This paper analyses the interface between policy and practice in housing Jakarta’s urban poor and revitalising the Kampung Pulo neighbourhood along the Ciliwung riverbank. The paper discusses issues faced by policymakers in securing land and housing for Jakarta’s poor, in relocating the majority of Kampung Pulo’s residents into housing flats in Central Jakarta and in revitalising the remaining slum areas into semi-permanent settlements with basic facilities. The paper combines top-down policy analysis and bottom-up ethno-methodology to illustrate best practices and contribute to the body of knowledge relating to sustainable urban governance.