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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Michael Nielson in Nusantara

Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, in danger of becoming a ‘ghost city’

The presidential palace at Nusantara, Indonesia’s new capital.
The presidential palace at Nusantara, Indonesia’s new capital. Approximately 2,000 civil servants and 8,000 construction workers currently live in the city, far from the 2030 target of 1.2 million people. Photograph: Michael Neilson/The Guardian

Indonesia’s utopian new capital Nusantara seems to appear out of nowhere. Deep in the forest, a multilane highway abruptly opens up through the trees, leading to a palace topped by a winged eagle that glows under the equatorial sun.

But along the rows of futuristic new buildings, Nusantara’s boulevards are largely empty save for a few gardeners and curious tourists.

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