Reviving History: Strategies for Sustainable Healthy Settlement on Penyengat Island as a Cultural Treasure

Abstract

An example of a traditional coastal community imbued with Malay cultural elements may be seen on Penyengat Island, a tiny island in Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago Province. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recommended Penyengat Island as a World Heritage site due to its 46 cultural heritage sites that are dispersed around the island. The increase in population occasionally requires more residential land, so many residents build housing on the remaining sites of cultural heritage buildings on Penyengat Island. This study aims to ascertain the sustainability situation and methods for planning wholesome communities in the coastal regions of Penyengat Island's cultural heritage. The method used was a Multidimensional Scale approach with the Rapid Appraisal-Index Sustainability of Settlement ordination technique to produce an arrangement strategy through a prospective analysis approach. Studies of the literature and field surveys were used to gather data. The sample used in this study was the head of the family with inclusion criteria. The results of the sustainability analysis showed that the value of the ecological dimension index in the range of 51.71 – 60.67 is entirely sustainable at RW1 to RW5. The economic dimension in the field of 40.46 – 48.23 is quite a sustainable status in RW1 to RW5. The socio-cultural size range of 48.97 – 51.78 is entirely sustainable at RW1 locations and RW2-RW5 sites are less sustainable. The institutional, legal dimension in the value range of 50.18-71.24 is entirely sustainable at RW1 to RW5 locations. Green infrastructure dimension in the value range of -0.12 – 6.72 unsustainable at locations R1 to RW5. The prospective analysis showed 11 critical attributes for developing a long-term settlement strategy for the cultural heritage of Penyengat Island’s coastal area. The primary strategy for settlement arrangement included (1) Strengthening institutions, governance, and settlement arrangement regulations and (2) Community empowerment. In summary, these two main strategies are critical factors in the sustainability of Penyengat Island as a residential area and cultural heritage that must be preserved. Furthermore, the private sector assumed responsibility for the holistic development of residential areas and cultural heritage on Penyengat Island.