Coastal cities are often subjected to extreme natural hazards such as sea level rise, coastal storms, and heavy rainfall. Tsunamis, despite their low frequency, continue to be the most devastating disaster for coastal communities due to their unpredictable nature and the high impact of a single hit. Indonesia, located on the Ring of Fire and at the intersection of three tectonic plates (Indo-Australian, Eurasian, and Pacific), is one of the world's most seismically and tsunami-prone countries. According to data that have been compiled, 105 tsunamis occurred in Indonesia alone, between 1600 and 1999. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated Indonesia, prompting the country to revise its urban planning frameworks to include more tsunami preparedness measures. Nevertheless, Indonesia’s urban planning guidelines lack the preparedness measures to implement in tsunami-prone cities. This further highlights the necessity for further sustainable and resilient urban planning. This study synthesizes and critically analyses the current level of integration of strategies for tsunami preparedness in Indonesian urban planning and related policies. This study adopts a multiple case-study approach to examine urban planning strategies for tsunami risk reduction in Indonesia. Padang City and Pangandaran Regency were selected as case studies for the study. Three qualitative research methods were employed, including analysing up-to-date local and regional planning documents, semi-structured interviews with experts, and field observation in both regions. The data analysis of documents and expert interviews employed theme identifications, including spatial planning, community and stakeholder participation, evacuation planning, and soft and hard engineering. According to the findings, in both Padang City and Pangandaran Regency, community involvement is remarkably high, and several types of communities (Business community in Padang and tourist community in Pangandaran) are involved in DRR activities. Spatial planning in tsunami-prone areas has also considered the protection and restoration of natural resources, with the development of a coastal protection system with vegetation and conservation of sandbanks and coral reefs. However, the field visits highlighted that the maintenance of preparedness infrastructure needs to be improved, and tsunami evacuation shelters, signage, and soft and hard engineering structures should be well maintained with the support of disaster-related agencies and the local community. This detailed examination of current urban planning approaches in Indonesia provides valuable insights into the range of overall disaster risk reduction strategies available. Identified challenges associated with their implementation in policy and practice will be helpful for urban planners in better preparing the country for similar future hazards, Tsunamis in particular. A clear maintenance strategy and a set of urban policies are urgently required in Indonesia at the national and local levels to reduce its vulnerability to tsunamis.