Changing Roles of Traditional Small Urban Green Spaces (Telajakan) in Bali, Indonesia

Bali Island, Indonesia is undergoing rapid land use changes due to heavy development pressure and its fast growing urban population. One such urbanization phenomenon is the shrinkage, deterioration, and disappearance of traditional small urban green spaces in Denpasar, Bali. Focusing on telajakan, a strip of traditional green space between the wall of a housing compound and a ditch/pedestrian path in a roadside, the study aims 1) to investigate and document the changes that are occurring with regards to telajakan and 2) to assess the functions (roles) of telajakan in Denpasar. The research methods include vegetation assessment at a lot scale and in-depth homeowner and village leader interviews with the help of local experts. The results show that telajakan space is often paved over to give way to more front space for the property owner and to ease maintenance. It is also minimized or destroyed as the owner builds a more “western” style house. Traditionally telajakan has multiple functions such as provision of plant and flower materials for Balinese daily rituals, regu-lation of stormwater from the property, and offering semi-public space for street vendors and neighbours. However, the results show that: diversity of planted species is decreasing; only a couple of functions such as aesthetics and economics are strongly favored; and the semi-public nature of telajakan is being lost. Since telajakan is as much traditional green open space as part of the aesthetics of the Balinese architecture, its loss, minimization, and degradation lead to the loss of Balinese culture and identity. On the other hand, new meaning is given to telajakan’s functions such as neighborhood beautification and exhibition of the owner’s pride in the modern context. Therefore, policy recommendations to conserve telajakan in the changing urban fabric need to balance these changing needs of telajakan for its use and conservation of traditional rituals and culture of Bali.