Embedding Social Workers in Urban Development Policy: Evidence from Community Well-Being Initiatives in IKN

Dyah Kuntorini Dwi Angreni, Nur Hafni, Aflia Riski

Abstract


This study aims to examine the strategic role of social workers in advancing community well-being and human sustainability within the urban development policy of Indonesia’s new capital, Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN). As a large-scale national development project, IKN presents complex social challenges that require policy approaches beyond infrastructure-led development. This study adopts a mixed-methods design using an exploratory sequential approach, combining qualitative and quantitative text analysis of secondary data drawn from national policy documents, regional development reports, and official planning guidelines. Data were systematically coded and analyzed using NVivo to identify key themes related to social work, community well-being, sustainability, and cross-sector collaboration. The findings reveal that social workers play a critical policy-relevant role as facilitators of social cohesion, community empowerment, and inclusive access to social services. The analysis highlights that effective cross-sector collaboration between social workers, public health actors, educators, and economic planners strengthens policy outcomes by integrating social sustainability into urban development strategies. Moreover, the use of technology-assisted qualitative analysis provides evidence-based insights to support more integrated and responsive policy design. This study concludes that embedding social workers within urban development policy frameworks is essential to ensuring that IKN’s development promotes not only economic growth and infrastructure expansion but also social equity, resilience, and long-term community well-being. The findings offer policy-relevant insights for advancing human-centered and sustainable urban governance.

Keywords


Policy Relevance; Social Workers; Community Well-Being; Sustainability; Cross-Sector

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.35308/jpp.v12i4.12616

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