UMS and Solo City Government Unite to Reimagine Urban Development

Astrid Widayani, S.S., S.E., M.B.A., Deputy Mayor of Surakarta for the 2025-2030 period, has expressed full support for the initiative of UMS Architecture students in shaping the city's future. Her presence at the public lecture titled “Envisioning Surakarta Beyond 2045” highlights the synergy between academia and the government in creating sustainable urban planning.

“Today's theme is very interesting. In the Studio Perancangan 6 class, we are learning together about the history of Solo, the current spatial and urban planning, and its projection for 2045,” she said.

She emphasized that this project could serve as an important reference for future urban planning policies.

“Hopefully, what I shared today can be useful as research material in the future, or even serve as inspiration for students in designing the city and spatial planning of Surakarta,” she added on Thursday (13/3/2025), at the UMS Graduate Seminar Room.

Astrid Widayani's presence at the event further strengthened the connection between academic planning and policy implementation at the government level.

The UMS Architecture Department also invited a guest speaker from the Indonesian Institute of Architects (IAI) Surakarta, Ar. Yunanto Nugroho, I.A.I.

According to Dyah Widi Astuti, S.T., M.Sc., a UMS Architecture lecturer and coordinator of the Studio Perancangan Arsitektur 6 course, the chosen theme aligns with Surakarta's research-based urban development vision.

“In this course, we aim for our sixth-semester students to develop a future-oriented urban planning project. As times change, cities must continue to adapt to avoid stagnation or population decline,” Dyah Widi explained.

This initiative also opens opportunities for collaboration between UMS and the Surakarta City Government in developing more applicable urban planning concepts.

“We see potential for collaboration with the Surakarta government to create more practical urban planning concepts. If the students' proposals prove feasible, there is a possibility they could be implemented as part of the city's future development,” Dyah Widi added.

Through this synergy between academia and the government, the innovative ideas of students are expected to contribute to the advancement of Surakarta, making it a more progressive, sustainable city that meets the demands of the future.

Writer: Fika

Translator: Rizal