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Communities which adhere to traditional cultural and religious norms tend to be more reluctant to change and are less open to working with outsiders. This potentially undermines the principles of the collaborative planning paradigm, such as interactive communication, power sharing, and mutual learning. The incorporation of local institutions could improve the efficacy of collaborative planning in such a challenging context. Drawing on a case study of Kampong Kauman, one of the oldest religious communities in Surakarta, Indonesia, this article discusses the institutionalisation process of neighbourhood governance that embraces a traditional community. Based on fieldwork involving semi-structured interviews, document review, and focus groups, this article analyses the process through which local cultural and religious institutions were integrated into formal planning institutions to transform the governance through three lenses: specific episodes, processes, and culture. Our findings show that the incorporation of cultural and religious institutions in the forms of symbols, norms, values, and communicative repertoires into existing planning practices was an effective mechanism in helping the traditional community engage more proactively and meaningfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]