Strategy of Designing Social Space for Crime Prevention for Sustainable Community Case Study: Kampung Made, Surabaya

Abstract

Majority of urban formations in Indonesia is called kampong which naturally represents their social structure as well. A kampong named Made was selected as a case study due to its role in providing the situation of mixed dwellers to anticipate urban sprawl in West part of Surabaya. Dealing with various threats from simple theft to terrorism, local community in general has developed their defense system in the neighborhoods supported by the government security system. This defense system of Kampong Made relies on the social hierarchy of the community which will be identified with the physical elements of their dwellings and surrounding. This study supports the fact that those physical elements which separate public from private spaces correlate to the social hierarchy. Further result shows that the social distance which is to protect the inhabitants from excessive intervention of outsider relies mainly on the trust. However, in contrast to the social distance, the physical elements separating each social space are to keep the direct communication flow without unnecessary barrier. The sense of security will rise alongside the amount of information shared. House fence is more of a symbol of social well-being, whilst open space beyond the front door is to maintain the social contact and keep communication in control, thus increasing the sense of security. The strategy of designing social space in dwellings identified with kampong should therefore promote visual and auditory contact from both sides and allow more spaces for social gathering. In addition, the thresholds and distances accessed from public to private spaces, prevailing neighborhood defense units as well as the worship places altogether support the defense system in the neighborhood.