LOOSE SPACE FOR INFORMAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY : A CASE STUDY OF NIGHT MARKET IN KAMPUNG LUAR BATANG (JAKARTA, INDONESIA)

Abstract

The informal economic sector has been an important element in cities of developing countries, whether the government likes it or not. Informal economy is an important element of urban economy and it intertwined with the formal economy. It contributes a relatively large percentage in the country’s GNP and provides an important element of surviving for people from the low-income group. Most of the people who involved in informal economic sector are the residents of informal settlement, most probably because of the notion of flexibility and the loose space that it holds. A broader overview about urbanisation in Southeast Asian cities will also be discussed to give a deeper insight on what caused the informal settlement and informal economic activity to agglomerate in cities. This paper tried to evaluate the nature and character of loose space in urban context. And to review the space and events in public space when informal economic activity occurred in the loose space. In order to achieve the objective, study case of informal economic activity in a night market in Kampung Luar Batang, Jakarta will be examined. The space occupation by the informal economic activity on two (2) different occasions will be studied; during night market and ordinary day in Kampung Luar Batang. Through the study case, this paper will concluded the character of places that attracted people to gather and have informal activity ‘centre’. As well as the character of loose space that supported that activity.