AN EXAMINATION OF SPATIAL FACTORS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONFIGURATION ON SOCIAL VULNERABILITY IN URBAN KAMPUNG

Abstract

An urban kampung represents a distinctive form of Indonesian urban settlement that functions as a complex socio-spatial environment. Despite its vibrancy, high density, limited public space, and infrastructural constraints contribute to latent social risks that are often underrepresented in formal crime statistics but are experienced through everyday spatial perceptions. This study examines gendered perceptions of social risk in Kampung Ketandan–Kebangsren, Surabaya, and evaluates the role of participatory mapping in capturing women’s experiential spatial knowledge. A qualitative participatory approach was employed, combining participatory mapping, semi-structured interviews, field observation, and visual documentation. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and visualized through social risk heatmaps. The findings reveal that social risk perception is gendered and intersectional. Women tend to perceive risk as interpersonal threats in spaces characterized by low visibility, inadequate lighting, and limited natural surveillance, whereas men associate risk with social conflict and conventional crime. Although only a small proportion of respondents identified high-impact, high-probability risks, these were prioritized and predominantly reported by women. This study argues that safety in urban kampung is a relational construct shaped by spatial configuration, temporal dynamics, and embodied experiences, highlighting the need for participatory and gender-sensitive planning approaches.