DESIGN OF CULTURAL TOURISM DISTRICT AS URBAN REVITALIZATION STRATEGY (Case-Study : Johar Marketplace District in Semarang)

• Main Author: GUSTIAYU (NIM 25205025), HERAJENG
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/27831
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

<p align="justify>Revitalization district has one or more historical buildings, especially in developing countries such as Indonesia. There has been a general tendency that developing countries are more inconsiderate about their cultural heritage assets. Frequently, revitalization plans in developing countries accidentally destroy the historical buildings in favour of building up more profitable newer modern buildings. This might happen because there are conflicting interests. These interests are “preservation” that intends to avoid changes and protect their surrounding environment and “adaptation” for building or district that intends to accommodate the consequences of economic changes. Moreover, these issues worsen because there are hardly any good quality control mechanism for preservation and protection of cultural heritage in Indonesia, such as revitalization design guidelines. <br /> <br /> The revitalization plan for Johar District in the city of Semarang currently calls for demolition of the existing historic market building named Pasar Johar, designed and built by a well-known Dutch architect and urban planner, Ir. Thomas Karsten. This historic building will soon be replaced by a more profitable five-storey modern market. In this case, tourism strategy is proposed for increasing economic activities without destroying the historic building. Johar District has two main cultural heritages assets; a functioning traditional market as a major commercial activity magnet in Semarang; and it’s location in a city with strong local culture. These assets are great potentials to develop this district into a Cultural Tourism District. Furthermore, a tourism district should be able to attract potential visitors. A “place-making” design strategy is applied to achieve this objective, because place-making strategy create good quality place because they are pleasurable, interesting, also offer opportunities for people to interact, and to see and be seen, which in turn will attract more people. <br /> <br /> This thesis outlines that one appropriate strategy for revitalizing a historic urban downtown district is by developing the district into a tourist destination. By making the district into a tourist destination, heritage buildings could become an attractive tourism object. Revitalization of a historic urban downtown district can be planned with tourism strategy, because tourism is a new industry’s method that will provide fast growing economy by increasing job opportunities, income per capita, common wealth, and also activating other production sector in the tourist destination country. Along with the development process for Johar District into a cultural tourism district through “place-making” design principles, this strategy will enhances economic activities in the district, improves the quality of urban public spaces, and will eventually preserve and protect their cultural heritage assets inside as well.<p align="justify">