Blindness and illumination of state spatial strategies in producing extended urban space: a case from Cepu oil and gas mining area, Indonesia

Abstract

This paper explains the contradictions embedded within various hierarchical spatial regulations that play a role in facilitating or hindering the extended urbanization processes. By taking the case of the largest oil and gas area producers in the hinterland region of Cepu, we analyzed the content of spatial policies from the national to local levels related to oil and gas mining, regional infrastructure, and urban centre using TPSN (territory, place, scale, network) framework to reveal the knowledge production of spatial dimensions. As a result, we revealed Lefebvre's blind field concept as a metaphor for blindness and illumination of territorial regulation to explain the coherence and disharmony of multiscale spatial plans, although in the integrated spatial management framework. These findings contribute to the concept of state spatial strategies in mediating the production of the operational landscape for the upstream-midstream oil and gas sector.