Citizen Urbanism Platform, encourages a sense of ownership of the city and become part of the solution. PekaKota embryos come from a meeting at the Quest Hotel 2012, which was initiated by the Rujak Center for Urban Studies (Jakarta). The meeting is held with various observers cities (journalists, researchers, academics, and NGOs) followed up by some participants to create a new platform called ‘Unidentified Group Discussion’ which give attention in strengthening the capacity of citizens through the identification, distribution, and utilization of daily knowledge for the good of the city . Tugu village and Bustaman village are chosen as a pilot project. The result is a book about the village and a festival that used to redistribute the information that has been obtained in 2013. This platform was renamed the ‘Kota Milik Bersama’, and transform to be ‘Peka Kota’.
Peka Kota agreed with Jane Jacobs, who stated a city can only meet the needs of all people if built by everyone. therefor, to build a knowledge base for a city and empower the element of society in it as a key for the better change.
Our cultural work, once again, appreciated when 2014-2015 Japan Foundation gives the opportunity to organize an art festival in Bustaman with the headline ‘Bok Cinta’ project which has a focus on the use of residents public space. Recently, it continued the triangle of collection-distribution-utilization of the knowledge of citizens, Peka Kota run participatory mapping program in Purwodinatan village with support from Ushahidi as part of 100 Resilience City Semarang programs with city government and the Rockefeller Foundation. This cross association opens various possibilities, including the utilization of information technology and communications (ICT) and science in an effort to encourage a change in society.