Paper published at Proceeding of International Seminar on Waterfront Development, Jakarta: August 2006.

Abstract

Indonesia is known as a country with diverse cultural, ethnic and geographic characteristics. Most of its topography consists of water area. This condition makes housing and settlement areas necessary on the water (river) and it also makes us recognize the terms of riverfront city, floating housing and floating market. Riverfront housing has become a common phenomenon in most islands in Indonesia such as Sumatera, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, but not in Java Island.

Banjarmasin Riverfront in the North Kuin Delta, South Kalimantan, has historical value and its own specific characteristics. To catch up this opportunity, the Province Government set up the preservation plan in 1994. Unfortunately, this effort was not successfully implemented regardless the community’s value in perceiving the riverfront landscape as their neighborhood identity.

This paper will give a better understanding of the importance of perception and preferences in cultural landscape preservation in relation to vernacular landscape, historic preservation and city planning. More specifically, this study will examine the riverfront landscape identity based on physical and functional aspects, which were adopted from the city identity. Identity shapes someone’s understanding about his neighborhood, which reflects the unique and special characteristics. It describes how riverfront communities perceive their local riverfront landscape.

Keyword: cultural landscape, historic preservation, neighborhood identity