Date Thesis Awarded
5-2017
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Arts (BA)
Department
Interdisciplinary Studies
Advisor
Joseph L. Jones
Committee Members
Tomoko Hamada
David P. Aday, Jr.
Robert A. Rose
Abstract
Purpose: This project analyzes the uses of space and geography up the scales of political organization – from the village to the municipal – attempting to find the intersections where physical space meets governance using Semarang, Indonesia as my strategic case. This research employs a biocultural lens, addressing the existing gaps in literature by advancing a framework to function across disciplines and ultimately reconnecting to its practical application in urban planning and design. Such a framework is important in providing a blueprint for building a coherent and supportive structure on which to assess the human impact of design and contribute new “human-centered” solutions to the discussion of the way we plan, upgrade, and build our cities. Methods examined the formal planning strategies employed by the municipality to mitigate the city’s key shocks and stresses; the informal acts of community mapping and placemaking incited by community stakeholders; and the overlay of these two urbanizing processes; framing the study of the kota (city) and its governance in terms of their interaction in the built environment.
Practical Implications: This paper suggests that if participatory, village-oriented strategies were further encouraged and even facilitated by the city – especially in neighborhoods with high environmental risk – corresponding policy efforts and geospatial planning in building urban resilience will prove more effective and efficient. This paper further asserts the function of place and placemaking as a tool for leveraging village voices in urban development.
Recommended Citation
Jones, Emmaleah K., "Where the Sidewalk Ends: Reimagining Urban Place and Governance in Semarang, Indonesia" (2017). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1073.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1073
