some feedback around the project.

"I used to be really embarrassed and stayed at home, but now I have what I need and don't miss school anymore." "The programme built confidence." And that's amazing, we can see real impact with this.

Urban development is not just about buildings, it's about improving daily life for real people.

The stories of Ayu and Nina show how community-led programmes can make a long-lasting difference.

Ayu, 34, is a mother of three living in East Jakarta.

She regularly visits her local Posyandu clinic, where trained volunteers weigh her baby and offer advice.

And she says, "The nurse helped with checkups and food tips.

I trust her, she's from our area." This shows how local health workers build trust and improve care in kampungs.

Nina is 12 and is a student at a public school that received support from the WASH and menstrual hygiene management programmes.

Before the upgrades, she often missed school due to illness and embarrassment during her period.

Now she says, "We have clean toilets, soap, and lessons about periods.

I haven't been sick in months, and I don't feel scared to come to school anymore." These stories show that even small community-led improvements, like clean toilets or health checkups, can have a big impact on the quality of life, confidence, and opportunity.

What do Ayu and Nina's stories suggest about the impact of bottom-up development on quality of life? I would like you to decide who is correct.

Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent, the answer on your left is correct.

I would now like you to explain why.

Pause the video here and press play to continue.

Excellent.

The reason why it's correct is because Ayu visits her local Posyandu, where trained volunteers support mothers and checkups.

Nina's school joined the WASH and menstrual health management programmes, which reduced absences by 30% with better hygiene and period education.

Well done if you managed to explain that correctly, you've done brilliantly.

I would now like you to match each outcome with the correct community-led strategy.

Pause the video here whilst you attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent, let's check our answers.

The students who menstruate felt more confident.

It's the menstrual hygiene project.

For school absence dropped by 30%, it's the WASH project.

For local moms weigh their babies and get health advice, it's the Posyandu clinics.

And for students have access to functioning toilets and handwashing facilities is the WASH project.

Well done if you managed to identify those correctly.

I would now like you to read Alex's answer to why are community-led health and education projects sometimes more effective than top-down planning.

I would like you to correct his mistakes.

Pause the video here to attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Let's check our answers.

Alex said, "They don't need any help from the government." You might have said, "They often work best when supported by NGOs or local authorities." Alex said, "They don't cost anything." You might have said, "They are low-cost but need some funding and training to run well." Alex said, "Posyandu gives operations and is managed by doctors." You might have said, "There are 6,000 clinics in Jakarta and are run by local volunteers who offer advice, checkups, and referrals." Alex said, "Only helped boys and wasn't part of the Menstrual Health Management programme." You might have said, "WASH supports all students and has reduced absence by 30%, and the Menstrual Health Management programme helps students who menstruate stay in school confidently." Well done on this task.

You've done brilliantly.

We're now going to explore our final area of this lesson, which is sustainable urban planning.

Urban planning that is led by communities is often more trusted, affordable, and tailored to local needs.

It puts the people who live there at the centre of the decision-making.

The reason why it works: Residents are involved so services actually match what people need and use.

It's cheaper, using local materials and labour.

It uses appropriate technology, simple, practical solutions that work in real local contexts.

And there are some real examples that we have here: They're trusted.

Posyandu clinics help around 150 families a month, offering reliable healthcare in kampungs.

They're low-cost.

Kampung Aquarium rehoused over 900 people using community-led design and labour.

And they're relevant.

WASH programme improved hygiene in schools, cutting absence by 30%.

And these projects show that when local people lead, the results are more effective, fair, and sustainable, especially in cities facing rapid growth and inequality.

True or false? Community-led projects are expensive because they rely on outside contractors and imported materials.

Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Fantastic.

This statement is false.

I would like you to explain why.

Pause here and press play to continue.

Excellent.

The reason why it's false is because community-led projects are often cheaper because they rely on local resources and labour.

For example, in Kampung Aquarium, the community formed a housing cooperative and worked directly with developers, helping rehouse 900 people affordably by shaping and managing the design themselves.

Well done if you explained that correctly.

You've done brilliantly.

Bottom-up urban planning has many strengths, but not every project lasts or works as planned.

There are some real challenges that communities often face.

Let's look at four common issues: Land rights.

Only 10% of kampungs have legal land rights.

Without legal ownership, people can be evicted at any time, even after improving their homes.

Awareness.

In some cases, people were simply unaware of nearby services like health posts, so these services weren't used, even if they existed.

Funding.

Projects like Posyandu clinics rely heavily on volunteers and donations.

Without steady funding, they can't grow or improve.

And training.

Many Posyandu workers only receive basic training, which limits how much medical care they can provide.

In kampungs like Kampung Aquarium, real improvements to quality of life were only possible once land rights, funding, and long-term support were in place.

And this shows that bottom-up projects need help, from NGOs, city governments, and outside organisations to make sure their success can last.

True or false? Most kampungs in Jakarta have legal land rights, which helps bottom-up urban planning projects succeed.

Pause the video here and press play to continue.

Excellent.

This statement is false.

I would like you to explain why.

Pause the video here and press play to continue.

Fantastic.

The reason why it's false is because only 10% of kampungs have legal land rights.

This lack of land ownership makes it difficult to plan or invest in long-term solutions.

For example, in Kampung Aquarium, improvements in quality of life for poorer people only happened after land rights, funding, and support improved.

Without these, many bottom-up projects struggle to succeed.

Well done if you explained that correctly.

Not all urban development is successful on its own, especially if it only involves one group.

The most effective bottom-up strategies happen when communities lead, but they also receive support from NGOs or government to make their work more sustainable.

So let's break it down.

First, local people who actually live in the community are the ones who understand it best.

They know what's needed, they're trusted, and they can help design solutions that make sense for the area.

And that's what we call community-led planning.

But then, even the best local ideas often need support.

Governments and NGOs can step in to offer land rights, funding, training, or help with technical planning, things that communities may not have on their own.

And when you combine the both, you get sustainable projects.

That means solutions that last because they're locally relevant, but they're also well-resourced and designed to grow.

So the key message here is this: Community input that is well-funded, sustainable, and designed for large-scale impact has the greatest chance of success.

That's what we saw in Kampung Aquarium.

The residents led the project, but it only worked once they had legal land rights, NGO support, and the funding to build permanent homes.

What helps bottom-up urban planning become more sustainable? Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play to continue.

Excellent.

The answer is B, Support from NGOs and government through funding, training, or planning.

Well done on this.

I would now like you to read each statement and decide whether you agree or disagree.

Pause the video here whilst you attempt this and press play to continue.

Excellent.

Before we check our answers, I would like you to complete one more task.

Explain what can make urban planning more sustainable.

I would like you to use a project that aims to improve quality of life for poorer people in Jakarta as an example in your answer.

Pause the video here whilst you attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Let's check our answers.

For the first one, I asked you to decide whether you agreed or disagreed with each statement.

For bottom-up urban planning is most likely to be successful when it meets local needs, is agree.

Without any government or NGO support, agree Rehousing residents is sustainable, disagree Projects like Posyandu are trusted is agree.

And local knowledge is less important than expert advice is disagree.

Well done if you managed to identify those correctly.

You've done brilliantly.

For the next task, I asked you to explain what can make urban planning more sustainable.

Your answer might include some of the following points: Kampung Aquarium is a good example of sustainable urban planning because it was developed through cooperation between the community, the government, and NGOs.

After the original kampung was demolished in 2016, many residents returned and began living in temporary shelters.

Instead of removing them again, the government signed an agreement with the community to co-design a new housing plan.

In 2019, residents formed a housing cooperative that helped design the buildings and now manage them.

This gave residents a sense of ownership and responsibility, increasing the likelihood that projects will succeed long-term.

Around 900 people were rehoused in better-quality homes with improved infrastructure, water supply, and sanitation.

They also now have secure tenure, meaning they cannot easily be removed.

This example shows that urban planning is more sustainable when the community affected by the urban planning has a role in the leading of the planning.

This is because the community knows best what its needs are.

However, poor communities in cities like Jakarta do also need support from government and often NGOs too.

This makes sure that things such as legal tenure can be sorted out, giving the urban planning a much better chance of success.

Well done on this task, you've done brilliantly, and I hope you managed to include some of those points in your answer.

We've now come to the end of our learning on Urban planning: improving quality of life for the urban poor in Jakarta, and you've done brilliantly.

But before we end this lesson, let's summarise everything we've learned today.

In kampungs like Aquarium and Pulo, residents were not just passive recipients of help.

They were actively involved in planning housing upgrades.

By working with NGOs and government officials, they helped design solutions that were affordable, safe, and tailored to their needs.

These projects didn't just rebuild homes, they transformed living conditions for some of Jakarta's poorest urban residents.

Community-based healthcare has also played a key role.

Posyandu clinics, run by trained local volunteers, provide basic healthcare services to families who would otherwise struggle to access doctors or hospitals.

At the same time, school-based programmes like WASH and Menstrual Hygiene Management have improved access to clean toilets, hygiene education, and dignity for students.

These projects have helped reduce illness, boost school attendance, and improve confidence among young people in kampungs.

What all of these examples show is that when communities and governments work together, the results are often more sustainable and more effective, and more likely to meet real local needs.

Bottom-up planning ensures that solutions are trusted and appropriate.

Government and NGO support brings the resources, land rights, and infrastructure needed to make these solutions last.

This combined approach offers a powerful model for tackling urban poverty, not just in Jakarta, but in rapidly growing cities all over the world.

Well done on this lesson, you've done brilliantly, and I look forward to learning with you again very soon.