a d e q u a t e h o u s i n g + i n f r a s t r u c t u r e i n

T H E F R I N G E an advocacy pro ject to ra ise awareness for adequate inf rastructure in the f r inge area

around Surakar ta , Indones ia.

Surakarta’s expansion to the outskirt is

affecting rural communities & settlement.

Sukohar jo , that located at the south

side is one of the most effected region.

UN Habitat III Conference,

Issue on Urban-Rural Linkage

Existing rural communities in the fringe of

Surakarta (Sukoharjo) are facing rapid

change. The change occurs comprehensively

on social, economic, and physical aspects;

land use conversion, new commercial, &

housing development, population growth, etc.

Infrastructure is essent ia l for

quality housing and environmental

sustainability to balance the rapid

development.

“ Cities & towns with population

over 100,000 will extend outwards

by 175 percent by 2031 which will

have a major impact on their rural

surroundings.

Surakarta is one of metropolitan cities in the

world that expand rapidly. Its role as growth

center of its surrounding region makes

Surakarta as the center of economic activity

and urbanization destination. As the time

goes by, land availability inside the city is

decreasing, implicating land price rise.

T h i s p h e n o m e n o n p r o d u c e s

outskirt development trend on the fringe area

of Surakarta.

surakar ta

sukohar jo

Greenland

converted to

built up for the

last 10 years*

278Ha

rapid housing /

gated

community

development

new

commercial

centers

development

remaining rural

communities

and activities

Population

growth for the

last 10 years*

>24000

*BPS Sukoharjo, rough calculation of Surakarta’s surrounding districts.

ISSUE s u r a k a r t a

waru

siwal

manang

gentan

banaran

cemani

kwarasan

madegondo

grogol

laban

palur

makamhaji

Population growth from in-migration & new devel-

opments of residential, industrial and commercial

centers are changing the face of rural villages.

While this rapid development happens and rural

area are shifting to urban, infrastructure is

important to support the change.

Villages in the fringe area of Surakarta are still

facing the inadequate infrastructure to support

the rapid changes . Some villages have water

supply, drainage and sanitation issue (waste

management) while other villages still have

poverty housing. This issues need to be

resolved immediately to provide livable

environment & quality housing for the people.

*images courtesy of Solopos

RISKS INADEQUATE

infrastructure

+ housing

f o l l o w i n g

heal th issue

safe ty issue

S o c i a l +

educat ionofchi ldren

More than just

inconvenience ,

infrastructure problem

in the fringe area will

bring greater risks with-

out significant

intervention.

By inadequate infrastructure ranging

from lack of public spaces to poor

drainage system, this issue will risk

public health as the time goes by.

Periodic floods will affect convenience of

the people that live in urban fringe area

and its livability level. Without intervention

this floods issue will harm local

community.

Lack of public spaces and the absence of

connectivity between rural existing village

and new gated-community development

will result in poor social interaction.

Furthermore, lack of public spaces will

have effects on inactivity and isolation of

children from their neighborhood

environment and this could intervene their

early education.

SOLUTIONS P R O P O S E D

ISSUE #1 : Waste Management

providing standardized waste

management system. The standardized waste management system includes infrastructure to accommodate village’s daily solid & liquid waste.

Trash truck to

transport solid

disposal.

Standardized open-dumping

site for temporarily keep the trash

before the further process.

Communal waste water

treatment plant for household + HBE liquid waste

1 2 accommodating communi ty

based waste management

Community based waste management is beneficial for people in existing villages of urban fringe area. More than to build aware-ness to keep the environment clean, this also could be the source of additional income by supporting people’s creativity.

Supporting local community &

organization waste mng. programs

Supporting people’s creativity & business to process waste into valua-ble goods. Such as composting, community waste-bank, etc.

ISSUE #2 : Drainage System Adequate drainage system is essential to prevent periodic floods. Today, in urban fringe area of Surakarta (Sukoharjo) the existing drainage system is inadequate to support the water flow when the rain comes. A significant intervention is needed to protect people from the floods.

1 providing integrated drainage system within

existing village & new developments.

2 promoting infiltration wells as an

alternative solution for drainage issue.

ISSUE #3 : Water Supply New developments of commercial centers and hotels alongside the main road of urban fringe area (Sukoharjo) is intervening existing rural communities’ water supply. Their daily supply is threatened by massive amount of water the new-developments needed. Therefore, today most of existing village communities have to buy water supply everyday to fulfill their needs because the amount of ground water is decreasing.

1 Expanding clean water supply network to

existing rural settlements. 2 Strengthening environmental protec-

tion policy in new development permit

1A Creating partnership with investors of new developments to provide water supply for existing rural community.

Providing water is important to support lives. Partnership between govt. and investors could be a strategic approach to provide water for people.

Groundwater protection for environmental sustainability

St rengthening env i ronmental p r o t e c t i o n assessment for new development

ISSUE #4 : Connect iv i ty + Transpor tat ion

increasing roads quality that connects villages to activity centers / city. 1

Integrating existing village or rural settlements to new developments. 2

providing integrated public transportation that connects urban fringe to the city. 3

Spatial integration between new and existing settlement is important to prevent the risk of inequality, with connectivity the people have the chance to interact with each other

Includes the needs to immedi-ately revitalize the road + to make it more inclusive for pedestrian.

By providing public transporta-tion, people who live in urban fringe will have better connec-tivity and reducing inactivity esp. for the commuters.

ISSUE #5 : Publ ic Space + Green Land Convers ion

ISSUE #6 : Floods

promoting place making as an alternative to provide public space in villages 1

utilizing underused space + building rooftop as green public space for people. 2

creating strict regulation to control green land conver-sion + providing green spaces for people.

3 Strict regulation following green land conversion to built up is important to protect the environment. Even though, urban fringe area is designated as pre-urban (soon to be urban) the government needs to address the issue by providing green public spaces for people whether in the existing villages or in the new developments to balance the rapid green land loss.

Using underused space like rooftops or creating partner-ship with investors for shared-public space is an alternative to provide public spaces.

providing floods early warning evacuation system and its infrastructure. 1

conducting disaster-resilience local community groups 2

Supporting people creativity to create a public space within existing neighborhood to foster social interaction & activities.

Early warning and evacuation system is needed to protect people from floods and to prevent the risk of casualties.

Socializing and educating local community about the risk of floods/disaster by creating local groups to create disaster resilience society.

FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

PROBLEMS IN THE

URBAN FRINGE AREA OF

S U R A K A R T A

Open letter to government of Sukoharjo.

We still remember on rainy season in December 2015 to January 2016, some villages in

north part of Sukoharjo which were part of Bengawan Solo riverbanks, were stricken by

the floods that lasted for few days. It flooded people settlement even in some villages it

stopped the villages activity for few days.

Geographically, Sukoharjo is adjacent to Surakarta city. The city that becomes the center

of economic activity to its residency area is growing actively. Its activity and built-up area

is expanding to its rural surroundings. Sukoharjo is one of regencies surrounding

Surakarta affected by this urban sprawl phenomenon.

New development such as commercial centers, residential development, and entertain-

ment centers is flourishing rapidly in the north part of Sukoharjo. This kind of development

is changing the face of rural settlement into urban. If we look into economic aspect, this

development is beneficial; to Government of Sukoharjo incomes, investment opportunity,

and public welfare.

—

Therefore, the rapid development should be balanced with adequate infrastructure

provision. Some villages in the north part of Sukoharjo are still facing infrastructure

problems from waste management to clean-water supply. More than just causing incon-

venience in daily activity, this infrastructure problem is inviting greater risk as the time

goes by.

—

Drainage system’s inability to accommodate water run-off and continuing green land

conversion are resulting in floods that periodically happen every year. This condition will

harm people’s safety and increasing the risk of communicable diseases such as dengue

and skin infection. Strategic intervention from the government is needed, not only provid-

ing adequate drainage system but also applying community based infiltration wells as a

solution. For the periodic flood, the government needs to provide disaster—resilience

infrastructure for the people from early warning system, evacuation route, and evacuee

camps.

Waste management issue that affecting almost every village in the north part of Sukoharjo

needs comprehensive intervention. Provisioning waste management system that includes

waste transportation mode and standardized open dumping site is needed to address

the issue. At the other side, the government is expected to support local communities by

supporting people’s creativity & business to process waste into valuable goods, such as

composting, community waste-bank, etc.

Clean water supply problem should be address quickly because this issue is intervening

daily life. The government needs to expand the clean water network to existing rural

settlement and unreached area. Increasing investment of new developments is an

opportunity for government to provide clean water for the people by creating partnership

between government, investors, and local people. Moreover, in the future the government

needs to strengthen environmental protection regulation, especially to protect clean

water.

Connectivity issue (road and public transportation) such as lack of integrated public

transportation to Surakarta city and the increasing damaged roads need to be resolved

immediately. Especially the needs to provide convenient public transportation to provide

better access for commuters that live in Sukoharjo. Besides, the government needs to

pay attention to connectivity plan (regulation) between old settlement (existing villages)

and new development (gated communities) to facilitate social interaction between local

people and migrants (new development inhabitant).

The lack of attention to availability of public space especially in existing villages in north

part of Sukoharjo will bring greater risk that will affect public health, social relation, and

children early education. The need to provide green public spaces is becoming

important because of land use conversion that occurs continuously, that takes village

communities green public space away. The government can also support people

creative ideas in providing public spaces such as place-making movement within the

village and creating partnership with investors to provide public facilities for people.

—-

Intervention for inadequate infrastructure problem in north part of Sukoharjo needs to be

resolved perceptively and comprehensively. The significance of infrastructure in support-

ing settlement (housing) is to maintain livability and sustainability to balance rapid chang-

es that occur in this area—changing the face of rural settlement into urban. If this issue is

not addressed quickly there will be more environmental problems that affecting more

people.