A review of urban kampung development: The perspective of livelihoods and space in two urban kampungs in pontianak, Indonesia

Abstract

This study explores the ways in which urban kampung communities deal with the sudden upsurge of large-scale to neighborhood-scale urban investments by the different government levels in Indonesia. This study examines the shift in livelihoods and utilization of space in urban kampungs in navigating these changes. The paper presents two urban kampungs from Pontianak, a medium-sized city in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The study finds a change in livelihood strategies and in the utilization of space after developments in infrastructure specifically targeted at the urban kampung. First, there is a significant shift in the informal economy toward tourism-based livelihoods. Second, the kampungs are spatially more connected and integrated. In addition, spaces in the kampungs have been developed for visitors and local residents to congregate. Third, the effects of urban investments on livelihoods and space utilization differ between the two kampungs because of illicit business in one of the kampungs. Finally, the research contributes to understanding how government-led spatial interventions influence informal activities and urban spaces, but urban informality can lead to unexpected consequences of government interventions due to location-specific attributes.