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We can’t say with any certainty what Jakarta will look like 10 or 20 years from now. But as the city celebrates its 482nd anniversary on Monday, one thing we can be sure of — it will keep growing in line with other major urban centers.

Population experts predict that by 2030, the world’s population will grow from today’s 6.8 billion people to 8 billion. Over 5 billion of those people will live in cities. That’s an awful lot of people to accommodate. Jakarta’s own population has been growing exponentially, making it one of the largest cities in Asia and a classic urban magnet for rural people looking for a better life and more opportunities. Once a modest trading post comprised of the Batawi people and Dutch, Chinese, Portuguese and Arab merchants, today, anywhere between 15 million and 18 million people live in the greater Jakarta area.

As the middle class grows, these people will be buying more things, from cars and appliances to homes. They will also be disposing of more waste and garbage and consuming more electricity and water. This growth represents the single biggest challenge facing the city.

Modern Jakarta urgently needs to upgrade its creaking infrastructure. It needs to build a mass rapid transit system, improve roads and water systems, control the annual flooding that paralyzes the city and causes millions of dollars in damage, develop high-quality public housing and build parks and recreation facilities. It is unacceptable that as the capital city, it experiences rolling power blackouts with increasing frequency and is probably the only major capital city in the region without a proper sanitation system.

How do we overcome these enormous challenges? The answer is to think big and act boldly. The central government and the city administration must work together to devise a workable plan. One estimate is that the government must set aside up to $5 billion to upgrade and transform the city. Half this sum must be devoted to improving the infrastructure, particularly our chaotic and costly traffic problems. The other half must be used to tackle other pressing problems like water and sanitation.

We can no longer hope to deal with Jakarta’s challenges in a piecemeal fashion. Jakarta needs a full-fledged makeover. It must become a true global city with modern infrastructure. The central government must follow in the footsteps of the Chinese government, which has over the past two decades remade the urban landscape of large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

Over the past five years, Jakarta’s skyline has blossomed with a host of modern buildings. But this development has not been supported by improvements in infrastructure or in the level of government services.

The time has come for a real commitment to improving our city. Only then will Jakartans be proud to call the city their home.