Denpasar, Indonesia

Recontextualising vernacular and contemporary building practices into regenerative urban solutions in Bali-Denpasar

With more than 270 million inhabitants, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world and the second most biodiverse. However, rapid urban growth in recent decades, along with deforestation and wildfires, has severely impacted its rich biodiversity, leading to significant forest degradation. While the building and construction sector is crucial for economic growth, it is also a major contributor to carbon emissions. Fortunately, the country’s wide range of renewable natural resources and the national government’s interest in mainstreaming sustainable building practices present a tremendous opportunity for this sector to develop regenerative urban solutions. These solutions can effectively address the climate emergency while reducing carbon emissions.

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Rapid urban growth driven by tourism

Bali, renowned as the most popular tourist destination in Indonesia, faces significant challenges in balancing tourism with sustainable urban development. The touristification of its natural and cultural heritage has led to rapid urbanisation, with the built-up area more than doubling in the last 20 years. This accelerated urban development often conflicts with the local Banjar system, where traditional villages manage land, customs, and regulations. These issues are particularly evident in the Sarbagita metropolitan area––comprising Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar, and Tabanan––where urban sprawl has intensified land-use changes and increased pressure on traditional agriculture, such as the Subak System. As a result, Bali faces ecological damage, water shortages, inadequate waste management, traffic congestion, rising land prices, and limited space for traditional housing.

With increasing pressure on natural ecosystems and the limited availability of production forests, Bali heavily relies on imported building materials from other parts of Indonesia and abroad. Although the island has a long tradition of using local resources––such as bamboo, wood, reed, thatch, stone, brick and clay––these materials are primarily utilised in tourism developments and low-cost housing, not widely adopted in other sectors. Despite the wealth of local knowledge derived from ancient vernacular building principles, such as the community buildings of Bale Banjar, the full potential of local materials in construction remains untapped. This represents a significant opportunity to initiate a transformation towards regenerative value chains that not only secure the supply and demand for building materials but also comprehensively address the sourcing, processing, and implementation of nature-based and secondary materials for urban solutions. Moreover, ongoing policy initiatives, including the Timber and Bamboo Roadmap as part of the National Strategy for the Use of Bio-based Materials in Indonesia, the Non-Timber Forest Products strategy, and Bali’s Net Zero Emission 2045, can ensure a long-term transition toward a regenerative built environment.

ReBuilt aims to contribute to, facilitate and articulate ongoing local efforts to initiate transformations of the building and construction sector. Our goal is to develop regenerative urban solutions that encourage responsible harvesting of natural resources, promote the use of nature-based and secondary materials, highlight cultural practices, and ensure equitable infrastructure provision as part of a just transition.

These contributions are closely aligned with current policy processes at international, national, regional, and local levels, including:

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and integrating international bamboo standards.
• Developing green solutions for social housing and promoting the regenerative use of bamboo and other non-timber forest products.
• Advancing a regenerative transition in the regional construction industry by promoting local nature-based and secondary materials, as well as circular building practices.
• Contributing to local urban development by integrating the concept of a regenerative built environment into development plans and governance systems.