Utilization of residual space on Ciliwung riverbank

Abstract

The need for space within the city is increasing. The city itself has residual spaces that are considered non-functional. Supported by factors such as the need for space and an attachment to the space itself, residual space has the possibility to be appropriated (taken over) by the city dwellers. One of residual spaces within the city is an unused riverfront. The city of Jakarta is bypassed by the Ciliwung River. In the Dutch colonial era, there was an increase of immigrants consisting of laborers and hired workers who needed shelter, resulting in slums or river-side settlements, as the river are the only source of clean water for villages that do not have adequate facilities. The Ciliwung River was then used as a sewer, which prompted the government to erect fences on the banks of the Ciliwung River, creating residual spaces on the banks of the Ciliwung River. Although the river is viewed as residual space for other city dwellers, a section of Ciliwung is appropriated by a number of villagers in the Cikini area. By observing the appropriation activity as an alteration resulting in the transformation of a residual space, it will show the potential of the residual space itself and the emergence of functionality in the residual space.