LINGKUNGAN KAMPUNG BERKELANJUTAN DAN POTENSI MASYARAKAT DI KAMPUNG KANALSARI, SEMARANG, INDONESIA. (Studi Kasus: Kampung Kanalsari – Semarang)

Abstract

Low-income communities tend to live in the urban village areas (defined as ’kampong’), which presence is prevalent in several major cities in Indonesia. Kampong is a neighborhood or residential area of low-income people with poor physical conditions. Kampong is a traditional neighborhood which is marked by the features of close-knit relationships (Herbasuki, 1984). The legitimate land ownership motivates the people to build and develop houses and neighborhoods, in accordance with the economic ability of the family. Housing infrastructure development that is generally taking place in the Indonesian kampongs are commonly carried out by the kampongs’ residents together with the municipal government. This has been the common practice in order to sustain and prevail the existence of the kampongs. This paper is the result of a study on the effects of infrastructure development that are viewed from the perspectives of physical conditions of the kampong as well as the socio-economic conditions of the communities in Kampong Kanalsari, Semarang, Indonesia. With the use of a mixed-methods approach coupled with a quantitative analysis, the outcomes of study are as follows: 1) residents of kampongs evidently have high motivation to prioritize on the development of infrastructure; 2) there is a high level of social quality, which proves that the character of the people who have harmonious society have and still survive in Kampung Kanalsari; 3) the development and improvement of village infrastructure that are conducted independently and by non-government institutions positively impacts the physical conditions of the housing environments, social and economic conditions of the community. The influence of social conditions occupies the highest level because the development is carried out independently, based on the aspirations, interests and needs of the community, which ultimately provide benefits and advantages for the kampong’s residents. This influence would directly affects the community as it increases their motivation to build and improve the housing conditions and environmental sustainability in order to ensure security and liveability of the residential area.