A Course for Jakarta DETOX Culture

The way we interact with the planet leaves behind a trail of destruction. We must shift toward a circular use of resources, simply because there is no room left for waste. Our toxic culture of consumption is deeply ingrained, but change is possible. Urban design, in particular, can lay the foundation for a positive cultural transformation. In Kampung Melayu, a vibrant neighborhood along the Ciliwung River, she proposes a new urban structure that encourages collaboration between local communities, circular initiatives, and educational institutions, while actively preventing gentrification. Through green public spaces, water-purifying landscapes, and inclusive living and working environments, she demonstrates how urban form can shape behavior and lay the groundwork for a regenerative, just, and resilient urban culture. Hannah Liem about A Course for Jakarta DETOX Culture: “This project makes the dream more tangible. It demonstrates a possible collaboration in which governments, river communities and designers can work together to ensure that Jakarta no longer sinks. In doing so, it reveals a new path towards regeneration: Jakarta is capable of restoring its relationship with water, nature and raw materials in a single generation.” 

“The project shows a rare combination of design thinking, detailed research, and social engagement.”

- Madeleine Maaskant, director of the Academy of Architecture Amsterdam

“Hannah’s project is not just a graduation work, but a manifesto for a new way of practicing urbanism. She demonstrates that designers can contribute to the much-needed detox of urban systems: cleansing the ecological foundation and restoring the social structures strained by rapid growth and inequality. She does this not from an idealistic or utopian vision of society, but firmly rooted in the complex social and economic systems that shape everyday life.”

- Markus Appenzeller, founder and partner of MLA+ B