Beyond the informal settlement: the land tenure situation of urban kampungs in Surabaya, Indonesia

Abstract

Kampung occupies a significant role in urban settlements in Indonesia. The existing studies categorise urban kampung as informal settlements. However, using evidence from urban kampungs in Surabaya, this study rejects the perspectives that simplify urban kampungs as informal settlements. This study proposes a critical feature of informal settlement as a gauge: land tenure. The findings show that urban kampungs are too complex to be represented in the informal category. Urban kampung can be inhabited by residents with various land tenure beyond formal and informal dichotomy. Most urban kampung residents occupy land with the state (national) or customary tenure, which the state and society recognised. Administratively, they are also integrated into the city government services. Based on the findings, this study argues that simplifying urban kampungs into the informal settlement category is imprecise and potentially misleading.