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         Geoplanning 
Vol 4, No. 1, 2017, 83-96                                                                                                                                                          Journal of Geomatics and Planning 

                                                                                                 E-ISSN: 2355-6544 
http://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/geoplanning 

doi: 10.14710/geoplanning.4.1.83-96 

SPATIAL TRANSFORMATION OF SURAKARTA’S PERIPHERAL RURAL VILLAGES 
UNDER IN-SITU URBANIZATION PHENOMENON: THE CASE OF GENTAN VILLAGE  

L. S. Purnamasari a, G. Yudana a, E. F. Rini a, b 

a Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Sebelas Maret University, Indonesia  
b Center of Information and Regional Development (PIPW), Sebelas Maret University, Indonesia 

Abstract: Surakarta is one of the rapidly growing Indonesian cities. The pressure 

towards its peripheral area results in ‘in-situ urbanization’ phenomenon of its rural 
village surroundings. Gentan is one of Surakarta adjacent rural villages that has been 
undergoing rapid spatial transformation from rural to urban settlement in the last 20 
years (1995-2016). This research aims to clarify the spatial transformation in Gentan 
village through examinations of its spatial elements on higher resolution level; (1) 
transformation of its street network connectivity, (2) land use pattern, (3) building 
density, and (4) public facilities and accessibility. Secondary data from satellite imagery 
and government institution and primary data from field survey were used in this 
research as sources. From Gentan’s spatial elements observations, this research 
concluded that this village was transforming into urban settlements by its spatial 
elements characteristics. Furthermore, this research provides interesting findings by its 
analysis on the neighborhood level that while Gentan was transforming into urban 
settlement, its internal connectivity was decreasing, residential uses dominated its land 
use, the village was dominated by the formal settlement, and the reach distance of its 
public facilities fluctuated across the time.  

  
Copyright © 2017 GJGP-UNDIP  

This open access article is distributed under a  
Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY-NC-SA) 4.0 International license. 

 

How to cite (APA 6th Style): 
Purnamasari, L. S., Yudana, G., & Rini, E. F. (2017). Spatial transformation of Surakarta’s peripheral rural villages under in-situ urbanization 
phenomenon: the case of Gentan Village. Geoplanning: Journal of Geomatics and Planning, 4(1), 83-96. doi:10.14710/geoplanning.4.1.83-96 

 

1. INTRODUCTION  

Cities with more than 100.000 in total population are predicted to grow by 170% in size at 2030 and will 
transform their surrounding rural areas frequently resulting in surrounding village reclassification into 
urban annexes (UN Habitat, 2015). This transformation phenomenon of rural villages and their populations 
into urban without any significant relocation/migration of their residents is often called as in situ 
urbanization (Brookfield, Hadi, & Mahmud, 1991; Zhu, 2002, 2004). This kind of urbanization could occur in 
many forms as village in-city, desakota, quasi-urban area, and encompassed villages (Hareedy & Deguchi, 
2011). The transformation of the outskirt area further forms the in-place peri urban zone which is 
characterized by an area located near the city with rapid rural-to-urban transformation. In Indonesia, the 
population influx from urban core into its rural surroundings is actually an indispensable element of 
population growth in big cities (Mamas, Jones, & Sastrasuanda, 2001). Firman, Kombaitan, and Pradono, 
(2007) stated that the raise of urban population occurred much greater in peripheral rural villages and 
became the largest contributor to the overall accumulation of urbanization phenomenon.  

This kind of urbanization is strongly caused by the trend of urban sprawl that “swallowed” their 
surrounding rural villages and transformed them into urban in characters (Brookfield et al., 1991; Kalabamu 
& Bolaane, 2013). Beside the urban sprawl, village transformation phenomenon could be an accumulated 
result of certain policies imposed in urban-rural development system and the natural growth of the rural 
villages themselves (Mcgee, 2009; Zhu, 2000).  In situ urbanization, like the term of urbanization in general, 
occurs in multi-dimensional way including physical-spatial, economic, social dimensions. In spatial aspect, 
the transformation process of village to be considered urban in spatial characteristic could be best possibly 

OPEN ACCESS 

Article Info: 
Received: 18 October 2017 
in revised form: 2 February 2017 
Accepted: 20 February 2017 
Available Online:  30 March 2017 
 

Keywords:  
Spatial Transformation, In Situ 
Urbanization, Peripheral Rural 
villages, Surakarta 
 
Corresponding Author : 
Lia Sparingga Purnamasari 
Department of Urban and Regional 
Planning, Sebelas Maret University, 
Indonesia  
Email: liaspurnamasari@gmail.com 
 
  

http://dx.doi.org/10.14710/geoplanning.4.1.83-96
http://dx.doi.org/10.14710/geoplanning.4.1.83-96
mailto:liaspurnamasari@gmail.com


 
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defined through observing the character of its morphological elements (urban form) that consist of land 
use pattern, street network, and buildings (Daldjoeni, 1998; Setyono, Yunus, & Giyarsih, 2016; Sinulingga, 
1999; Soetomo, 2009; Yunus, 2006). While BPS (2010) and Yunus (2008) also stated that public facility is 
also an indicator to be considered in terms of village transformation in peripheral area besides the 
morphological elements. 

In spatial aspect, rural villages are characterized as low building-density settlement, dominated with 
agricultural land use, with few public facilities that are difficult to access, and low transportation network 
connectivity (Bintarto, 1986; Giyarsih, 2003; Jayadinata, 1986; Yunus, 2008). Otherwise, urban settlements 
are often characterized with high building density; its land use is dominated with urban uses (non-
agricultural) with more complete and easy to access public facilities—as urban area which are commonly 
defined as the center of services, and more complex, high transportation network connectivity. The 
characteristic shifts of the elements between urban and rural area forwardly become the indices of the 
transformation itself. 

Surakarta is one of Indonesian cities continuously growing, transforming, and swallowing its surrounding 
rural villages into urban annexes. The continuous influences of the city towards its rural surroundings 
contributed to the shifts of the rural spatial characteristics into urban. Previous researches conducted in 
Surakarta’s rural villages surroundings by Anna, Kaeksi, and Astuti (2010), Astuti (2010), Jayanti (2012), 
Oktavia (2010) clarified that spatial transformations constantly occur and transform the previously 
agricultural land into urban in character. One of the Surakarta’s peripheral rural villages undergoing rapid 
urbanization is Gentan which is located adjacent to Surakarta city in the south border. Based on the 
preliminary observation of satellite images, Gentan village undergoes the most significant transformation—
to 58% in the development of built-up area compared to other Surakarta’s adjacent rural villages in the last 
20 years (1995-2016). This rapid transformation of Gentan was triggered by the development of 
modern/formal settlement of Pondok Baru Permai in 1995 that marked the trend of formal (planned) 
housing and gated-community development there (Fitriastuti, 2010).  

Some prominent previous researches observing the phenomenon of in-situ urbanization in spatial 
aspect by Bentinck (2000), Brookfield et al. (1991), Zhu (2000) were mainly focused in land-use change on 
the macro range (regional level) of a city’s peripheral area. While the examination of land-use change on 
the macro level is effective to trace the trend of urbanization in regional level, those researches did not 
provide deeper insights about how urbanization could triggered spatial transformation affecting the lives of 
the village inhabitants, thus needs examination on higher resolution level. However, there are already 
some previous researches observing the in situ urbanization phenomenon in neighborhood level (higher 
resolution observation) of a rural village located adjacent to rapidly growing cities.  

Hareedy and Deguchi (2011) conducted a study that focuses on the transformation of urban fabric, 
block configuration, and building characteristic occurred in the peripheral rural village of El-Minya City 
using specific typological approach and village residents’ information to clarify the transformation. This 
approach will be difficult to replicate and apply to another region with different characteristic. By contrast, 
Kalabamu and Bolaane (2013) conducted a study that focus on housing densification in spatial aspect in 
Tlokweng village, Bostwana as the accumulation result of changing economic structure in in situ 
urbanization phenomenon, and not providing broader insights about how the built environment and other 
spatial elements of the village have changed.  

This research aims to fill the gap of understanding spatial transformation under in situ urbanization 
phenomenon in higher resolution scope by taking more applicable, comprehensive and detailed 
observation of changing rural spatial elements from the urban form quantitative analysis perspectives. This 
research examined the transformation of Gentan village spatial elements characteristic including (1) street 
network connectivity, (2) land use pattern, (3) building density, and (4) public facilities and the accessibility 
from 1995 to 2016. The further applications of this research would be easily replicated in different regions 
and would benefit the urban and regional policy formulators to comprehensively understand the in situ 
urbanization phenomenon in spatial aspect. This will foster more effective and detailed plan in order to 
accommodate rapid spatial transformation that occurs in city’s rural village surroundings. 

 

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2. DATA AND METHODS 

2.1. Research Scope (Area and Period) 

Gentan village administratively belongs to Sukoharjo regency. This village located adjacently to 
Surakarta city in the south border (adjacent to Laweyan District) has 149.09 Hectare in total area. Long 
before the trend of urbanization happened, Gentan village consisted of 4 kampungs (traditional 
settlements) that inhabited by local agricultural communities (Figure 1 ) for centuries.  

Figure 1. Map of Gentan’s Constellation With Surakarta and Its Existing Condition (Author, 2016) 

 
 
Gentan village was selected as the representative case study area to study in-situ urbanization in 

Surakarta’s peripheral village for the following reasons: (1) Gentan is located adjacent to Surakarta city, and 
(2) it showed the most significant growth of built-up area (58%)  from 27% into 85% compared to others 
Surakarta’s adjacent rural villages (Figure 2). The year 1995 was chosen as a starting point as it remarked 
the trend of formal housing and gated-community developments that highly contributed to the 
transformation of Gentan village into urban settlement (Duhri, 2015; Fitriastuti, 2010). While in overall 
trend of population growth in all Surakarta’s rural adjacent villages, 1995 marked the highest spike to 3% of 
population growth compared to 1% in common condition. 

 
Figure 2. Research Scope Justification (Author, 2016) 

 
2.2. Data 

In order to identify the spatial transformation of Gentan villages, time-series data (1995, 2000, 2005, 
2010, 2016) of land use, building, transportation network, and public facilities were used in this research. 
Two types of data resources were used in this research. Firstly, the secondary data were obtained from 

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government institutions and satellite images. Secondly, primary data were obtained from field verification 
survey (Table 1). Two methods namely (1) map interpretation using satellite imageries and digitation into 
editable map format (Figure 3) and (2) statistical data tabulation using Microsoft Excel were carried out to 
process the obtained. 

 
Table 1. Research Data 

Data Sources 

SPOT3 10 m  Panchromatic Imagery        Aug. 1995 & 2000 
(Digitized Into ArcGIS Polygon Shapefiles (.shp), result shown in 
analysis map) 

SPOT 3 Satellite Imagery 

DigitalGlobe satellite imagery archives over Gentan 2000, 2005, 
2010, 2016 (Digitized Into ArcGIS Polygon Shapefiles (.shp), 
result shown into analysis map) 

DigitalGlobe archive—GoogleEarth Pro 

Gentan profiling map (hardfile archives) year 1995, 2000, 2005, 
2010 Gentan Administrative Office 

1995, 2000, 2010 Sukoharjo street data BAPPEDA Sukoharjo (Sukoharjo Dept. of Development Planning) 
and DPU Sukoharjo (Sukoharjo Dept. of Public Works) 

1995, 2000, 2010  Sukoharjo land use data BAPPEDA Sukoharjo (Sukoharjo Dept. of Development Planning) 
and BPN Sukoharjo (Sukoharjo Dept. of Survey and Land) 

Statistical data of Gentan Village from Baki Dalam Angka 2000-
2016 BPS Sukoharjo (Sukoharjo Dept. of Statistic) 

Land-use + public facilities field  verification data Gentan Local Leaders 

 
Figure 3. Satellite imageries data 

   

SPOT 3 Panchromatic 12/8/1995 SPOT 3 Panchromatic 21/11/2000 DigitalGlobe Archive 8/12/2000 

   

DigitalGlobe Archive 08/2005 DigitalGlobe Archive 05/2010 DigitalGlobe Archive 02/2016 

As the first step for further analysis, this research used Geographical Information System by ArcGIS 
10.2.2.to digitalize satellite imagery into digital map. This approach was selected since in one side satellite 
images supply up-to date information but is restricted by pixel resolution, multispectral classification, and 
visibility and digitization of aerial photography/imagery (Illert, 1991). The intention of map digitization is to 

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create spatio-temporal data in the form of vector based digital maps to show and measure changes in the 
research area. In this research, the workflow towards creating the spatio-temporal data is similar with the 
works of Lu et al. (2014), Malarvizhi, Kumar, and Porchelvan (2016), Mehmood et al. (2016), Ohri and Yadav 
(2012), Raza et al. (2016), Yang and Lo (2002) as they utilized satellite image digitization to analyze changes 
in urban growth. While those researches were intended to analyze uniquely land use land cover (LULC) 
change to detect urban sprawl/growth, in this research satellite image was digitized in broader scope 
including building mapping and land use in the form of polygon, street mapping in the form of arc lines, 
public facilities in the form of dots combined with information from secondary and field survey data. 
Overlay method was intended to show how the gradual transformation is spatially manifested (Figure 4).  

Figure 4. Data processing framework 

 
 

Data processing was started with delineating the research area by creating a (.kml) form administrative 
boundary of Gentan Village. The .kml file was intended to strategically select the area of satellite imageries 
of Digital Globe Archives and SPOT 3 for the further analysis and used to delineate the research area for 
each period year (1995-2016). SPOT 3 imageries were used to complete the data needed for 1995 time-
period which is unavailable in Google-Earth Historic View (Digital Globe Archives). After satellite imageries 
were delineated for each year of research time-period, satellite imageries were being georeferenced in GIS 
to add geographic information. The next step is manual georeferenced-satellite image digitization in ArcGIS 
10.2.2 in order to digitize information of street, building, land use, and public facilities (urban form 
elements). Manual digitization was preferred due to the requirement of broader elements to be mapped 
(urban form elements). This step was also equipped with data completion from secondary data and field 
verification data to add more information that is unavailable by only observing satellite imageries. After all 
the necessary information is completed, a map was produced for each urban form element for each time-
period. The next step was the ‘overlay’ meaning that each map of urban form elements from each time-
period was being layered based on the urban form element type. In order to spatially observe the changes, 
a transformation map was further produced for each urban form element for the further urban form 
analysis.  
 
2.3. Research Analysis Methods 

This research carried out a descriptive analysis method to explain the results of each calculation of 
spatial element transformations and discuss the findings towards its position in literature and previous 
studies. Measurement instruments used for calculation analysis were conducted using statistical data 
obtained from analysis of (1) building density, (2) land use pattern, (3) spatial accessibility of public 
facilities, and (4) connectivity. These were compiled from literature review of urban form measurement in 
higher resolution analysis level based of the work of Song and Knaap (2004), Southworth (1997), 
Berghauser-Pont & Haupt (2010), Brail & Klosterman (2001) (Figure 5). This higher resolution level urban 
form analysis fits into the context of this research’s objectives as it used community design perspective and 
commonly addressed how the area adapt to growth and to study the pattern of development itself. The 
main focused of this research analysis was to measure the shifts of building density, land use pattern, 
spatial accessibility, and connectivity into more urban in characters. 

 

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Figure 5. Research framework 

 
 

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 

3.1. Transformation of Street Network Connectivity 

The observation of the transportation network connectivity was based in the growth of the street 
network inside the area, internal and external connectivities. Urban settlement is often characterized as the 
area with complex and dense street network contributing to higher street connectivity (Giyarsih, 2003; 
Sinulingga, 1999; Yunus, 2008). As opposed, rural is characterized with less street networks and 
connectivity (Giyarsih, 2003). The transformation trend showed that as the street network grows, the 
external connectivity increases whilst the internal street connectivity declines (Figure 6). This result showed 
that in the last twenty years Gentan experienced rising number of access points in external connectivity 
which means that this village can be easily accessed from its surrounding area. Meanwhile, the reduction of 
internal connectivity was caused by the dominating development of cul-de-sac streets that negatively 
affects internal circulation (Table 2). 

Figure 6. Street network transformation map (Analysis, 2016) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Table 2. Street network connectivity transformation (Analysis, 2016) 

Connectivity 1995 2000 2005 2010 2016 

external connectivity 
(access points) 

18 19 21 23 25 

# intersections 43 90 139 166 197 

# culdesac 4 9 25 34 42 

internal connectivity 0.91 0.91 0.85 0.83 0.82 

The development of the street network and the external connectivity transformation across the time 
could clarify two facts. Firstly, urbanization occured in the area as the characteristics shift to resemble 
urban settlement. Secondly, in the last twenty years internal connectivity transformation showed an 
anomaly. The rise of cul-de-sac street numbers across the time that negatively contributed to the decrease 
of internal connectivity indicates that the village resembles more to a sub-urban area rather than urban in 
characteristics. This result has been highlighted by Song and Knaap (2004) that characterized sub-urban as 
the area formed by urban sprawl with dwindling streets, many dead-end (cul-de-sac) streets. In Gentan 
village, this type of street was found in gated-community settlement and formal housing imposing high 
security system, which is also common in spatial manifestation of urban sprawl (Song & Knaap, 2004; 
Southworth, 1997). This evidence of decreasing internal connectivity implies an indication that this village 
has transformed more into urban settlement under the great influence of urban sprawl rather than natural 
growth of traditional settlement that often manifested in the form of housing densification and land 
subdivision. This result showed different issue occurs in Gentan village compared to a previous in situ 
urbanization research conducted by Hareedy & Deguchi (2011). They studied the village in El-Minya which 
transformed into urban carrying the characteristic of traditional settlement rather than showing the 
common characteristic of urban sprawl. 

3.2. Transformation of Building Density  

Building density is often described as the ratio of the number of buildings and total area whilst some 
literature such as Song and Knaap (2004) and Dempsey et al. (2008) stated that the plot density is also an 
indicator to represent building density using the median value of overall plot density (Figure 7). This 
research combined the two indicators by identifying the numbers of building in the study area, the ratio of 
the number of buildings per area (Ha), median number of plot density, and building coverage. Building 
density itself is an observable indicator in order to clarify in situ urbanization phenomenon as the urban 
settlement. 

Figure 7. Map of building transformation (Analysis, 2016)  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Urban settlement is characterized by an area with higher density compared to rural villages (Daldjoeni, 
1998; Sinulingga, 1999; Soetomo, 2009; Yunus, 2008). As opposed, the rural village settlement is 
characterized by an area with very low building density (Bintarto, 1986). As in situ urbanization 
phenomenon itself means transformation of rural villages into urban in characters, the shifts of rural 
characters into urban indicates the urbanization itself. The results showed that Gentan experienced 
escalation in all building density measurements.  The rise in total numbers of building, the ratio of numbers 
of building per hectare, and the building coverage were correlated. The rise of median plot density 
consequently clarified that in situ urbanization has been occurred in Gentan village in the last twenty years 
(Table 3). 

Table 3. Building density transformation (Analysis, 2016) 

Density 1995 2000 2005 2010 2016 

#Buildings 1,332 2,455 3,522 3,874 4,442 

Building Coverage (Ha) 17.3 30.61 43.07 47.34 57.93 

Median Plot Density (%) 65 90 92 92 93 

 
In addition, this research also discovered that the median value major shift of plot density from 1995 to 

2000 shows that the village was started to be dominated by the formal settlements and gated community 
previously consisted and dominated by kampung (organic/informal settlement). The formal settlements in 
Gentan commonly have high ratio of plot density while the organic settlements/kampungs that has been 
there long before the explosion of formal housing development have lower value of plot density. This 
finding formed special characters of in situ urbanization occurring in the village from the perspective of 
building density. The numbers of buildings and the building coverage transformation clarified the 
urbanization phenomenon. The escalation in plot density indices indicated that there are two types 
(dualism) of evolving settlements inside the village; traditional (organic/kampung) and modern (formal) 
(Figure 8). Finally, the shifts of the density identified shifting domination of the modern ones. Compared to 
previous research, this finding provided different kind of spatial manifestation of in situ urbanization. 
Kalabamu and Bolaane (2013) identified the settlement densification under in situ urbanization in Tlokweng 
village in Bostwana which was dominated by the infilling development inside the traditional settlement 
area. According to the research, this was the result of the establishment of housing rentals trend by the 
village inhabitants in order to improve economic condition.  
 

Figure 8. Dualism of Settlement Type  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
3.3. Transformation of Land Use Pattern 

Land use is an element of urban form and a vital variable to observe the shifts between rural land use 
and urban land use that indicate urbanization phenomenon (Soetomo, 2009; Yunus, 2008). Rural land use is 
often characterized by an area with agricultural use dominance (Jayadinata, 1986). In the context of in situ 
urbanization, land use is the main spatial elements in which its transformation towards more urban land 
use characteristics indicates the phenomenon of in situ urbanization itself (Brookfield et al., 1991). In this 
research, land use pattern was examined in each sample year to show how the land-use gradually changes 
over time. The result showed that land use in Gentan village changed in pattern from 1995 to 2016 (Table 
4). It showed that Gentan village was previously dominated by the agricultural use and then gradually 

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dissipated into urban uses. This rapid agricultural land-use conversion clarified that the village 
transformation into urban settlement (Figure 9). 

Table 4. Land use pattern transformation (Analysis, 2016) 

Land Use 1995 2000 2005 2010 2016 

Area 
(Ha) 

% Area 
(Ha) 

% Area 
(Ha) 

% Area 
(Ha) 

% Area 
(Ha) 

% 

Agricultural 109.45 73.41 86.59 58.08 64.15 43.03 53.75 36.052 21.53 14.44 

Residential 32.75 21.97 52.53 35.23 72.46 48.60 79.96 53.632 103.83 69.64 

Commercial 3.63 2.43 4.39 2.94 5.89 3.95 7.41 4.970 12.87 8.63 

Public 
Service/Facilities 

3.26 2.19 4.54 3.05 5.55 3.72 6.73 4.514 9.07 6.08 

Industrial 0 0.00 1.04 0.70 1.04 0.70 1.24 0.832 1.79 1.20 

 
Figure 9. Map of land use pattern transformation (Analysis, 2016)  

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The research analysis highlighted the biggest land conversion imposed by the residential use, followed 
by commercial, public services, and the industrial use. By 2016, agricultural use occupied only 14.4% of 
total Gentan village area. The research finding on dominance of residential use converting previously 
agricultural land use under in situ urbanization indicates that the population explosion driving the new 
housing expansion is the main force transforming land use. This also indicates that this land use 
transformation was driven by the continuously expanding major population influx of the neighboring city. 

3.4. Transformation of Public Facilities Characteristic 

In 2010, Indonesian Census Board (Badan Pusat Statistik) considered public facilities as the criteria to 
be assessed in order to decide rural village reclassification through their (1) availability and (2) distance 
towards them. Giyarsih (2003) stated that public facilities are harder to access in rural area than urban. 
Tamin (2000) stated that accessibility towards objects is calculated through the distance, although non-
spatial aspects such as individual preferences are also considered affecting the access (Table 5). This 
research identified the transformation of public facilities characteristic through examination of the change 
in numbers and the median reach-distance of the overall Gentan’s existing settlement towards each public 
facility sub-types. The result showed that most of Gentan’s public facilities increased in numbers except for 
some sub-types; elementary school, church, and Puskesmas (district-level health clinic) while the median 
reach distance picturing spatial accessibility fluctuated across time (Figure 10).  

 
Table 5. Public facilities and their accessibility transformation (Analysis, 2016) 

Public 

Facilities 

1995 2000 2005 2010 2016 

# Median 

Distance/Access 

(m) 

# Median 

Distance/Access 

(m) 

# Median 

Distance/Access 

(m) 

# Median 

Distance/Access 

(m) 

# Median 

Distance/Access 

(m) 

Commercial Facilities 

Traditional 

Market 

0 0 0 0 0 0 1 461 1 483 

Supermarkets 0 0 1 719 1 645 2 507 5 285 

Small Shops 40 81 70 78 90 85 103 86 129 88 

Religious Facilities 

Mosque 8 153 12 120 19 98 24 94 27 91 

Church 1 513 1 514 1 518 1 534 1 549 

Health Facilities 

Puskesmas 

(District-Level 

Clinic) 

1 384 1 420 1 446 1 452 1 474 

Clinic 1 538 1 650 3 374 3 324 5 319 

Edcation Facilities 

Pre-School 

(Kindergarten) 

2 486 2 458 3 344 6 248 6 269 

Elementary 

School 

2 279 2 328 2 321 2 330 2 340 

 
Commercial facilities tended to increase in distance except for Swalayan (supermarket) sub-type which 

showed that the distance towards the facilities were getting further. This could be explained by the 
centralized growth of commercial facilities along the main street of Gentan (Songgolangit & Mangesti Raya 
street) while the growth of residential use occurred throughout the village area. For religious facilities, the 
spatial access to the mosque decreased over time as the growth occurred evenly across the village area 
while the distance towards church increased because the numbers did not grow.  Health facilities sub-type 
Puskesmas increased in median distance value since for the last twenty years the numbers of the facility did 
not grow while the health clinic tended to lower in distance as the number grew and equally spread across 

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the village area. The distance-reduction in education facility occurred in pre-school subtype as the number 
grows while the elementary sub-type experienced escalation in distance as the number halted. 

 
Figure 10. Map of public facilities transformation (Analysis, 2016)  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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4. CONCLUSION 

This study aimed to identify the spatial transformation of Gentan village under in situ urbanization 
phenomenon. Taken the results together, this research clarified that Gentan village has transformed into 
an urban settlement from previously rural village and justified that in situ urbanization took place in the 
village. Moreover, this research also highlighted several issues from the analysis of Gentan’s spatial 
elements. Firstly, external connectivity showed that Gentan became more accessible from outside area, but 
the internal connectivity decreased by the trend of cul-de-sac development that negatively affects the 
internal circulation. The trend of cul-de-sac development that belongs to the gated community in the 
village for the last twenty years resembles the trend of sub-urban development. This indicated that the 
transformation occurred in the area was majorly influenced by the urban sprawl rather than the 
characteristic of the existing traditional settlement.  

Secondly, while all building density measurements showed escalation for the last twenty years and 
clarified the urbanization phenomenon, the plot density changes showed that formal settlements dominate 
Gentan village. This finding also indicates that there are dualisms of settlement types in Gentan village that 
form the village transformation towards urban settlements.  Thirdly, the higher resolution examination of 
the change in land use pattern showed that the land-use conversion is dominated by the residential uses. 
This findings indicated that the rapid land use conversion was caused by the population explosion that 
influenced the needs for new settlement development. The result further suggests that this phenomenon 
was possibly caused by the influx of new population imposed by the urban sprawl of the neighboring city.  

Fourthly, the enhancement in public facility numbers did not always go in line with their spatial 
accessibility that shows fluctuation, even as the urbanized village. In addition, the numbers of public 
facilities grew to support the growth of urban settlement. In the last twenty years, the fluctuation of spatial 
accessibility stated that the distribution of public facilities was mostly centered along the main street, not 
evenly across the village. This results and findings provided deeper perspectives to understand the 
urbanization phenomenon on the neighborhood level that could foster more effective development 
policies to deal with such transformation. The findings of spatial element transformation also highlighted 
several issues of in situ urbanization to be recommended for further researches that include; dualism of 
settlement types in the transformation of peripheral rural villages, factors influencing spatial 
transformation, and the relationship between peripheral rural villages transformation with the rapidly 
growing adjacent city.  

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