ITS Professor Pays Attention to Community Participation in Sustainable City Design

ITS Campus, ITS News – For the 176th Professor of the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Prof Dr. Ing Ir Bambang Soemardiono, landscape, and urban design should not only pay attention to physical aspects, but also the feeling of comfort of the people in it. This is what sparked him to deepen his research in the field of landscape and sustainable urban design.

This professor at the ITS Department of Architecture explained that a sustainable urban landscape means a city that involves many factors in its design. Not only physical aspects (natural appearance) but also environmental, social, cultural, and economic aspects. “Including this, we cannot forget the aspirations, thoughts, and human participation in it,” he said.

This man who was born in Surabaya also applied this in his various research, such as in designing the streetscape of the Tunjungan Corridor in Surabaya. The resulting concepts include the redesign of sidewalks with attractiveness and wide space for pedestrians, an even distribution of tree lines, the development of comfortable bus stops, and space for innovative public art.

Bambang continued, that community involvement in this case occurred during the collection of opinions, ideas, and concerns regarding the Tunjungan corridor in the early stages of design. This opinion gathering was carried out using various methods, such as group discussions or focus group discussions (FGD) to interviews. “This method pays attention to qualitative aspects. “Not the number, but the representation of people from various circles,” he explained.

One of the scientific novelties developed by Prof Dr. Ing Ir Bambang Soemardiono is the design of a sustainable Tunjungan Surabaya Corridor Streetscape

The same thing was also applied in his research to other case studies, such as the design of the Porong Public Park in Sidoarjo. Regarded as challenging, the sustainable design for the park was built on the site of the former Sidoarjo mudflow. Furthermore, he also shared his experience in designing the Kali Code Development in Yogyakarta so that it could increase the attractiveness of the community by dividing the area around the riverbank into special zones.

According to this professor who is also a musician, there are various forms of active community participation in urban planning. Apart from gathering information through direct discussions, competitions in the field of design can also be a means of gathering people’s aspirations. “In essence, active participation not only increases people’s knowledge about urban design but also influences their welfare and quality of life,” said Bambang.

This professor, who was inaugurated on November 2, said that urban planning as a residence currently makes humans the center. Community-based urban planning and design should be implemented to realize collective contributions from the entire community. “Including, don’t let humans disturb the natural factors that already exist in an area,” he reminded. (ITS Public Relations)

Reporter: Fathia Rahmanisa