The Java Model: A Time-weighted Network Analysis of the Desakota

Peri-urban landscapes present a growing challenge for urban planners. Vast territories that comprise high population densities but few clear centralities erode the epistemological integrity of popular planning models. Meanwhile, as in situ urban-industrial development and top-down planned infrastructures transform these intricate landscapes, both the conceptual and practical challenges augment. Here, geospatial data can provide valuable insights. Network analyses can visualise the transformations within the peri-urban morphology. However, common ‘unweighted’ network graphs don’t reflect operational realities on the ground and thus fail to inform planning strategies. This paper explores combining distance and travel speeds to develop a ‘time-weighted' network model of the desakotas of Central Java. A one-hour travel boundary is introduced to demarcate the study area. Inadvertently, this reveals a regional loop that follows the expanding highway system, which suggests a limited efficacy of toll road developments. In response, this model lays the groundwork to evaluate a typical planning scenario: to build, or not to build a new toll road. The paper concludes that, the complexity of the impact on local communities, landscapes, and the regional ‘accessibility profile’ demands multi-scalar, multifaceted impact analyses to apprise strategic planning.