Gitasanti Djais

Background

About Gitasanti Djais

As an urbanist and regional planner, my research interests span across sustainable urban transformation, collaborative governance, and equitable spatial development. Currently serving as Assistant Professor at Monash University Indonesia's Urban Transformation Hub, I am involved in transformative initiatives including 1) the Banten Mosaic project: a place-based approach for building habitat, health and prosperity through healthy homes, mixed-use neighborhoods, networked townships, circular food regions, and blue-green networks; 2) Citarum Action Research Project (CARP) which adopts an innovative approach of the Living lab to create clean, healthy rivers and communities by transforming waste into opportunities for circular economy; and 3) Citarum Oxbow Remediation and Enhancement: a nature-based water security project. Holding a PhD from Erasmus University Rotterdam's Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) as an LPDP scholarship awardee, and having worked in the Ministry of Public Work (MPW), I specialize in bridging regional development theories with sustainable development and governance principles, translated into multi-scalar spatial planning and development practice. My career at the MPW encompassed high-impact national projects, notably Indonesia's Integrated Tourism Development Program (a joint project between the Indonesian Government with the World Bank), the Integrated Infrastructure Development Plan of Indonesia's Strategic Development Regions (SDR) Corridors; the Maritime Based Development Plan; Smart Travelers' Plaza development; and Heritage City Conservation and Management Program. These programs aimed at advancing SDG-aligned urban solutions. Hence, my work consistently connects research, policy and on-the-ground implementation to address Indonesia's pressing challenges of urban informality, ecological resilience and inclusive development.