Identity of Denpasar City

IDENTITY OF DENPASAR CITY

Tri AnggrainiPrajnawrdhi1, AlpanaSivam2, SadasivamKaruppannan3

1 School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia 2 School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia 3 School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia,Adelaide, Australia

*e-mail of corresponding author: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Bali is well known as the Paradise Island on the earth. Its unique landscape and culture attract large number of tourists from all over the world. Bali has become one of favorite tourist destinations. Due to large number of tourists several new developments are taking place in Denpasar city to support tourism activities. New developments have noticeably transformed the identity of Denpasar. The planning aspiration of Denpasar city “Denpasar is a Cultural City based on the harmony between God, Human and the Nature” has come about more recently in the past few years after the population boom. While the government policy is to sustain and upgrade the city identity, it appears that the policies are not effective to tackle the ongoing multi-layered threats for developments to support tourism. The identity of place is socially constructed and valued by the community. This paper presents comparative and descriptive analysis to gain knowledge from place and its community. This paper reveals how the concept of place and identity in Denpasar has changed over time and highlights the political implications of creating and building the place identity.

Key words: Community, Denpasar, identity, place.

1. INTRODUCTION

Denpasar is the capital of Bali province in Indonesia. Bali is well known as one of favourite tourist destination in South East Asia. With growing population and influx of tourists, this culturally rich city is undergoing a transformation to cope with the demand for infrastructure and services. This transformation is disturbing the original plan for Denpasar which is built on the architectural traditions of Hindu city and building code and affecting the urban heritage of the city. The identity of Bali is specially built up from its heritage both the sclupture and the tradition. Also the meaning of the space and place has been strongly related with the Hindu practices in Bali. This heritage both places and traditions are scarce and valuable to the community, it is important to conserve them as they are not renewable. Heritage is one of important aspect of identity in a city which has been established in the past and brought a strong character to a city. The growing of urban becomes more varied in term of type and size is expressing a social change in the globalised city. As urban populations rapidly expand the government priority is more on the provision of infrastructure and facilities rather than conservation of heritage (Savitri, 2011).

Rapid urbanization in many part of the world especially in the developing countries, accompanied with uncontrolled growth and expansion of informal sector pose significant risk for ‘ir-replace-able’ cultural and natural resources (Pearson and Sullivan, 1995). In order to accommodate the needs of urbanised populations and to respond to market demand both the public sector and developers are demolishing low rise traditional heritage property to build high density development in some countries. This is changing the urban morphology and threatening landscape heritage.

The total population of Denpasar in 2010 was 788,445 people while in 2000 the total population was only 532,440 people (Bali Statistic Bureau, 2010) with 4% increase over 10 years. Indeed the number of families based on 2010 statistical data came to about 233,956. With the127.78 km sq total area of Denpasar, the density of Denpasar is 6,170.331 person/km sq. The increase of population and urbanisation in Bali, specifically in Denpasar has come about because of the of the tourism industry. The urbanisation rate as recorded by the Bali Statistic Bureau in 2000 found that 30, 25% of population of Denpasar comes from outside Bali with the highest number from the island of Java. This number has increased by 3.7% during the last ten years of the 4% increase of Denpasar population. Following this, Denpasar hold 7% urbanisation number of the total 10% urbanisation in Bali in 2000 (Bali in Numbers, 2000). The tourism boom in Bali as described by Marshal (2011) is extremely high with 1.3 million in 2001 and then the quantity is almost doubled within ten years later which were mostly Australian visitors. Indeed,

1 there are millions more Indonesian visitors to this small island from other islands around Bali. As recorded by the Bali Statistic Bureau 2010, there was also an increase of 16.69 % foreign tourism in the peak season (November to March) compared to last year. Meanwhile, the natural concept of space, building and landscape and urban design in Bali based on the harmonisation between the god, human and the natural environment is the main aspect for all those Balinese concepts. The harmonious relationship with the environment described as manik ring cecupu,(Samadhi, 2004), is the psycho-cosmic concept of manik (baby represent the microcosm) and cecupu (mother’s womb represent macrocosm). At the same time, the harmonisation between the human (also called Bhuwana Alit) and the nature (also called BhuwanaAgung) should be maintain in order to achieve the final goal in Hinduism belief. Balinese people are mostly Hindu live within adat villages (adat means customary laws) with their extended family. Every village consists of one or more adat villages. This adat village is one of the strong points of Balinese culture, since the adat community has a philosophical relationship with their territory and land as the community’s ancestral legacy(Suartika, 2007b).The land is not simply a place to live in, but is more about the adat members’ relationship to their ancestors. Furthermore, this village divided into several banjar (neighbourhood associations) with its own balaibanjar (community building facility). Within this banjar system, there is a regular community meeting to discuss the community problems and makes decision based on community consensus. Bali is also well known with the famous community involvement which called subak(irrigation system group). The irrigation system was established based on the former Balinese economy which was mostly farming. This tradition had important value to the community and the nature. It is simply take and give between human and the nature, and it is the responsibility for human to look after the nature.However, since the tourism industry boom in Bali, there has been a significant decrease in agriculture land. This land has been turn into housing and commercial development, also tourism facilities especially in Denpasar and Badung regency. Certainly the subak organisation has been losing its members with the decrease in agricultural lands. Indeed, subak temple is also degrading its value from the past. It could be seen from the description mention above, that there was some fundamental basis of the value of space and identity of the Balinese. Denpasar as the capital city has transform its space and starting to loose its identity.With the highest population growth derived from urbanization compare than other region amongst Bali, how could Denpasar maintaining its city identity which based on the ancient Hindu concept. Graham, (Stubbs, 2004) argues that the presentation and interpretation of heritage site commonly bring the economic exploitation as tourism objects. The views of heritage as artefact seems more important that its views as knowledge. This condition is undoubtedly happened with the cultural heritage site in Bali and Denpasar specifically, where tangible and tangible cultural heritage today become a tourist daily attraction. Also, the sacred zone of the cultural heritage site has been encroached by commercial and tourism business. This condition will led these sites lost their value and soul sooner or later. The conservation of heritage assets willsupports urban revitalization by preserving liveability, increasing competitiveness, and creating a wide range of income-earning opportunities (Ebbe, 2009). Heritage assets in Denpasar have become an important factor to improve the image of the city and identity. At the same time, it increases civic pride by sustaining cultural heritage and addressing a wide range of development and livelihood needs (Ebbe, 2009). According to Friedman (2007) the philosophy of heritage is related to the past, present and the future with the fundamental importance of the city as the sense of place. Friedman (2007) puts it thus:Without the recognition of local tradition, communities may lose their true identities, which are rooted in the history. The city is a reflection of its citizen; the built environment is a manifestation of local character. Furthermore, successfully built environment are not only conscious of the past but are also adaptable to the future. (p.361).

2. METHODOLOGY

There are many issues related with the identity of Denpasar. It is especially linked with cultural heritage which has the most important basis in building up the character and identity of Denpasar city. As heritage is the most important one, it is not only tangible but also intangible ones, the use of comparative and descriptive analysis based on some of Urban Design Principles adopted within this paper.

Urban design concerns of organization of a city, the shape of the city and also the activity within it. It is could also define as the art of making wonderful places. Successful places or cities have good flexible urban design which concern and maintain good relationship between community and buildings, the spaces between buildings, land use, density, historic natural features, materials, the public realm, quality of the existing and future built environment, green areas, vistas, connectivity and movement, dynamic and innovative, liveable which also consider of activities and cultural events to take place (Lynch, 1960; Trancik, 1986; Montgomery, 1998; Davies, 2009; Gunder, 2011).

2 Certainly, urban design put it emphasizes on aesthetic, economic, social and environmental justice and within its practice becomes an intersection between planner, architect and landscape designer to achieve the goal of a successful cities. Urban design makes urban planning more forward looking and creates an effective form of planning by developing vision for the future of a city (Madanipour, 2006 in Gunder, 2011). It can be said that urban design drawn the inspiration of thoughts of the past, present and future (Gosling & Maitland, 1984).Integrated aspects of place making within urban design are described onto its principles. Some principles are presented for the urban design concepts and practices, there is wide range of principles but they have similarity in emphasized aesthetic, economy, social and environments. These principles are widely used mainly in developed countries such as European countries; the US and Australia to improve quality of urban living. One example is urban design compendium offers seven principles based on several key aspects of urban design which highlighted on people, existing site, connection landscape, mixed used and flexibility for change (Davies, 2009). Montgomery (1998) set the integrated place making concept of Activity, Image and Form, then each concepts provides wide range of principles. This principle provides a comprehensive approach to the analysis, where the concept of Activity, Image and Form become an appropriate tool to assess the complexity of place and identity problem in Denpasar.

3. CRISIS OF IDENTITY

Within the Balinese settlements, there are three zones classifications of parahyangan (sacred spaces such as temples), pawongan (middle spaces such as residential) and palemahan (profane spaces such as grave yard). This type of classification is commonly used in all Balinese adat which are called adat village. Every adat village is basically divided into three main spaces to accommodate those classifications(Sentosa, 2001). However, this zones now has been mixed up due to rapid population growth. Sacred zones boundaries of temple has been interfered by commercial acitivities to support population growth. The form of the zones and also its image and activity has changed from the past. In the past the value and meaning of each zones gave a strong identity to every adat village, and at the same time its also gave a strong character and differentiate between every adat village. The natural landscape such as hills, rice fields and beaches is also disturbed by commercial and new development. Many rice fields as one of natural heritage landscape with its subak temple which was giving a strong identity to the place now started to dissapear. The subak temples now surrounded commercials and housing and had lost its value within the new development. The subak temple used to be the vocal point and as the orientation within the rice fields. As the change of form this temple is no longer become an orientationand squezzed in the new development. Moreover, beach borderline as one of natural heritage landscape use to give a strong identity of the place of a public space where Hindu traditional ceremony took place, now is occupied with many commercial activities to support tourism. The commercial activity to support tourism industry encroached the beach borderline such as restaurant and informal sitting areas for the tourist. Based on the government regulation, the border should be within 100 meter from the water, and it should not be any buildings or permanent activity take place. However, lack of government control lead this encroachment remain exist. Also there is minimum area for the traditional ceremony compare from the past. The changes of form and activity in this site had weaken the identity of this place compare to the past. Within the adat system, the land arrangement was divided into two major parts, first; land tenure occupied by the adat village institution and dedicated for the need of all community, second; land tenure occupied by the karma desa (adat village member) for the individual needs such as for house. Within this adat system, the land tenure could securely manage by the adat village for adat community welfare in the past. However, in the present condition, the new government commercial land system has destroyed the adat land and also the Balinese culture in a whole (Suartika, 2003). Definitely, the state government has the responsibility of Balinese culture and environmental destruction by the new commercial land market system. This condition raised a question on how to find a solution within the planning policy for the commercialized land market. The new policy should minimise the impact on the cultural and environmental in Balinese society. Nevertheless, the conflict of adat land such land for adat community temple become commercialised in the present has been raising as the major issue especially in the cities. Urbanisation as the catalyst of population growth caused high demand land for housing. To accommodate more and more people every year, the transformations of green areas to housing and commercial is undeniable. These facilities took large place within the development with local and foreign investor under a high competition in land commercial market. The cultural heritage of Bali and especially Denpasar is giving a strong identity and character to this city and it is also famous for tourism and has brought the wealth for the community. However, without a strategy for the preservation of cultural heritage, these sites will lose their soul. Consequently, the soul and identity of Bali will disappear, and it would no longer attract visitors. This has led to public controversy about the loss of culture as a result of tourism and urban development.

3 4. CONCLUSIONS

The crisis of identity in Denpasar Bali could be seen as the transformation of this city in order to be able to accomodate the influx of population and tourism. The changed of activity of the place leads to the changing of form and image. As the result of rapid population growth, the transformation of this city is unstopable. It is become a main concern on how to accomodate the population growth and also at the same time sustain the identity and character of Denpasar. Eventhough there are some regulations to protect the area, but there is lack of government control for the implementation. Some regulations should be reviewed by the government as the changes of this city is rapid.In order to accomodate population boom, government and also the local people with the local adat community should be in the sameview to protect the heritage in Denpasar. As long as the identity and the character well maintain, this will bring a positif impact to this city and the people.

5. REFERENCES Book reference:

1) Bickford, A. 1991. The Australian ICOMOS Charter (Burra Charter) and First Government House. In: Davidson, G. & Conville, C. M. (eds.) Heritage Handbook. New South Wales: Allen and Unwin Pty Ltd. 2) Davies, L. 2009. Urban Design Compendium: Urban Design. London: English Partnership: The Housing Corporation. 3) Davidson, G. & Conville, C. M. (eds.) 1991. Heritage Handbook: Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd. 4) Gilmour, T. 2007. Sustaining Heritage: Giving the Past a Future, Sydney, Sydney University Press. 5) Flyvberg, B. 2001. Making Social Scince Matter: Why Social Inquiry Fails and and How it can Succeed Again, UK, Cambridge University Press. 6) Pearson, M. & Sullivan, S. 1995. Looking After Heritage Places: The basic of heritage planning for managers, landowners and administrators, Melbourne, Mebourne University Press.

Journal references:

1) Al-Hagla, K. S. 2010. Sustainable urban development in historical areas using the tourist trail approach: A case study of the Cultural Heritage and Urban Development (CHUD) project in Saida, Lebanon, Cities, 27 (4), pp. 234-248. 2) Allen, P. & Palermo, C. 2005. Ajeg Bali: Multiple Meaning, Diverse Agenda, Indonesia and the Malay World, 33 (97), pp. 239-255. 3) Christopher, T. & Sutherland, M. 2007. Built cultural heritage and sustainable urban development, Landscape and Urban Planning, 83 (1), pp. 62-69. 4) Connor, L. & Vickers, A. 2003. Crisis, Citizenship, and Cosmopolitanism: Living in a Local and Global Risk Society in Bali, Indonesia 75, pp. 153-180. 5) Daher, R. F. 2005. Urban Regeneration/Heritage Tourism Endeavours: The Case of Salt, Jordan ‘Local Actors, International Donors, and the State’, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 11 (4), pp. 289-308. 6) Ebbe, K. 2009. Infrastructure and Heritage Conservation: Opportunities for Urban Revitalization and Economic Development. Direction in Urban Development. New York: Urban Development Unit, The World Bank. 7) Friedman, A. 2007. A Methodology for the Preservation of the Architectural Heritage of Senneville, Quebec, Canada, Journal of Urban Design, 12 (3), pp. 359-373. 8) Gunder, M. (in press). Commentary:Is Urban Design Still Urban Planning? An Exploration and Response, Journal of Planning Education and Research. 9) Keitsumetse, S. O. 2009. Sustainable Development and Cultural Heritage in Botswana: Towards Sustainable Communities, Sustainable Development, 19, pp. 49-59. 10) Nuryanti, W. 1996. Heritage and Postmodern Tourism, Annals of Tourism Research, 23 (2), pp. 249- 260. 11) Lansing, P. S. 2006. Perfect Order: Recognizing Complexity in Bali. The Stockholm Seminars: Frontiers in Sustainability Science and Policy. Linné Hall, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Lilla Frescativägen 4, Stockholm. 12) Lietaer, B. 2003. Sustaining cultural vitality in a globalizing world: the Balinese example, International Journal of Social Economics 30 (9), pp. 967-984. 13) Mathieson, A. & Wall, G. 1982. Tourism: Economic, Physical and Social Impacts., London, Longman. 14) Montgomery, J. 1998. Making a city: urbanity, vitality and urban design, Journal of Urban Design, 3 (1), pp. 93-117.

4 15) Samadhi, T. N. 2001a. Cultural based town form determinants and the development of Balinese urban design concepts, Indonesian Planning School Association, 1 (1), pp. 25-39. 16) Samadhi, T. N. 2001b. The urban design of Balinese town: Placemaking issues in the Balinese urban setting, Habitat International, 25 (4), pp. 559-575. 17) Samadhi, T. N. 2004. Making cosmo-religious landscapes: the design of a Balinese town’s civic center (Bali, Indonesia), Habitat International, 28, pp. 103-122. 18) Sentosa, L. S. 2001. Genious loci within Balinese dwelling environments: the unlikely scenarios of urban development in Bali, Habitat International, 25, pp. 255-272. 19) Suartika, G. A. M. 2007. Territoriality and the market system-Adat land vs. state regulations on land matters in Bali, Habitat International, 31, pp. 167-176. 20) Suartika, G. A. M. 2010. Pengaturan batas ketinggian bangunan dalam menjaga keberlanjutan bentang alam dan lingkungan terbangun, Jurnal Bumi Lestari, 10 (1), pp. 146-158. 21) Syahyuti 2006. Kebijakan Lahan Abadi Untuk Pertanian Sulit Diwujudkan, Analisis Kebijakan Pertanian, 4 (2), pp. 96-108. 22) United Nations 2006. World Urbanization Prospects: The 2005 Revision. Population Division. New York: Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Newspaper: 1) Marshall, A. 2011. Poscard from Bali, 18 April, Time Magazine 2) Savitri, A. 2011. Shifting to other crops essential for Balinese The Jakarta Post, 20 June 2011.

Websites: 1) Denpasar Planning Board. 2011. Denpasar City Planning. www.tatakotadenpasar.go.id. 2) Statistik, B. P. 2011. Statistik Indonesia 2010. Republik Indonesia, www.bps.go.id. 3) UNESCO. 2011. World Heritage Convention. http://whc.unesco.org/en/35/. 4) United Nations. 2002. Johannesburg Declaration of Sustainable Development. http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/WSSD_POI_PD/English/POI_PD.htm. June 2011.

Conference proceedings: 1) Lynne, A. & Yung, Y. 2006. Heritage protection in the built environment in Hong Kong and Queensland: a cross-cultural comparison. The 12th Annual Conference of the Pacific Rim Real Estate Society (PRRES). Auckland, NZ. 2) Suartika, G. A. M. Commodification and Nationalization of Land Matters across the Nusantara: The Case Study of Bali. Artepolis: creative communities and the making of place, 2003. 111-122.

Dissertation/thesis: 1) Prajnawrdhi, T. A. 2002. Form and Ornament Study on Modern Balinese Architecture. Master Unpublished Master Thesis, 10 November Institute of Technology.