Sustainable post-mining cities: post-mining urban transformation towards sustainable spatial planning in the context of the global south

Authors: Wicaksono, BG; Sutriadi, R Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_160

Cite As:
Wicaksono, BG & Sutriadi, R 2026, 'Sustainable post-mining cities: post-mining urban transformation towards sustainable spatial planning in the context of the global south', in AB Fourie, G Boggs, J Heyes & M Tibbett (eds), Mine Closure 2026: Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Mine Closure, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 1-15, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_160



Abstract:
Mine closure marks a critical structural transition where exhausting mineral resources necessitates a profound socio-spatial transformation to achieve long-term urban sustainability. However, prevailing post-mining research and policies, particularly within the emerging global south context, remain fundamentally confined to fragmented biophysical reclamation, systematically ignoring long-term socio-economic transitions and failing to synchronise closure plans with statutory regional spatial planning systems. To address this critical analytical gap, this study introduces a novel comparative evaluative domain that cross-examines international and domestic closure models by reinterpreting the 16 life cycle elements of International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) through the inclusive spatial principles of the New Urban Agenda (NUA). Using a purposive variation sampling strategy, a qualitative comparative analysis was conducted across multi-contextual mining jurisdictions: Sawahlunto and West Kutai (Indonesia), Broken Hill (Australia) and the Sullivan Mine (Canada). Our findings reveal that while the basis of post-mining transformation in the global north is structurally oriented toward heritage-creative economies and innovation-driven energy transitions, the global south centres primarily on cultural heritage and biophysical ecosystem restoration. Crucially, empirical evidence demonstrates that domestic closure performance is severely constrained by short-term planning horizons and weak cross-sector institutional communication. Ultimately, this paper argues that successful urban regeneration requires transitioning from reactive compliance to proactive spatial integration, establishing collaborative governance councils, and mandatorily embedding post-mining plans into regional spatial plans to structurally enable a resilient, inclusive and diversified post-mining urban future.

References: