SOCIAL SPACE IN DENSE URBAN SETTLEMENT

A STUDY CASE OF JALAN MAYJEN PANJAITAN 19, MALANG

Sriwati Ajrina Sani1, Safira Astri Kusumawardani2

1
Departement of Architecture, Engineering Faculty, Brawijaya University
2
Departement of Architecture, Engineering Faculty, Brawijaya University
Jl, Veteran, Malang
ajrinasani@student.ub.ac.id

ABSTRACT
With the nature of human as social creature, humans tend to do interaction with its surroundings to fulfil
the social needs,The lack of social interaction may caused by the limited open space that provided to the
society. But in the dense urbans settlement, the social space can be existed and modified with the limited space it
had. The result of the study shows that with the provided narrow space, the society able to creating sharing
space and doing activities in a specific area, creating a represenating space for the social activitites that
happened daily.

Keywords : Social Space, Urban Settlement, Community

INTRODUCTION boarding house for university students, made

With the nature of human as social
creature, humans tend to do interaction with it
surroundings to fulfil the social needs. A social
action that happened between individuals
and/or collective creating a social space.
Nowadays, The interaction that occurs between
individuals is currently decreasing due to how
dependent the community with technologies
such as gadgets which able to provide the
social needs of individuals through cyberspace,
without having to create a public space in the
community.
The lack of social interaction not only
caused by the non-physical treat like
technology, but also physical problem like
limited space. In urban area with high rate of
population growth, the limited space for
housing causing the social place for the
residence are not prioritized.
the settlement area become crowded. With the
amount of residence, the area also demanded to
narrowing the space between building to make
space more effective and efficient. The width
of the circulation in this area is around 2-3
meter.
The limited space in the dense settlement
is affecting the activity of the resident,
especially the social interaction. The social
interaction are not happened in a provided
sharing space, but instead happened on the
alley.
Based in this background, this paper
addressed on how an urban settlement able to
adapting and using the limited sharing space to
maintain the social interaction. It is crucial to
understand on how the perception of the
society will affect the interaction space that is
created.
Shared Space

Jalan Mayjen Panjaitan, Malang, East Shared space can be perceived as a space
Java, is well known as the location for that used by two individuals or more
physically. Shared space including a place like Object/Place
garden, public facilitites etc. Shared space is an Subjects Gender
important factor to creating communitites, as it Age Range
become a space where people can interact with
each other.
The research itself takes place at the alley
A space is a nature trait of geography in of Jalan Mayjen Panjaitan, Malang, East Java.
an environment. A space is described more to
an abstract, and a place is described as a
special ensemble that has a history and value
[5]. The perception of a space is affected by
the sense of place of the individuals, a group,
and a community to in surrounding.

Interactional and Representational Space

a space was created through physical,

mental and social factor, and the connection
between each factor that divided into three
dimension; 1) Perceived space (spatial
practice), where a space are recognized by
human’s five sense from its physical elements,
including the depth of t 2). Conceived Space
(the representation of space), and 3). Lived
space (Space of representation) [2][3]. Figure 1. Study case Area

METHOD Block 19 that directly connecting

The methodology employed in this
research involves a qualitative study that
divided into two step; 1). Literature review as a
secondary data on place-making and sharing
space in human settlements. 2). Explorative
descriptive way by identifying data from
documentation in the field.
Brawijaya University with the settlement area
are chosen as it was the main alley that become
the central of the settlement, which had various
activitites and people lived in the area to
provide a more accurate data on how dense
population area work on their social space.

The qualitative research method chosen as

it best suited to capturing information that are
more complex and/or difficult to quantify
using quantitative research methods[2].

The primary data are collected through

observation by observing the type of the
activity, the subject of the activity and the
location of the activity.

Table 1. Research Variable

Variable Sub variable

Kind of Activities
Activities Location Figure 2. Jalan Mayjen Panjaitan 19
Representational
 RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Representation Space
In this corridor, the representation space
are divided into three zone, which on each
zone creating a center point of the social
activities that happened in Jalan Mayjen
Panjaitan.
needs too. In this zone, the social space is more
abstract because there is no specific spot for
social activities and the width of the empty
space is more narrow than the other zone.
The Intensity of the Social Interaction
At the corridor of Jalan Mayjen Panjaitan
block 19, the intensity of the social interaction
that happened are differ depending on the time.

Table 2. Intensity of Activitites

Zone
Time
1 2 3
Morning
(07.00- - + +
0.9.00)
Noon
(12.00- - + +
14.00)
Evening
(16.00- + ++ ++
18.00)
Night
(19.00- + +++ +
21.00)
Figure 3. Zone Division
The peak hour of the social interaction
The first zone, started with the side happened around afternoon, as it was the time
entrance to Brawijaya University until the t- when most of the community which include
junction. This zone are consist of shops and students and worker are tend to have free time
housing. This zone didn’t have a lot of around this hour, which leading them to take
activities since it was a transision area for the leisure time with family and the neighbour, and
people that want to access Brawijaya the children are finished their school and spent
University. But this zone also have a shelter time to play with friends.
created by the residence as a security post. The
security post mostly being used at night as the and the street vendors started to open its
restin place for the residence who take turn for stand around the evening, which attracting the
maintaining the security or in bahasa indonesia people to shop.
called as siskamling, but also used by the
residence to talking with the neighbor at noon. Compared to the evening, in the morning
the corridor tend to be more quiet. Most of the
The second zone, consist of food stall and activities that happened are a transitional
stores. Most of the activities in this area are activities such as people that passing the
selling and buying activities, and it was the corridor to access Brawijaya University or the
most crowded zone, where the participants of main road.
the actitivities is a lot more than the other zone.
It used the space along the alleyand housing Activities
front yard as the activities place.
In the first zone, the social activities are
The third zone, consist mostly with tend to happen around evening and night.
housing. There are some shops that sell dailty Which at evening, the social activites that can
be found are the intraction of the residence that
having leassure time with chatting with the
neighbour in front of their house, using the
concrete bench at the evening. And at night,
the place are being used as a security post,
where the residence can rest while patroling
and talking with the other residence.

Table 3. Spatial Representation Zone 1

In the shelter, people are

chatting while seeking the
shade in sunny day,

In the food stalls, people are Figure 5. Activitites at Zone 1

buying food for take out or
Spatial Space
dine in.
Concrete bench in the In the second zone, the social activites tend to
residence house, where happen at evening and night, as this zone are
people can have filled with food stalls around evening. In the
converstation with their morning and noon, there is no significant
neighbour. social activities that happened in this zone.
Representation Shelter with wooden bench,
of Space concrete bench. The residence using the alley side for selling
Space of The shelter providing food and snack.
Representation protection from heat and
rain, providing a place to
gather; affected by weather.
Table 4. Spatial Representation Zone 2
The concrete become a
gathering spot for residence In the Meatball stall, people
to have a chat. are buying food and dine in

In the food stalls, people are

Spatial Space buying food
In the T-junction corner,
People are taking leassure
time and chatting with
others.
Representation Wooden bench, alley corner
of Space
Space of The wooden bench creating a
Representation waiting space for the
Shelter with bench consumers at the food stall,
Concrete Bench and the T-junction works as
Food Stall a landmark for gathering
point.

Figure 4. Zone 1

The food stall area
Figure 6. Zone 2
Figure 7. Activities at Zone 2
In the third zone, the social activities
Table 5. Staptial Representation Zone 3
The alley, the are are used by
the children to playing at
noon until evening.
The store and shops, become
Spatial Space
a place for selling and
buying activities. Providing
residence for their daily
needs.
Representation Alley, Shop
of Space
Space of The alley become an open
Representation space to let children doing
free activitites and play.
Children playing area
Shop
Figure 7. Zone 3
Figure 8. Activities at Zone 3
CONCLUSION
The social space in dense area can be
variated depend on social interaction that
happened and needed by the society. The space
is created due to the variation of interaction
that conducted by the residence in the
The existence of the social space in dense
urban settlement are important factor to
planning about how the surrounding area will
grow in the future. With social space
maintained, it will keep the society connected
through interaction.
The social space not only affected by the
architectural factor, but also the community
that exist within the society.
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