Naypyidaw, the political capital built by the junta in Myanmar, Songdo built on uninhabited marshland in South Korea and Putrajaya, the new Malaysian administrative capital on the edge of Kuala Lumpur, are among the most prominent examples.
The first major country to take the leap was Brazil, which moved its capital from Rio de Janeiro to newly built Brasilia in 1960 to avoid overcrowding and to reduce coastal vulnerability.
Several African nations have created their purpose-built capitals, including Nigeria, Tanzania and the Ivory Coast. In Nigeria's case, the construction of Abuja negated the urgent need to control overcrowding and appeased rival ethnic groups asserting dominance.
Although new cities have provided limited help for the vast majority in their respective countries, the spread of fresh conurbations on the map is not slowing down.
It is almost as though there is a contest among leaders to build the most outlandish.
As Dr Moser says of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Nusantara provides him with “a political legacy”.