There are three main project components that have been implemented between 2018 and 2022 :

 

In 2018, Kota Kita, in collaboration with UNESCO Jakarta, conducted a participatory data collection project. A group of volunteers collected data by going door-to-door in each neighborhood surveying 3,897 persons with disabilities, and documenting the experiences of persons living with disabilities in Banjarmasin. The data collection also included a series of interviews with different stakeholders, observation and geographical analysis, and focus group discussions at the community and city levels. The findings from this participatory data collection process were published in a joint publication that inlcuded a comprehensive disability profile of the city and a toolbox of practice and program ideas.

 

In 2019 and 2020, Kota Kita conducted a co-design process as part of the TUMI Urban Mobility Initiative and implemented a Safe School Zone project in Gadang, Banjarmasin. Together with Banjarmasin's Department of Transportation (DoT), the schools, and Urban+ Institute, Kota Kita have worked to improve the crosswalk area of two inclusive schools — SDN Gadang 2 and SMPN 1 — by establishing tactical traffic management, thus, providing safe and accessible parking, drop off and pick up areas for all. The initiative was implemented through a series of activities: starting from engaging with local stakeholders and technical collaborators, conducting co-design workshops with students, organizing workshops and consultations with local stakeholders, design finalization, and the development and construction  of the agreed design and participatory mural activities with students. The construction was completed in September 2021, and the facility is currently used daily by the students and residents of Gadang.

 

Continuing the co-design initiative, in 2021, Kota Kita, through AT2030's Build Capacity and Participation program, collaborated with communities in two neighborhoods, Pelambuan and Kelayan Barat. Through a series of discussions and co-design workshops with the community, this initiative collected and categorized aspirations, ideas and priority needs from citizens, which will be realized through the construction of an inclusive public space in both neighborhoods. The initiative adopted participatory methods utilizing personas, toy figures, and mockups to engage the perspective of people with disabilities, assistive technology users, older people, and other residents in identifying collective needs and encouraging more meaningfully participation in the design process. As of May 2022, the construction of the public space is in progress, with direct monitoring from the community.

 

As part of the TUMI Urban Mobility program, Kota Kita co-designed and developed accessible rides to support persons with disabilities and provide access to inclusive mobility and new sources of income. The three-wheeled motorbike prototype was developed together with Difabike, authorized technical workshops, universities (Universitas Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa, Yogyakarta and Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, Banjarmasin), schools (SMAN 2 Model Banjarmasin and SMK NU Banjarmasin), and the persons with disabilities (PwDs) community.

 

After the design development, the team replicated and produced ten accessible rides in Banjarmasin and Yogyakarta that drivers with disabilities can use for their daily mobility needs to support their economic activities. In September 2021, the program launched "Modifa", a community-based platform for three-wheeled motorcycle ridesharing and organized sharing sessions between DPOs, the users, and professional drivers. The platform was created to sustain the effort of empowering more drivers and passengers with disabilities in the long term.

 

The Banjarmasin Inclusive City Movement is led by Kota Kita Foundation. It has been supported by multiple international donors over the course of implementation period, including UNESCO, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Global Disability Innovation Hub, and University College London (UCL).

 

The initiative was implemented in collaboration with the City Government of Banjarmasin, as well as various experts, civil society organizations, universities, and local partners in Banjarmasin and other cities in Indonesia.

 

Local Collaborators and Partners:

• Kaki Kota Banjarmasin
• Urban+ Institute
• Lembaga Kajian Keislaman dan Kemasyarakatan (LK3) Banjarmasin
• Difabike
• The Association of Indonesian People with Disabilities (PPDI), Banjarmasin 
• The Association of Indonesian Women with Disabilities (HWDI) Banjarmasin
• SMK NU Banjarmasin high school
• MAN 2 Model Banjarmasin
• Wasaka team
• Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM)
• Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa University (UST) Yogyakarta 
• SDN Gadang Banjarmasin elementary school
• SMPN 10 Banjarmasin junior high school

 

The participatory data collection process recorded 3,897 persons with disabilities, and mapped their locations and needs. This data was useful in updating the city government's database, which benefited in improving service delivery, providing better access to targeted training and internship opportunities, ensuring aid distribution for the community with disabilities during emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and also strengthened disability voters’ rights in elections.

 

Building on the data, the movement then led to the implementation of four completed designs of inclusive school zones through the inclusive design and placemaking initiative, and two ongoing neighborhood-scale co-design processes. 

 

The initiative constructed one pilot site in the Gadang neighborhood, and later inspired replication in three sites by the Banjarmasin Transportation Agency, thus, facilitating the implementation of participatory planning and design while building the city's capacity to replicate the process.

 

In Pelambuan and Kelayan Barat neighborhoods, the team engaged the perspective of persons with disabilities to demonstrate an example of how their needs and aspirations could be incorporated into the planning and implementation of inclusive public infrastructure.

 

The inclusive mobility initiative empowered people with disabilities to imcrease their access to physical and social mobility, and helped create new economic opportunities. The shared learning process during the implementation has enhanced the capacity of local practitioners and helped cultivate an inclusive ecosystem, as two vocational schools, SMK NU and MAN 2 Model Banjarmasin, who worked in retrofitting the accessible rides, have become the referenced mechanic and technicians in Banjarmasin.

 

The Banjarmasin Inclusive City Movement has been the receipient of the TUMI Global Urban Mobility Challenge 2019 award and the 2021 Zero Project Awards for its participatory approach to promoting inclusive principles and citizen participation in cities. 

 

One of the major challenges faced over the course of the program has been the poor understanding of disability-specific needs in urban settings, which has resulted in persons with disabilities being left behind in all policy making cycles and phases. Furthermore, attitudinal and environmental barriers mainly hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. Knowledge about accessibility and inclusivity was still relatively new for most government officials and citizens, and they are now aware of the intersectional aspect of the issue i.e., how accessibility and inclusivity affects other parts of city-living such as economics and transportation. Societal perceptions and treatments of persons with disabilities within cultural settings of neighborhoods have created further barriers to social inclusion. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the situation has been more challenging and there has been situations that limit access for peopele with disabiities to be fully informed or engaged in urban settings.  

 

In building a more disability-inclusive city, active collaboration between stakeholders is one of the key factors for success. During the process, coordination issues among city stakeholders remains a challenge for adopting a fully participatory planning and design process and addressing the accessibility and inclusivity principles. Coordination and bureaucratic hurdles also presented barriers to the sustainability of the initiative as the government program and budget may shift to other priorities in the following years. Therefore, alignment of the City's greater vision towards an inclusive city is imperative in order to benefit all citizens. 

 

Inclusive cities start with inclusive data. Data colleciton is a powerful tool that tells people's stories, their challenges and aspirations of living in the city. The ability to contextualise and transform the data into actionable insights is important in building an inclusive city and communities. In addition, well-planned accessibility encourages social mobility that builds a stronger community and benefits the economy as it opens up interaction between citizens and economic activities.

 

A participatory and inclusive approach ensures all voices are counted in the decision making processes. Providing a safe space for vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, women, children, and older people where they can voice their opinions and aspirations helps to develop understanding of different individuals’ needs. The participatory approach should adapt to the abilities of each individual so no one is left behind in the process. An inclusive movement should also aim to increase public awareness that accessibility and inclusive infrastructure is not only an issue of fundamental human rights; but an asset for everyone.

 

In building a more inclusive city, it is vital that coordinated strategies and strong leadership from local governments are key components to implement inclusive planning, design, and implementation at all levels.

 

The participatory approach could be replicated in other cities, and furthermore, be integrated into the development of  more inclusive policies and practical solutions. The scaling up process can be achieved through strengthening stakeholder engagement that is tailored to the local context.