The impact of the Javanese rural kinship settlement cluster development on spatial characteristic of traditional garden houses and resident activities

Abstract

The current study aims to see how the development of kinship settlement clusters by land inheritance practice influences spatial conditions in rural Java. Literature, interviews, and field studies are conducted to understand the land history and ownership of the three case study villages. Spatial analysis is carried out to clarify the development of kinship settlement clusters and their spatial characteristics. Furthermore, activity analysis was conducted to see the relationship between kinship settlement clusters with current resident activity and space usage. The study results show that land inheritance practice accelerates land fragmentation in rural Java. Land inheritance creates the kinship cluster and increases the number of buildings and the self-development of internal cluster infrastructure. The garden house compound has become smaller, and some elements have vanished. Rural activity is still preserved in kinship settlement clusters, but the space for activities has a more complex status. An organic shared yard and shared access are developed, and there are no borders and limitations for use by all residents in the kinship settlement cluster. This study provides insight into the unique and organic development of Javanese rural spatial configuration in current conditions to understand the opportunity and threat for rural preservation in Java.

Keywords

• land inheritance
• land fragmentation
• garden house
• rural activity
• kinship settlement cluster