Co-Creation of New Urban Living: Crafting Quality Life Amidst Climate Change

Looking back at 2024, it felt as though the year was engulfed by an unusually prolonged and scorching dry season. This phenomenon is backed by data from various meteorological sources, stating that average monthly temperatures in 2024 consistently surpassed the 1991–2020 baseline (Arif, 2024). This anomaly seems to be driven by overlapping factors: the lingering effects of El Niño affecting oceanic heat release and the overarching impact of global warming.

The Urban Heat Island (UHI) Phenomenon

A decade or two ago, we imagined the North and South Poles as realms of eternal ice. Today, the reality is stark. From the Arctic to the peaks of Mount Fuji and the Jayawijaya Mountains, the term "eternal" is melting faster than predicted.

Another tangible impact is the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. This phenomenon describes metropolitan areas experiencing significantly higher temperatures than their surrounding rural counterparts. When visualized, these areas appear as "islands" of heat (Siswanto et al., 2023).

UHI is recorded to have severe negative impacts, not only by reducing biodiversity (limiting it to heat-tolerant species) but also by endangering human health, particularly among the elderly (Cabon et al., 2024; Cai et al., 2023). Factors contributing to UHI include dense horizontal urban morphology, high anthropogenic activity, humid tropical climates, and a critical lack of green open spaces (Rizki et al., 2024; Zhang et al., 2023).

While affluent families can mitigate this heat by installing Air Conditioning (AC), low-income communities often have no choice but to reside in densely populated areas with poor ventilation—making them highly vulnerable to heatstroke.

Collaboration for Climate-Resilient Quality of Life

In response to this crisis, the Center of Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) Kyoto University, in collaboration with Operations for Habitat Studies, Centre for Climate and Urban Resilience (CeCUR) UNTAG Surabaya, and supported by Daikin Industry, organized a seminar titled: "The 48th Southeast Asia Seminar—Co-creation of New Urban Living: Advancing Quality of Life in the Climate Change Era."

Held from October 20 to 28, 2024, this event brought together 20 participants from across Southeast Asia. JAWI, represented by Tungga Dewi, was honored to participate. Tungga noted that the highlight of the seminar was the diversity of backgrounds among participants and the opportunity to work in small groups to draft project proposals based on real-world climate issues.

From Jakarta to Surabaya: Searching for Inspiration

The seminar took place in two of Indonesia's largest cities: Jakarta and Surabaya. In Jakarta, participants visited Kampung Akuarium, a site that rose from the ashes of land clearance. Through collaboration with the Rujak Center for Urban Studies, the community co-designed a vertical village (kampung susun). Unlike typical public housing, Kampung Akuarium involved residents in every detail—from building materials and colors to the management of communal cooperatives.

Moving to Surabaya, participants explored urban villages nestled in the heart of the city, near the Tunjungan business district. These visits highlighted a core narrative: no matter how intense urbanization becomes, the kampung remains an inseparable identity of the city.

The seminar concluded with presentations attended by village representatives, Surabaya city officials, the Department of Environment, and academics. The discussions covered architectural design, urban planning, and eco-friendly energy to create residences that shield inhabitants from extreme heat.

In heat mitigation, two key concepts were emphasized:

• Active Cooling: Systems involving electricity, such as fans and AC.
• Passive Cooling: Systems relying on natural design or specific materials to dissipate heat without additional energy, such as optimized ventilation, thermal conduction, and natural shading.

Co-creating the Future

The final proposals were diverse, ranging from architectural engineering and regional planning to policy recommendations and community empowerment. The goal was to integrate the best cooling systems into the kampung lifestyle.

During the final days, participants interacted directly with residents to understand their daily struggles with heat. This served as a feedback loop for the proposed solutions. Sustainable architectural concepts, when combined with green energy and mature urban planning, can minimize social conflict and preserve ecological value.

The results—presented through drama, booklets, zines, and prototypes—are available as individual and group papers on the Southeast Asia Seminar website: https://kyoto.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/seas48/.

References:

• Arif, A. (2024). Behind Indonesia’s Hottest Daily Temperature Record in October 2024. Kompas.id.
• Siswanto, S., et al. (2023). Spatio-temporal characteristics of urban heat Island of Jakarta metropolitan. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment.
• Rizki, A. R., et al. (2024). The Impact of Urban Green Space on The Urban Heat Island Phenomenon. Geoplanning.