Kota Kita

At Kota Kita, we have a vision of a model city that is shaped and shared by informed and empowered citizens - A City for All. We believe that citizens should be at the heart of the decision-making process that determines the environment and the quality of living of the urban centers they reside in. They are entitled to governance that is inclusive, transparent and socially just. We are a non-profit organization based in the Indonesian city of Solo with expertise in urban planning and citizen participation in the design and development of cities. We provide education, facilitate citizen participation and collective action, and work with governments to build bridges between officials and their constituencies. In our experience carrying out projects in 12 rapidly urbanizing Indonesian cities, we have found that when citizens and stakeholders understand urban issues and work together, services improve, poverty is reduced and inequality narrows, as poor communities become empowered to make a living. The bulk of our work has been in Indonesia, but we have taken our knowledge and experience to other fast urbanizing countries in the region, where participatory governance is on the agenda and is gaining momentum. Our mission is rooted in grassroots activism as well as engagement with government. Yayasan Kota Kita, or Our City Foundation, is an Indonesian non-profit organization helping people make thoughtful and inclusive decisions about the development of their cities - by facilitating citizen participation and collective action. We aim to empower a generation of people by promoting democratic and participatory approaches to improve urban areas.