Revitalization of Kota Lama Semarang and Early Signs of Digital Place Making Through Instagram

Abstract

is far more crowded after the revitalization has been completed. The projects carried out improvements in terms of the area fabrics, building revitalization, and street furniture. These architectural elements have enhanced tourists' visual attraction, especially for getting selfies and taking pictures. The photo uploaded to social media attracts local and international tourists. Some corridors or spots often appear when the public search for keywords about Kota Lama Semarang on social media. This research aims to discover how people perceived Kota Lama Semarang's visual representation in the social media era, particularly on Instagram. Furthermore, this is the early step to go towards the digital placemaking concept. The photo-mapping method was conducted, in which the photos were collected through social media using Kota Lama Semarang hashtag and overlayed into the Kota Lama Semarang map. The result gives visual perspectives from Instagrammers related to the spots and architectural elements representing Kota Lama Semarang. These popular spots should have further attention to Kota Lama tourism's sustainability and its precinct's visual quality while taking authenticity and integrity into consideration.

Digital placemaking, health & wellbeing and nature-based solutions: A systematic review and practice model

“…Digital place-making can feel temporary, yet the goal is to create 'a sense of permanence, pause, or investment infixity within the forces and scapes that shape spatiality' ( Halegoua, 2020: 5), and, as the editors explainin the introduction to this special issue, it involves digital practicesto create 'emotional connections toplace' ( Halegoua and Polson, 2021). Forms of digital placemaking include large screens embedded inpublic space (Tomitsch et al, 2015), scavenger hunts with cellphones, and place-based storytelling Sugangga et al (2021).…”

“…The final key theme identified through our thematic analysis is inclusion. Digital placemaking brings inclusivity to individuals with movement restrictions (Clarke, 2021;Karge, 2018;Szaszák and Kecskés, 2020), marginalized communities whose narratives have been ignored (Foth, 2017b;Gonsalves et al, 2021;Stokes et al, 2021), and facilitates general information accessibility (Her, 2021;Sugangga et al, 2021). It allows citizens to connect with the same level of opportunities as the rest of the community.…”

“…Digital placemaking has the potential to benefit communities by adding value to public spaces, economic growth, cultural wealth, and overall better community life (Morrison, 2021). It could reconvert urban areas into community hubs, revitalising its heritage and experiences through social media and place branding (Soedarsono et al, 2021;Sugangga et al, 2021). This technological application to placemaking practices can enhance the impact in cities and public spaces, not only generating a stronger sense of place and belonging within communities (Halegoua and Polson, 2021) but also making spaces more accessible and inclusive to all (Bedford et al, 2022;Szaszák and Kecskés, 2020).…”