Kotatua holds an important place in Jakarta’s history, with origins connected to the historic trading port of Sunda Kelapa and the city’s later development as Batavia. This long history is reflected in its heritage buildings, museums, and public squares, which together shape the district’s distinctive architectural and cultural character. Today, these assets strengthen Kotatua’s position as a heritage destination and provide a strong foundation for continued revitalisation, new economic activity, and investment that respects the district’s historical character.
The area’s revitalisation builds on decades of improvements. In 1972, Governor Ali Sadikin began reorganising Kotatua and protecting heritage buildings. Over the following decades, improvements continued with pedestrian and road upgrades in 2006, revitalisation around southern Kali Besar in 2016, and further works in 2022, including pedestrian improvements at Plaza Beos, flood-capacity improvements, and improvements to the Kali Besar promenades. This progression shows how conservation has gradually expanded to include the surrounding urban environment.
These improvements create a basis for broader economic activity. Historic properties can accommodate restaurants, shops, galleries, hotels, and other commercial uses, while improved public spaces and cultural facilities can support a wider range of activities. Experience from historic district revitalisation shows that this combination can create opportunities for businesses and attract private investment (Licciardi & Amirtahmasebi, 2012). These opportunities, together with Kotatua’s location within Jakarta’s established commercial areas, could further strengthen the district’s appeal to visitors, businesses, and investors.
Making greater use of existing heritage buildings will be important to realising this potential. Through adaptive reuse, historic buildings can accommodate new functions while retaining the architectural and historical features that define their character. This approach can support both conservation and economic activity by introducing new uses and generating income from historic properties (Ebbe et al., 2011). At the same time, new uses and alterations need to respect the historic setting and the needs of surrounding communities.
Better connectivity could further strengthen these opportunities. MRT Jakarta Phase 2A, which will connect Bundaran HI with Kotatua, could improve access to the district through the future Kota MRT Station and support visitor flows between heritage attractions and nearby businesses. Convenient pedestrian connections would help extend these benefits to hospitality, retail, cultural venues, and mixed-use developments.
Two projects from MRT Jakarta showcased at the Jakarta Investment Festival (JIF) 2026, Jakarta’s annual investment promotion event, represent opportunities to support Kotatua’s revitalisation through investment. The Combined Building Glodok project is a proposed integrated development that would connect the future Kota MRT Station with a boutique hotel and supporting facilities. By combining transport connectivity with hospitality, the project could improve access to Kotatua and encourage greater activity across the wider district.
The other project showcased, MRT Jakarta’s Heritage Hub project, aims to bring cultural and commercial activities together within a restored heritage environment. The proposed project combines commercial and retail spaces, food and beverage outlets, facilities for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE), museums, galleries, and public spaces. This mix of uses could create new opportunities for businesses while giving visitors more ways to experience Kotatua and more reasons to spend time there.
Kotatua offers an opportunity to connect Jakarta’s heritage with its future economic development. Investment that respects the district’s historic character can support tourism, creative businesses, and the continued use and maintenance of heritage buildings. As Jakarta develops into a global city, Kotatua can strengthen Jakarta’s cultural appeal by serving as a distinctive heritage destination with lasting value for residents, visitors, and businesses.
Be part of Kotatua’s next chapter. Connect with the Jakarta Investment Centre (JIC) to explore investment opportunities and potential partnerships that bring new economic activity to Jakarta’s historic district.