From 21-23 November 2016, the beautiful city of Semarang was host to the first Young City Leaders Academy to be held in Indonesia. Selected from more than one hundred applications, just 26 talented students were invited to join the three-day program, representing a rich mix of disciplines, such as urban planning, water resources management, highway engineering and architecture.
Under the theme Blue-Green Cities, the participants were challenged to develop their vision on the resilient and sustainable development of Semarang, focusing on the historic centre of Kota Lama and the Port area. A so-called Design Charrette approach was followed that encouraged participants to approach the cases from an integrated and multidisciplinary perspective and use drawing as their main form of expression.
The program featured lectures by local experts, site visits, workshops, team assignments, presentations and skills training. A team of 10 experts from the Netherlands and Indonesia supported the program, sharing their knowledge and experience with the aspiring city leaders.
A nice bonus was a meet and greet with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Indonesian Minister of Public Works Dr Basuki Hadimuljono and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo.
Over the coming months, the teams will be developing their visions into concrete plans. The final presentations are scheduled to take place in March 2017.