Space transformation in a low-income housing community in Danukusuman, Surakarta

Abstract

PurposeWithin low-income communities in urban slums, access to housing is limited because individuals in these communities cannot afford to purchase homes. One area of Indonesia with these conditions is Kampung Kajen, Danukusuman, Surakarta, where, oftentimes, a single house is inhabited by several families and is passed down from generation to generation. This causes a change in space, a narrowing of that which is inhabited by the next generation. This paper aims to examine the transformation of space within low-income homes in Kampong Kajen.Design/methodology/approachThe research method was a qualitative case study approach, and data were collected through direct interviews and field observation. Informants in this study were classified into three groups: residents, non-residents and government agencies.FindingsThe space transformation that occurred in the studied samples was partial. The transformation continued to occur as the new families grew, and the area of space used by the new families experienced a narrowing for future generations.Originality/valueThe novelty of this research is in regard to the findings about the partial transformation of the house from generation to generation, which details changes in the layout and the extent of the house interior, the narrowing of the house, the change of owners and the changing behaviour of the house inhabitants. Partial transformation continues to occur in line with the addition of new families living in one house.