Role of City Parks: The Case Study of Central Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Public space has a certain role in life in urban areas, as a place that is easily accessible, safe, have influence, and benefits of user. This study aims to (1) Determine the quality of city parks in the use of space for their users (2) Identify the role of land use around city parks in the relationship between physical patterns and their activities (3) Identify user behavior patterns. Behavior mapping is a process of observational methods and gear for observation at a location in conditions and times of weekday and weekend. In getting an accurate map of the scale of the observed area, first know and determine the types of activities and details of the behavioral activities to be observed, scheduling within a certain time. And do the system of recording activities, counting, coding the types of activities, taking pictures, and analyzing. The results of this study consists of the role of internal and outside (land use) circulation, and social interaction space. This observation identifies the relationship between land-use with the on-site of park and mapping techniques that produce a pattern of park user activity. The results in counting have a very significant difference between weekday and weekend, results in 3 parks, namely Ekspresi Park weekday (50 visitors), weekend (132 visitors); Lansia Park weekday (50 visitors), weekend (104 visitors); and Bungkul Park weekday (235 visitors), weekend (705 visitors). In conclusion, based on several analyses and observations: Ekspresi Park has a special characteristic that is an educational park with several facilities owned, children dominate the average visitor, Lansia Park has a special characteristic that is an elderly park with several facilities owned, elderly people dominate the average visitor, and Bungkul Park has a special characteristic that is a community park with some complete facilities, visitors dominate the average visitors.