Yogyakarta, April 21, 2026 — Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) inaugurated Prof. Dr. Mutiah Amini, M.Hum. as a Professor of Urban Social History at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences. The inauguration ceremony took place at the UGM Central Building. In her inaugural speech, Professor Amini sharply highlighted the gap between city comfort slogans and the reality of the residents’ social spaces.
The inaugural speech was titled “History and Citizens’ Imagination of Urban Social Space.” Professor Amini chose the word imagination as a reflection of various social phenomena in contemporary public spaces. She observed the contradiction between citizens sleeping on the streets seeking pity and the various prideful acronyms used by city governments. Slogans such as Bandung Bermartabat, Semarang Kota ATLAS, Surabaya HEBAT, and Yogyakarta Berhati Nyaman seem to imply the promise of a perfect urban space to live in.
“From this reflection, it is certainly important to question whether the abbreviations or acronyms created remain the aspiration of all city governments and their citizens today. Or conversely, are these acronyms merely a fleeting hope?” explained Professor Amini, introducing her ideas.
Professor Amini then referred to Kartini’s thoughts on comfortable urban spaces as a starting point for discussion. She explained that the idea of creating urban social spaces since the colonial era has actually brought significant impacts that are often overlooked. Society became increasingly aware of the boundaries between private and public spaces. The function of the house during modernization slowly shifted. Houses often lost their role as a place that provides comfort and a sense of belonging for families, turning simply into a physical space for temporary shelter.
Citizens’ imagination of a healthy and harmonious urban space continued to live on until the independence period. The complexity of public spaces raised various concerns regarding floods, evictions, and domestic and industrial waste issues. The middle class then used mass media to voice their resignation through opinion columns. Pleas such as “where should we turn” commonly appeared in newspapers to demand the restoration of lakes and other public spaces.
Unlike the middle class, the urban poor had their own way of realizing their collective imagination. This group tended to occupy available urban public spaces. Professor Amini cited Lefebvre’s view, which refers to this phenomenon as a space of representation. The space is brought to life through various symbols and imaginations of its users as a way to manifest the collective memory of city residents.
Historical facts show that Kartini had thought about urban humanitarian and social issues comprehensively since over a century ago. Professor Amini emphasized this as an important self-criticism for modern-era historians. Kartini paved the way for the idea that all government policy formulations must be drafted carefully and comprehensively.
Urban regional planning ultimately demands a balance between physical development and the fulfillment of basic human rights. The provision of an aesthetic, harmonious, and healthy living space is an absolute prerequisite for the sustainability of a just social system. Inclusive spatial planning policies are the main key to ensuring a city is truly capable of supporting and adequately protecting all its residents for future generations.
[Public Relations of FIB UGM, Candra Solihin]
