Effectiveness of Spatial and Environmental Regulations for Governance and Social Justice

Abstract

This study analyzes the effectiveness and challenges of implementing spatial planning and environmental regulations in Indonesia through a normative juridical approach. The main focus is on three laws, namely Law Number 26 of 2007 on Spatial Planning, Law Number 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management, and Law Number 3 of 2022 on the State Capital. These legal instruments reflect the state’s commitment to achieving sustainable development governance and social justice. However, the analysis shows that gaps still exist between legal norms and field implementation. Policy overlaps between regions, weak institutional coordination, and limited legal mechanisms to anticipate ecological and social changes are the main challenges to legal effectiveness. The study also highlights the urgency for more responsive laws to dynamic development contexts, including the need to strengthen adaptive instruments in addressing specific conditions such as environmental degradation, land conflicts, and social impacts from large-scale development. In conclusion, the effectiveness of spatial planning and environmental law depends not only on the quality of regulations but also on governance capacity, public participation, and inter-agency integration in implementation