Social design as a strengthening strategy of the revitalization of the sub-communal RISHA Mojo Kampung Kota –Surakarta during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Kampung kota is a type of Indonesian residential that is occupied by a large portion of urban dwellers. According to Pauline (1993) Kampung kota is still considered to have a social interaction habit as mutual assistance among the residences called gotong royong [1]. Despite the effort to plan the formal residential area, most kampung kota is categorized as slum and squatter areas. There are a lot of improvement programs initiated by the government to create a better kampung kota. One of the programs in Surakarta is located in neighborhood one (RW 1), Pasar Kliwon District. The residents were given temporary living space in kampung sub-communal RISHA Mojo before they were moved into the new area of Kampung Metal in Semanggi sub-district. Kampung Sub-Communal RHISA Mojo in Surakarta is a temporary housing area provided by the government to support the kampung improvement program in the residents’ old area. Living in communal housing is not directly being guaranteed with decent hygiene environment. When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred in 2020, the residents were dealing with hygiene issues. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to show how social design at Bangkit Berbarengan Project that initiated by academicians of URDC Laboratory and NGO of ARKOM Solo in Surakarta becomes a strategy to improve the environmental quality in the sub-communal area, especially in the pandemic era. Social design thinking is to keep the human need approach and in formalistic approach of design that concern more about inclusivity (Sommer, 1983)[2]. This paper will discuss the approach of the social design process that applies actor-network as a method of knowledge. The case study of the social design project creates social dynamic assemblies and engages multi-stakeholders. The social design outputs are the local campaign to advocate the resident of the COVID-19 and the public facilities designed by the residents. We used qualitative research method. We investigated the residents’ behaviors regarding their environment by conducting observation and in-depth interviews. Through this investigation, we found that the advocacy program for COVID-19 prevention can be easily accepted by the residents through the usage of a local icon. A creative activity of making public facilities that involved the residents also creates a bigger sense of belonging between them.