Social relations in megaproject planning: exploring the roles of local government in the development of Indonesia's special economic zones

As a manifestation of current approaches to global planning, megaproject planning is an open-ended process that unfolds through the contestation, negotiation and contradiction of social (power) relations. However, recent studies still perceive local government authorities as elusive actors in shaping megaproject planning and development processes. This article uses two case studies to investigate the multifaceted roles that local government played in dealing with actors' overlapping interests in two Indonesian special economic zone (SEZ) megaprojects. The qualitative content analysis of the two cases relies on interviews, archival research and field observation conducted between 2019 and 2021. This article shows that rather than acting as entrepreneurial agencies that serve state or private actors, local government authorities can articulate and negotiate community interests in developing megaprojects. Moreover, the 'social relation' framework explains the conditions under which local government units can engage in political negotiations and demand equitable planning processes.