Reconstructing Urban Identity: Place Attachment and City Image After the Eviction of the Chinatown Area in Old Kendari City

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30659/jpsa.v23i1.47175

Abstract

The Old Town of Kendari has experienced image degradation due to modernization that does not take into account the preservation of historical and cultural elements. Elements of the city's image, such as nodes, landmarks, districts, edges, and paths, have undergone significant transformations, reducing the legibility of the area and weakening the community's emotional attachment to historical spaces. This study aims to identify the physical elements that shape the image of Old Kendari City and the meaning of space using the place attachment theory approach. This study employs a mixed-method approach with a descriptive methodology. Data collection techniques include questionnaires (108 respondents), interviews (10 informants), and field observations. The results indicate that the Kendari Bay Bridge is the most imageable element, functioning as a node, landmark, and edge. Furthermore, Pasar Kota Lama acts as a district, and Jalan Konggoasa as a path. This study offers a new integration of spatial meaning, both emotional and symbolic, into Lynch's classic urban image framework, which has so far emphasized the physical visual dimension. Thus, the image of Old Town does not have to be maintained statically, but can be reconstructed through new elements that have strong ties to the community to adaptively preserve the identity of the area in response to the dynamics of development.

Keywords: City Image, Spatial meaning, Kendari Old Town.

 

Kota Lama Kendari mengalami degradasi citra akibat modernisasi yang tidak memperhatikan pelestarian elemen sejarah dan budaya. Elemen-elemen citra kota seperti node, landmark, district, edge, dan path mengalami transformasi signifikan, sehingga mengurangi keterbacaan kawasan dan melemahkan keterikatan emosional masyarakat terhadap ruang bersejarah. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi elemen fisik pembentuk citra Kota Lama Kendari dan makna ruang menggunakan pendekatan teori place attachment. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode mixed method dengan pendekatan deskriptif. Teknik pengumpulan data meliputi kuesioner (108 responden), wawancara (10 informan), dan observasi lapangan. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa Jembatan Teluk Kendari merupakan elemen paling imageable, berfungsi sebagai node, landmark, dan edge. Selanjutnya Pasar Kota Lama berperan sebagai district, dan Jalan Konggoasa sebagai path. Studi ini menawarkan integrasi baru makna spasial baik emosional maupun simbolis ke dalam kerangka citra perkotaan Lynch klasik yang selama ini lebih menekankan pada dimensi fisik visual. Dengan demikian, citra Kota Lama tidak harus dipertahankan secara statis, tetapi dapat direkonstruksi melalui elemen-elemen baru yang memiliki keterikatan kuat dengan masyarakat untuk menjaga identitas kawasan secara adaptif terhadap dinamika pembangunan.

 

Kata kunci: Citra Kota, Pemaknaan Ruang, Kota Lama Kendari

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Published

2026-04-21

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Vol. 23 No. 1 (2026): April 2026

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Articles

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