Engaging local communities
Kota Lama, a popular heritage area in the city, was agreed upon as the demonstration area. The demonstration project focused on providing inclusive signage system for better wayfinding and pedestrian crossing improvements, which were discussed and determined from the activities and workshops conducted in Semarang.
The interventions are located along the designated walking route from Tawang Bank Jateng Train Station to the heart of Kota Lama, at 12 strategic points. They are designed to improve accessibility and navigation for all, particularly vulnerable groups.
We engaged local tour guide and art communities to collaborate with us in the walking tour design. Participants of the demonstration project workshop and walking tour were women and vulnerable groups, government representatives, as well as potential funders. They experienced the transformation firsthand, shared their feedback, and discussed the potential for replication and scaling up across Kota Lama. This will require strong collaboration between the government, communities, academia, and the private sector to develop safer, more inclusive and more convenient public environment in Kota Lama and across the city.
The project establishes gender equity and safety in design as priority through inclusive planning and integrated design approaches. Participatory methods such as photovoice and journey mapping exercises were used to complement conventional research methods and gain contextual insights from direct users.
Tactical urbanism (which refers to “a citizen-led approach to neighbourhood building using short-term, low-cost, and scalable interventions to catalyse long-term change” source) is used in demonstration projects, and even though the interventions are small-scale, they could directly lead to more permanent applications in the future.