GENERIC TYPOLOGY IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OF THE CONTEMPORARY RUKO TYPOLOGY IN SURABAYA, INDONESIA

Abstract

The term Ruko (Rumah-Toko) refers to the shop-house typology in Indonesia. This study is set off by an interest in Ruko developments, as the Ruko is a building type closely tied with urbanisation in Indonesia. From 1980’s, Indonesia experienced a building boom and Ruko was considered one of the most attractive investments in Indonesian real estate. Although the Ruko is descended from the shop-house brought into Indonesia by Southern Chinese settlers, is not only significant in the old towns of the past; its diverse variations also feature prominently in Indonesia’s urban landscape today. Contemporary Ruko developments are not confined to specific areas or even just within cities, but also take root on city outskirts, in growing towns and villages, and along inter-city routes. This dissertation is a study on the Ruko as an important commercial space and its relationship with the urban environment, using the case study of Ruko in the city of Surabaya, East Java. It argues that the urban phenomenon of the proliferation of Ruko is a liberation of the typology from the shophouses of Pecinan (Chinatown) in terms of “Space”, “Form” and “Function” into a generic type. The Contemporary Ruko as generic typology has important implications in urban development in Indonesia which will then be studied. It is hoped that this study will provide an understanding of a typology that can contribute to future directions in architecture and planning, especially in the context of a fast-changing and less controlled urbanism.