Yes, the national capital is moving to Nusantara, but Jakarta’s economic gravity isn’t. In a city ranked #28 in the world for Lovability, the next year brings better mobility, Old Town streetscapes and kid-centric museum upgrades, future-proofing a megacity that still writes Southeast Asia’s most-watched urban story.
The capital’s festivals and photogenic districts (see Kota Tua’s refreshed squares, SCBD rooftops and PIK’s waterfront boardwalks) power Jakarta to a global Top 10 finish in our Shopping and Family-Friendly Attractions subcategories and drive a Top 10 social buzz (#9 for Instagram Posts and #8 for TikTok Videos). Connectivity is quietly compounding, easing notorious traffic. LRT Jabodebek – launched pre-2025 – steps up frequencies and feeder links this year, and MRT Jakarta’s northbound Phase 2 advances toward Kota through the second half of the decade. The Airport Rail Link’s direct runs to key central stations streamline Soekarno-Hatta trips as terminal modernization continues. Investment is flowing across the metro. Data-center campuses in the Bekasi–Cikarang corridor expand to serve cloud and AI demand, while Grade-A towers and mixed-use projects densify Gurugram-style nodes in Sudirman–Thamrin, Kuningan and TB Simatupang