Gentrification Impact to the Community’s Quality of Life in Semarang Old Town

Urban and Regional Planning Department, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: santy.paulla.dewi@pwk.undip.ac.id

Abstract

The revitalization of the Old Town of Semarang is to support the Old Town as a heritage tourist destination and to overcome environmental problems such as tidal flood, slums, old buildings that are not maintained, and street vendors. Revitalization efforts have positive and negative impacts on the people in it. The positive impact caused by the existence of tourism activities in the Old Town area is the developing economy of Semarang City. While the negative impacts caused are physical, economic, and social gentrification; and affect the quality of life of local people. So it is necessary to study the relationship between gentrification and the quality of life of the community. The analysis to achieve that goal is the identification of revitalization, gentrification, and quality of life of the communities. Data collection methods were questionnaires, field observations, interviews, and document review, and also analysis techniques in the form of spatial planning. Based on the results of the study, there is relationship between gentrification and revitalization. That is, the facilities in the Old Town area cannot reach all levels of the people who live there. Besides, the presence of gentrification worsens the quality of life of local people. The government is still only focused on the physical development of the Old Town but has not considered the community's economic and social revitalization.