The Role of GeMaSPeKoLa in Supporting the Preservation of Semarang Old Town

Abstract

The local government of Semarang City has made an effort to preserve all of its historic assets to sustain the local value of the city and has registered for the city to become a World Heritage Site. It has invited local people to participate in these conservation activities. The impetus for this has come from the degradation of Old Town, especially due to the disregard for the preservation of old buildings as they are transitioned into commercial use, where the old facades have not been maintained. This research discusses the management of Old Town through the optimisation of the role that the GeMaSPeKoLa plays and finds suitable strategies for increasing public participation in conservation. Using a descriptive method, the research details the role of the GeMaSPeKoLa as a social community movement concerned with the preservation of Old Town. This kind of social forum strengthens the local public’s participation in the preservation activities and helps to prepare Old Town for becoming a World Heritage Site. Through observation and in depth interviews, the role of the GeMaSPeKoLa in reducing the problems facing preservation are explored. This research builds a strategy to optimise the role of the GeMaSPeKoLa in the preservation activities supporting Old Town becoming World Heritage listed.