Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.

It would be an understatement to say that Jakarta is chaotic. The roads and rules are more than confusing; buildings seem to be erected at the most bizarre places, little to no greenery and slums hidden behind tall-rise buildings.

Floods are seasonal yet abundant, traffic costing us large chunks of time and money, all the while the skies are shrouded by a cloud of gray pollution. Still, we live here and we love it, but there are times when we think ‘if only things were better’ or ‘if only things were planned better’. Let us not make the same mistakes of our forefathers, and study planning.

Planning, also called urban planning or city and regional planning, is a dynamic profession that works to improve the welfare of people and their communities by creating more convenient, equitable, healthful, efficient, and attractive places for present and future generations. Planning enables civic leaders, businesses, and citizens to play a meaningful role in creating communities that enrich people's lives. Good planning helps create communities that offer better choices for where and how people live. Planning helps communities to envision their future. It helps them find the right balance of new development and essential services, environmental protection, and innovative change.

Professional planners help create a broad vision for the community. They also research, design, and develop programs; lead public processes; effect social change; perform technical analyses; manage; and educate. Some planners focus on just some of these roles, such as transportation planning, but most will work at many kinds of planning throughout their careers. 

The basic element is the creation of a plan. Planners develop a plan through analysis of data and identification of goals for the community or the project. Planners help the community and its various groups identify their goals and form a particular vision. In the creation of a plan, planners identify the strategies by which the community can reach its goals and vision. Planners are also responsible for the implementation or enforcement of many of the strategies, often coordinating the work of many groups of people. It is important to recognize that a plan can take a variety of forms including: policy recommendations, community action plans, comprehensive plans, neighborhood plans, regulatory and incentive strategies, or historic preservation plans. Other examples of plans include: redevelopment plans, smart growth strategies, economic development strategic plans, site plans, and disaster preparedness plans.

There are several options for you to take; University of Sheffield offers an undergraduate Master of Planning degree. This course, under the Department of Town and Regional Planning, is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). This four-year degree will teach you to become a professional planner, with many instances of travel to study the effects of planning and design in different towns and cities.  University of Reading offers BSc Real Estate with Diploma/MSc in Urban Planning and Development which is also accredited by the RTPI. This is a joint undergraduate and postgraduate four year degree that allows you to have the skills of one working in the property market along with the skills of an urban planner.  

The University of Manchester offers Town & Country Planning as a Bachelor of Arts or a Master’s of Town & Country Planning. The Master’s degree is a 4 year degree that is accredited by the RTPI. Another RTPI accredited program would be Newcastle University’s RTPI accredited educational route which consists of a Bachelor of Arts in Town Planning, a work placement year and a Diploma of Town Planning which can be converted into a master’s with provision of a dissertation.

The career options are as numerous as the study options. Most graduates work in planning or a related career in the built environment professions, including housing, transport planning, development control, forward planning, regeneration, urban design, heritage and conservation. The culmination of all the study and experience would allow you to plan and maybe build your own city. Though it won’t be the same city, we would like to see a ‘better Jakarta’.

-          Written by Ardhi of SUN Education Group. Contact us at consultation@suneducationgroup.com