An Environmentally Upgrading Approach in Slums Area of Tanjungmas District Semarang

Abstract

Tanjungmas district is located in urban areas near the port and surrounded by industrial areas, therefore the urban infrastructure especially the road is sufficiently available. This attracts people from outskirt Semarang to find job and economic opportunities in Tanjungmas and create slums. Slum condition is indicated from low income; 34% of inhabitants are working as factory labour, high building density up to 90% and lack of housing utility. Not only that, periodically this settlement is flooded and there is no legal ownership to their land occupied. This research is intended to find strategy for alleviating those problems, by using triangulation method, delivering questionnaire to respondents and observation. SWOT analysis is also conducted to map domain problems and possible solution to it. Based on the investigation, it is recommended that the strategy must be done in steps. The first one is repairing the most important and directly affected the inhabitants that are the periodic flood. Slow but sure, the neighborhood is upgraded towards infrastructure installation which is done by people participation and supported by government and donor aid. Secondly, giving people options to legalize their land by renting the land to the government since most land in Tanjungmas is belong to PT. Kereta Api Indonesia. Finally, the economic condition must be stable by giving access to people to get micro credit and create micro enterprises. It is clear that this recommendations can be sustain if there is supported by government commitment, so that people live in Tanjungmas will no longer be afraid of being evicted from their land