Public space launch

Launching of Cak Markeso Culture Hall Public Space at PrepCom3

AS bright as the afternoon sun were the smiles of the PrepCom3 delegates, local community, volunteers, and everyone who witnessed the formal launching of a public space at Kampung Ketandan, one of Surabaya’s oldest villages that is located at the heart of the City. Lively music that let the Mayor and delegates dance and sing with the residents, and a stand-up comedy performance by local artists, capped the inauguration of the pavilion.

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Get to know Kampung Ketandan and the new “Joglo” The village was home to the ethnic Chinese community for many decades. Nowadays, a mix of ethnic Chinese and Javanese make up the population of Kampung Ketandan.

There are roughly 400 families or 2,000 people who are residents of the village.

The location of the new pavilion or “joglo” (a traditional Javanese roof) in the local language, is at the center of the Kampung, beside the community center and a small graveyard that the residents treat with great respect. For developing the space that was already being used by the residents but was unattractive, the project also involved university lectures, students and the local community, making sure they were part of the entire process. The pavilion has a traditional design and can be multi-purpose, and also has a ramp to improve its accessibility.

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Messages to and from the residents

Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini echoed the value of kampungs and gave an inspiring message to the community. She reminded that the more than 700-year old history of the city lies in its villages and that residents should be proud. Kampungs, at some point, had a negative image because of high criminality, poor sanitation, and the mistaken belief that they are unsuitable places for one’s personal growth and development. Under her leadership and strong encouragement of the people, however, many kampungs have seen a transformation into clean, green, and safe places to live.

The Mayor or ‘Ibu Risma’ as she is popularly called, brought on stage several young students from Kampung Ketandan who have attained higher education. She said “kampungs should not be regarded as low class or inferior to other places or villages. In fact, kampungs are very productive and have a lot of activities that make Surabaya alive all day. A kampung is a good place to live in and nurture one’s personal growth, people here are educated and have good jobs.”

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“I hope this will be useful for your different activities. The main idea we had in building this is for people to have a good place to meet, relax, and socialize,” said UCLG ASPAC Secretary General Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi. As one of the local wisdom, “gotongroyong,” which means togetherness, is at the heart of society’s culture. She thanked Mayor Tri Rismaharini for personally encouraging the community to be involved in the process, from being part of the consultations, construction works, and putting final touches on the pavilion and around the village by painting or cleaning. She was also grateful with good cooperation and support extended by the Ministry of Public Works of Indonesia and UN-Habitat in implementing the public space project in Surabaya, including at Ketandan Village and the other two locations.

Meanwhile, Cecilia Andersson from UN-Habitat remarked that public spaces are often neglected when in fact, they should be considered an important investment. She added, “partnership is key, as well as for the community to take the lead and ownership of public spaces and in defining its purpose.” Ms. Rina Agustin (Secretary of Directorate General Cipta Karya) representing the Ministry of Public Works hoped that more public spaces, especially in high-density places, will be developed. This will help curb many urban problems and strengthen social bonds.

Finally, a spokesperson from the community conveyed their gratitude to the different partners, and the assistance they had in constructing the pavilion. They noted the long but worthwhile process of building the hall and assured that the values of tradition will endure. Ibu Titi, a 65-years old resident of Kampung Ketandan happily shared how they are looking forward to use the space for many activities, including for prayers, practicing cultural performances, and holding other events.