Tangerang, Indonesia. Representatives from three provinces have formally expanded the regional agglomeration initiative covering Greater Jakarta — now incorporating the Puncak area in Bogor Regency and Cianjur Regency — under the Jabodetabekpunjur framework, in a move aimed at improving public services through cross-border coordination.

Greater Jakarta previously referred to Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi, but has since been broadened to reflect the region’s growing economic and geographic integration.

The declaration was announced during a national seminar in Pagedangan district, Tangerang regency, on Wednesday, attended by officials from municipalities and regencies across Banten, Jakarta, and West Java. Indonesia’s Deputy Home Affairs Minister Bima Arya Sugiarto was also present.

Bima Arya said the Home Affairs Ministry is preparing the legal framework needed to implement the agglomeration, adding it must align with the law governing Jakarta’s special administrative status.

“The legal basis is still being prepared by the ministry, as it needs to be derived from the Jakarta Special Region Law to avoid regulatory overlap,” he said.

Participants stressed the urgency of strengthening interregional collaboration, particularly in waste management, which requires integrated solutions to reduce mounting volumes across the metropolitan area.

Public transportation integration also emerged as a key priority, with officials pointing to the need to better connect systems such as the Jakarta MRT and Jakarta LRT, which operate across administrative boundaries but remain fragmented in planning and execution.

Agriculture was identified as another focus area, in line with central government efforts to bolster food security in and around the capital region.

Bima Arya said the initiative must move beyond symbolic commitments and deliver tangible results.

“This must be implemented. We are optimistic it will materialize. We cannot keep going in circles with the same issues, such as flooding and traffic congestion,” he said.

Tangerang Regent Moch Maesyal Rasyid said the declaration prioritizes three sectors: waste-to-energy processing, agriculture, and interregional transportation.

“For now, we are focusing on three main themes,” he said, adding that the agglomeration concept aligns with central government directives to strengthen regional synergy among neighboring municipalities.

Growing Urban Pressure
The push for a formal agglomeration framework comes as Greater Jakarta faces mounting pressure from rapid urban expansion and population growth.

The United Nations projects Jakarta’s wider metropolitan region could reach around 42 million people, reflecting its role as a major economic and administrative hub attracting daily commuters from surrounding cities. However, under Indonesia’s official definition, Jakarta’s core population is estimated at about 11 million.

Studies by the World Bank show that rapid urbanization has strained transport networks, housing, sanitation, and waste systems. These challenges are compounded by climate risks, particularly flooding, which often affects multiple areas simultaneously due to shared river basins.

The Greater Jakarta functions as a single economic zone, even as governance remains divided across multiple jurisdictions.

Transport analysts, including those from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, have long called for a unified metropolitan governance structure to improve mobility as transit systems expand beyond Jakarta.

Rahmad Wandi Putra, senior transport associate at ITDP Indonesia, said integrated governance is critical as daily mobility routinely crosses administrative boundaries.

“The establishment of integrated urban transport governance in Indonesia is therefore critical, given that people’s daily mobility often crosses administrative boundaries within metropolitan regions,” he said.

While the Jakarta administration has expanded services such as Transjabodetabek to improve connectivity, analysts say public transportation across the metropolitan area cannot be managed by a single jurisdiction alone.