Place, space and identity through greening in kampung kota

Abstract

As an integral part of the urban landscape in Indonesian cities, kampung kota (urban villages) provide shelter for many marginalised urban dwellers. The presence of green open space in kampung kota has multiple meanings, one of which is the significance it has for the socio-cultural identity of the inhabitants. This article explores the meaning of green open space for kampung dwellers and how it fits in the dynamics of space creation in kampung kota. The methodology employed in this research was a qualitative approach, which was applied in two case studies of separate communities in South Jakarta to understand the meaning of space from their perspective. Based on the findings, green open space plays a significant role in building a community’s identity through shared memories and communally agreed images of the neighbourhood, thus confirming the importance of the community in place-making processes in kampung kota.