Mobile technology and the challenge to promote a communicative city in Indonesia. Case study Bandung metropolitan area

The objective of this study is to assess the role of mobile technology to promote a communicative city in Indonesia. The focus is on mobile technologies as symbols of the latest information and communication technology (ICT). Communication influences the capacity building of the governmental planning employees. to conduct better planning management. This will be examined through a case study of the Bandung metropolitan area, West Java Province, Indonesia to see how it influences select governmental planning employees. The study is supported also by interviewing mobile technology actors and studying the efforts in implementing mobile technology at the neighborhood (the case of Solo) and city (the case of Surabaya) levels.;Based on the structured interview of governmental planning employees in planning related offices within Bandung metropolitan area and in promoting a communicative city overall, the evidence suggests that mobile technology is important to enhance planning activities and consequently capacity building of governmental planning employees. It suggests that mobile technology be encouraged, especially in accessing and enriching the content of planning process for better planning management. Mobile technology has the potential to promote coordination and participation among governmental planning employees. Mobile technology can improve coordination within governmental processes. It is the key to encourage communicative city at the metropolitan context of Bandung, especially in facilitating, conducting, and deciding urban planning performance.;Besides examining the communicative city model in the Indonesian context, the study provides possible recommendations for improvements. These possible recommendations are intended to support the regional autonomy policy in Indonesia, especially in dealing with planning development within metropolitan areas. Improved communication capabilities will facilitate the diversity of cities. and regencies. to address their planning concerns in regional unity. The support of mobile technology leads towards the initial stage of e-governance and the means to convey strategic and advocacy planning concerns.