Regional development and its closely related topical subject, regional economic development, has attracted the interest of economists, geographers, planners, and regional scientists for a long time. And, of course, it is a field that has developed a large practitioner cohort in government and business agencies from the national down to the state and local levels. In planning for cities and regions, both large and small, economic development issues now tend to be integrated into strategic planning processes. This paper tries to give a rationale that regions now have become the dominant factors for not only economic growth, but also part of the regional development as a whole to build a sustainable future for not only regional but also urban areas. Thus, it’s trying to change the mindset of an Indonesian authority that manages the Indonesian regions to be more independent, while at the same time shedding extra light on the policymaker in Jakarta.

Keywords : Regions, Regional Development, Regional Economic Development, The Planning Process, Mindset, Indonesian Authority, Policymaker, Sustainability.