Defensible space in urban housing in Indonesia

Abstract

Security in the housing is considered as one of the most important things in the fulfillment of occupant’s needs. However, there are still many cases of criminality that still occur in urban housing. Defensible space is a concept of residential environment design that is able to prevent crime. Through literature study methods, field observations, and interviews, this paper discusses how defensible space is created in urban housing in Indonesia as well as its effect on the quality of security created between two different types of organic dwellings in Bogor City. The explanation starts from the identification of physical characteristics that create territoriality, natural surveillance, image, and milieu. Then, the social and physical condition are associated with their effects on people’s behaviors. The result of our discovery is that physical and social conditions create the whole defensible space condition. In the middle-class urban housing, the environment condition still opens the opportunity for the criminals to commit the crime because the defensible space is not created as a whole. Contrarily, this is created in the lower-class urban housing as a whole. Therefore, the environment condition is free from any crime.

Study of Theory Based on Security at Silimo Settlement in The Baliem Valley of Papua

“…It is a social interaction actualized in the environment and their efforts to keep it safe from the disturbance of others. An action can be seen as a violation if someone interferes with the territoriality of others (Muhyi et al, 2019). Several studies related to territoriality are Intan et al (2014), Burhanuddin et al (2015), Amalia & Amal (2018), Susanti et al, (2020).…”

“…Surveillance, a building design to facilitate the observation of the concerned area (Stollard, 1991). Natural surveillance can also be defined as the ability to observe public space in a residential environment so that everyone who occupies it has a feeling of being under a state of supervision (Newman 1972 in Muhyi et al, 2019). By creating natural surveillance, people can reduce crime rates even if the occupants are inside or outside the home and do not require security devices or the role of security forces.…”

“…Supervision/surveillance aims to provide risk considerations for potential perpetrators to be kept track of, identified, and arrested (B. Poyner, 1983in Santoso et al, 2018; c. Image and milieu, public housing design to avoid stigma; image is the impression that results from the physical appearance of the building or residential environment. Crime starts if the stigma invites destruction (Newman, 1972in Muhyi et al, 2019. The alignment of housing projects with safe zones in adjacent territories.…”

“…The direction of the Pilamo door facing the gate as a surveillanceoriented building mass management pattern is a building design application to facilitate observations of the related area (Stollard, 1991). Natural surveillance can also mean the ability to observe public spaces in the Silimo environment so that everyone who occupies it has a feeling of being under a state of supervision (Newman 1972 in Muhyi et al, 2019).…”

“…The settlement design is to avoid stigma, the impression resulting from the physical appearance of a building or residential environment. Crime initiates if the stigma invites weakness in the security system (Newman, 1972in Muhyi et al, 2019. The application of building alignment in the Silimo settlement is an image concept of defensible space.…”