ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PARK an approach to urban river revitalization and water quality improvement for riverbank

slum settlement in pamuatan river outfall

CHAPTER I. Study Background. 1

CHAPTER I. Study Background
I.1 Introduction
Urban rivers can provide high quality landscape space as it associated with the value of nature.
Landscape development of urban waterfronts is closely tied to the ecological, recreational, and aesthetic
values of these aras. Historically, the cultivation and urbanization patterns of cultural landscapes used to
be tied very closely to the logics of their watershed, with the flow of water being one of the most
important factors creating landscape relations (van Buuren/Kerkstra 1993, Picon 2005, Shannon 2007,
cited Stojkman 2008). Nowadays, many cases in developed countries become the showcase of how urban
river waterfront can be transformed into more livable places for the society.
Sustainable oriented solutions are becoming a new demand to maintain the legacy of our earth
and its resources for the next generations. As a landscape architect, the initiatives of sustainable site
design are guiding us to aiming the environmentally oriented solution regarding to keep the ecosystem
services runs well.
The physical shape of the urban environment, where social life takes place, is deeply connected
with its social organization and the behaviour of its citizens. Environmental degradation is often
considered to be human driven (Halpenny, 2010; Kurz, 2002). The quest for more environmentally
sustainable behaviour has meant that there has been a move to investigate environmental problems from
a psychological, social, and behavioural standpoint, leading to an increased focus on the study of human
attitude and behaviour (Kurz, 2002 cited Ramkissoon, H., Weiler, B., & Smith, L. 2011).
The importance of environmental psychology to gain wider understanding of how people react,
yet influenced, by its environment psychologically can be put as a valuable understanding to create better
public space design, such urban riverfront, park, and others. The definition of this new discipline initially
made as the study of transactionsbetween individuals and their physical settings. (Gifford, 1996).
Furthermore, Gifford (1996) suggest that in these transactions, individuals change the environment and
experiences are changed by the environment. Regarding that statement, The next question is about can
we decide the effect that we want to achieve, in this case is pro environmental behavior and awareness,
within urban landscape space design?


ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PARK an approach to urban river revitalization and water quality improvement for riverbank
slum settlement in pamuatan river outfall

CHAPTER I. Study Background. 2

Overview to the present condition
Almost 1 billion people, or 14 per cent of the worlds urban population, live in slums, the majority
of them in the developing world. The locus of global poverty is moving to the cities, a process now
recognized as the urbanization of poverty. Without concerted action on the part of municipal authorities,
national governments, civil society actors and the international community, the number of slum dwellers
is likely to increase in most developing countries. Including what we are facing today in the case of
Indonesia , based on number recorded on 2011, total slum household in is 7.065.981, with population of
27.378.677 and live in total area of 57.800 Hectare. If no serious action is taken, the number of slum
dwellers worldwide is projected to rise over the next 30 years to about 2 billion. (UN Habitat Report 2003)
In line with Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
(JPOI), several targets achievement related to improve Indonesian substandart dwelling has been drawn.
The National Long Term Development Plan (RPJPN 2005-2025) , a development plan which stretches
twenty years, aims to achieve the development goals as mandated in the Preamble to the Constitution of
1945. Based on Law No. 17 of 2007 regarding National Long-Term Development Plan 2005- 2025, Goal
intended to accomplish City Without Slum by 2020. Quantitatively speaks, The government is targeting
to improve 14.5 million substandard houses and 47,500 hectares of slum area in over 10,000 locations by
year of 2020.
Despite its not the most populous place compare to other region, Central Kalimantan province
,which is the third largest province, shown significant increasement of population. From 3,43% per year
in the period of 1971-1980, it shows an addition of 0,45% per year, makes the increasement of 3,88 % per
year which is noticably higher than compare to national average increasement of 1,97% per year.. There
are also significant shift of the number of productive male population from year of 2000 untill 2010 which
is increase from 27,87% into 34,38%. This phenomenon are the impact of migration attracked by
promising agricultural prospect in the province. On 2010, statistics shows that 2.2 milion of population
are 33,46% living in urban and 66,54% in sub urban / village area, which are the palm oil plantation and
other agricultural activities take place.
(Source:http://sp2010.bps.go.id/index.php/site?id=62&wilayah=Kalimantan-Tengah. Translation by the
author)
However, if we see from the density sprawls, the most populous area in the Province is found on
Kotawaringin timur with 16,92% of overall population. (BPS, 2013). Furthermore, statistics found that the
most dense area in this regency is on its capital urban area, or Sampit City. This reflects, despite the
population spreading in agricultural land, the density still occur on the city.
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PARK an approach to urban river revitalization and water quality improvement for riverbank
slum settlement in pamuatan river outfall

CHAPTER I. Study Background. 3

Sampit, a capitol of Kotawaringin Timur regency, enjoys geograhical advantages of Mentaya River
which run for 400 Km from the Java sea throughout its region. This river brings a strategic value to the city
which makes it easily connect the area with other parts on Indonesia archipelagos by its sea port, and
therefore, attracks mass population to come to this land by cheaply. Also Known by its history as the
source of native people livelihood, this river has several creeks which flows into the town and mainly use
to support citys drainage system.
More demand to the housing property lead to the occupancy of illegal land by incoming settlers
from average of economic capability. Furthermore, urban riverbank as historically the first place of
settlement, now grows uncontrol and become a choice to fulfill the needs of informal dwelling area,
despite that the riverbank area which runs into the city is prohibited to be settled and protected by laws.
Undeniably, its caused lot of habitation problems, such as unhealhty living condition and poor sanitation
implementation which derived from polluted river by their daily activities. Then, Urban River is lost its
potency to be a part of high quality of urban landscape as well as its functional role such as city drainage
and become the unwanted corner of the city. At this point, urban river revitalization is considerably an
important issue in order to recover its performance.
Problem statement
The settlement located in Mentaya and its creeks riverbank nowaday lead to many problems. In
the city context, this settlement and its dwellers lived in the main rivers creek are affected the drainage
system and caused overflow in the city during heavy rainfall and high tide of the main river.
Environmentally, the water is becoming more polluted everyday as people dump their wastes directly into
the river. Even from the settlers, they live in unhealhty situation, using polluted water to fulfill their daily
activities. The need of improving this problems by sophisticated water teatment system is a must.
Throughout several integrated urban Plans and studies , the local municipality had determined
the area for habitation improvement and planned to massively relocate the dwellers area in the riverbanks
of Mentaya and Pamuatan River,one of the creek outfall to the main river, and create more green open
space to support the neighborhood. However, as mentioned in these reports, this action will has its
challanges, such as greater cost for compensatory relocation as well as to provide new houses. Other
problem for such relocation like social adaptation and accessibility to their existing workplace are possible
to arise.
In physical context, we can see the problem overcome might lead to solution of upgrading
facilities and infrastructures. However, beyond this approach, the problem of contra-environment and
lack of awareness for this aspects on peoples daily attitude may repeat same problem in the future. At
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PARK an approach to urban river revitalization and water quality improvement for riverbank
slum settlement in pamuatan river outfall

CHAPTER I. Study Background. 4

some point, research did prove how psychology of human can be a determination factor for towards their
physical environment, thus, vice versa,the environment affect people. In the same context, we should
realize this process of thought are a long process,and accomplish the goal may need completion of both
physical (such built environmental design) and non physical (such program, social activities,etc) action.
Therefore, the highlight of this thesis is how landscape architect can play a role within their
discipline by proposing design that addressing such problems mentioned before for revitalizing Urban
River of its physical improvement through the neighborhood beautification, wastewater management
through various of landscape oriented solution, and deliver a message through urban space design
towards psychological awareness of living healthy, yet, environmental friendly.
I.2. Hypothesis and Objectives
I.2.1. Content, Questions and/or Hypotheses
Design of revitalization of the Pamuatan River outfall, as an alternative solution compare to the
previous studies and plans by authorities, focusing on such issues below:
a. How to create design a public space by the ideas of affecting people mentality and behaviour
towards positive healthy lifestyle?
b. How to overcome the waste water cleaning problem by implementing constructed wetland
as alternative of green waste water treatment, in order to avoid more polluted river of
sanitary activity by settlers and cleaning the existing water for domestic usage? And how to
possibly integrate the constructed wetland solution with the need of public open space?
c. How can the deteriorate and inaccessible Outfall area of Pamuatan Riverfront be transformed
into more livable and meaningful places?

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PARK an approach to urban river revitalization and water quality improvement for riverbank
slum settlement in pamuatan river outfall

CHAPTER I. Study Background. 5





As illustrates on the Fig.1.1 and 1.2., selected site for design area is unused property of
PT.INHUTANI, the Timber company owned by Central goverment, located of Ex.Brynzeel , Dutch


DESIGN AREA
Land :74.300 m2
River : 13.400
Pamuatan
river
Mentaya
river
Priority area of authoritys plan
Design area
Fig.1.1. Priority area & thesis study area.Source: Modified from RPKPP Report
Mentaya
river
Pamuatan
river
Fig.1.2. Priority area & thesis study area.
Source: Modified from
http://www.bing.com/maps/#Y3A9NTEuNDgxODk5fjExLjk3NTAwMCZsdmw9NSZzdHk9ciZ3aGVyZTE9c2FtcGl0
Priority area of
Authoritys
plan
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PARK an approach to urban river revitalization and water quality improvement for riverbank
slum settlement in pamuatan river outfall

CHAPTER I. Study Background. 6

Timber Company and along the riverbank of pamuatan river, which occupied by settlement . Its
located on the south part of Pamuatan river, outside the border of priority area of Authority
development plan.
I.2.2. Objectives
The objectives of the study is to investigate the challanges of the riverfront settlements in the
outfall of Pamuatan to Mentaya River and develop a Masterplan towards livable settlement and its
surrounding.
The following points are the key objectives of the study:
a. Beautification of the riverbank which occupied by settlement in outfall of pamuatan river ,
focusing on constructed wetland method for wastewater treatment and providing the
aesthetic landscape space for public.
b. Creating public spaces in the unused site of PT. Inhutani III with the concept of behavioral
change towards environmental education of healty and clean lifestyle.
I.3. Methodology

Methodology of this thesis are conducted as follow:
a. Theoritical and implementation review for topics below :
Constructed wetland for waste water management and its applications
Urban waterfront design
Urban educational park design
Environmental Psychology, focusing on how physical environment can affect to human
behavioural.
Landscpe design tools for making space and how they affect peoples perception.
Phenomenon of slum settlement specially on the riverbanks, and its solution.







ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PARK an approach to urban river revitalization and water quality improvement for riverbank
slum settlement in pamuatan river outfall

CHAPTER I. Study Background. 7

b. Site observation & photography
Site observation conducted to gather information of the site and its surrounding as well as the
city context. Series of on-site images has been taken to illustrates the actual conditions.
c. Interview
Interview has been done with related goverment officials as well as retiree sub-district head of
the area to have more insight about the past and current situation.
d. Mezzo and micro context analysis
Analysis of different scale will be connducted to examine the local and surroundings context which
relevant to design aspects



















t
Applied environmental
psychology of
behaviour changing &
Urban park as
educational facilities
towards
environmental
awareness
Slum settlement
revitalization &
wastewater
natural treatment
with constructed
wetland
Study of the existing
situation
Planning reports of
existing situation and
recommendations
Study of the
new
approach
Problem identification
Best
practices
Analysis
Concept & design
development
Fig.1.3. Flow of work
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PARK an approach to urban river revitalization and water quality improvement for riverbank
slum settlement in pamuatan river outfall

CHAPTER I. Study Background. 8

I.4. Limitation
Some limitations for this study described as follow:
a. Limitation to deeply understand the exact pollutant types and its measured contents inside
the water. This lead to the assumption of the typical pollution which most caused by domestic
waste and grey water waste, as the basic approach to proposed constructed wetland system.
b. Limitation to exactly calculate the area for constructed wetland area in the engineering
manner. As the focus of the paper is more to illustrates the concept, engineering based
calculation is beyond the scope. However, the design proposal will roughly measured the
volume of water to be locally purified based on household numbers on designated area, or
by assuming the effective possible areas on the site proportionally as the constructed wetland
and urban park.
c. Limitation to calculate further purification which may need for drinking water purposes.
Result from Constructed wetland application is generally cosidered as a high level of water
quality that widely can imply for people contact and agricultural purposes. However, there
are no sufficient information found that the water is qualify for direct drinking water.
d. Several basic information related to the statistically measured problems and the importance
of the study area selection are depend on validity of previous authority plan called RPKPP or
Rencana Pembangunan Kawasan Permukiman Prioritas (Priotity Settlement Area
Development Plan). Actual condition has been double checked throughout site observation,
however, not covered the residents profile.
e. By the limited access of some site area, the geographical feature such as detailed topoghrapy
and the river depth are done by assumption.
I.5. Further research
Developing such intangible issues of delivering massage through tangible application of urban
scape design will be one prospected topic to be subdivided and examined further, as its involve
multidisciplines of psychological, environmental , artistical and last but not least, Landscape architectural
approach. As an example, Researched of how the physical aspect can affect psychological behaviour in
urban space design could be conduct to reveal more concrete relation between these aspects.In depth
engineering calculation to the constructed wetland also possible to develop as further research.