Eka Permanasari is an Associate Professor in urban design, architecture, and Southeast Asian Studies at Monash University, Indonesia. She has led international research such as Cross-cultural Community-based Strategies for Sustainable Urban Streams in Des Moines and Jakarta, as well as the impact of the new Indonesian capital on the communities and surrounding cities. Apart from being a researcher she also led several strategic national projects for the Jakarta government, such as the Giant Sea Wall Jakarta coastal development, the integration of Jakarta MRT and LRT lines, and Jakarta TOD urban renewal projects. And six community-centre pilot projects (Ruang Publik Terpadu Ramah Anak – abbreviated as RPTRA). Her approach to incorporating the community into the design process has resulted in the expansion of the RPTRA development from 6 pilot projects to 298 RPTRA in Jakarta.

As a faculty member, she has published in high-ranked journals. Her publications include “The Production of Megaprojects in Java: Colonialism, Nationalism, Development Centralism Vs. Decentralization” (2021), “Reading Political Insinuation in Urban Forms: Saving the Sinking Jakarta Through Giant Sea Wall Project” (2019), and “Political Representation In Urban Public Space In Jakarta Child-Friendly Public Space (Ruang Publik Terpadu Ramah Anak – RPTRA)” (2019).

Her career highlights include being granted a three-year research funding from Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, Drake University, USA (2020-2023) for Cross-cultural Community-based Strategies for Sustainable Urban Streams: Lessons from Des Moines and Jakarta and three years of research funding from Indonesian Ministry of Research and Technology (2017-2020) to analyse the sense of community belonging towards Jakarta Community centre (RPTRA) in Gandaria Selatan.

Eka holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Indonesia (2002) and a PhD in Architecture and Urban Design from the University of Melbourne (2008). She is based in Berlin, Germany.

To build cities that last, we must design with, not just for, their inhabitants. Empowering local communities is crucial for urban resilience that aligns with net-zero goals. When I see communities unite or governments embrace a bottom-up approach, I know I’ve made a real impact.