Balikpapan — The Urban and Regional Planning Study Program (PWK) at the Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK) hosted the grand finale of the COMPACT International Conference, an academic forum bringing together academics and experts from Indonesia and abroad to discuss various approaches to creating urban areas that are resilient, safe, inclusive, and sustainable. The conference’s culminating event was held through a series of Opening Ceremony & Plenary Sessions on Thursday (27 August 2026) at La Grande Ballroom, Grand Jatra Hotel, Balikpapan.

The event began with a welcoming address by ITK Rector, Prof. Agus Rubiyanto, who officially opened the event and emphasized the importance of collaboration and knowledge exchange in addressing future challenges in urban development.

The event continued with a Keynote Speech from the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, delivered by the Director of Environment, titled “Strategic Role of National Development Planning in Advancing Adaptive Urban Planning and Climate-Resilient Cities.” The presentation highlighted the strategic role of national development planning in promoting adaptive urban planning and strengthening cities’ resilience in responding to climate change.

The plenary session featured five speakers who presented complementary perspectives on urban and regional resilience, covering urban-rural relationships, climate-resilient infrastructure, infrastructure planning, data utilization, and safe and sustainable urban mobility.

The first speaker, Prof. Stephen Cairns from Monash University Indonesia, delivered a presentation titled “Resilient and Equitable Urban-Rural Mosaics in Monsoon Asia,” highlighting perspectives on resilience and equity in urban-rural relationships across monsoon-affected regions of Asia.

Next, Prof. Vilas Nitivattananon from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) presented “Climate-Resilient Urban Infrastructure with Integrated and Nature-Based Solutions,” discussing the importance of climate-resilient infrastructure through the integration of nature-based solutions.

The perspective of infrastructure planning was presented by Prof. Adjie Pamungkas from Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) through “Urban Resilience through Infrastructures Planning.” The presentation highlighted the role of infrastructure planning in strengthening urban resilience.

Meanwhile, Prof. Orlando Woods from Singapore Management University delivered “Smart and Data-Driven Urban Resilience,” exploring the use of data as part of efforts to build urban resilience and support more informed decision-making.

The fifth speaker, Ir. Ts. Dr. Mazlina Zaira Mohammad from the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), presented “Advancing Safe and Sustainable Urban Mobility through Design for Safety.” The presentation emphasized the importance of integrating safety considerations from the design stage through construction, operation, and maintenance. One of the practices introduced was the use of a Self-Climbing Protection Platform (SCPP) to enhance safety in high-rise building construction.

The five presentations offered complementary perspectives on future challenges in regional and urban development. Regional resilience, adaptive development planning, climate-resilient infrastructure, data utilization, nature-based solutions, and safe and sustainable mobility are essential components in creating environments capable of responding to various changes and risks.

Through the culminating event of the COMPACT International Conference, ITK further strengthened the exchange of knowledge and ideas among academics and national and international stakeholders, supporting the development of resilient, inclusive, safe, adaptive, and sustainable urban areas.