The population of Batavia has increased by 53 residents over the past ten years, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census. According to the city, the numbers are correct, but officials are questioning the validity of the results. If there is a discrepancy, the city could request a Special Census, which would cost it money. Moreover, the city wants to make sure that new residential developments are properly accounted for in the census. But in the short term, census-based funding is not guaranteed. And the loss of this federal funding would likely mean higher property taxes for residents.
The Dutch were obsessed with hierarchy and rank. Batavia City's walls created a barrier for some segments of the city. Although the walls were initially erected to protect the city from the forces of sea and indigenous armies, they gradually evolved into a means of protecting the city from perceived threats. As a result, the city wall relocated its Chinese and enslaved population to other parts of the city. The city wall also reorganized its population by ethnicity.
The Dutch also implemented urban planning principles, similar to those formulated by Simon Stevin. This plan arranged the Batavian society into a hierarchy headed by the Dutch. This arrangement enabled the Dutch to dominate the rest of the city, while at the same time providing a reassuring Dutch identity for the top segment. However, Batavia's society was divided into distinct ethnic groups, and access to the city differed.