TITLE:
Functional Analysis of Telajakan Plants and Space in Northern Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
AUTHORS:
Sadahisa Kato, Kosuke Hishiyama, Anak Agung Ketut Darmadi, Ngakan Ketut Acwin Dwijendra, Dewa Ngurah Suprapta
KEYWORDS:
Telajakan, Bali, Urban Green Spaces
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.9 No.2,
February
20,
2019
ABSTRACT: Bali Island, Indonesia, is undergoing rapid land use
changes owing to tourism-related development and urbanization. Consequently,
urban green spaces, which provide a myriad of benefits to residents, are disappearing
and deteriorating. Focusing on telajakan,
a strip of traditional green space between the frontal 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 in Denpasar, Bali and 2) to evaluate the functions of the plantings in telajakan. The research methods include
literature review on traditional green spaces in Bali, vegetation survey at a
lot scale, and homeowner interviews with the help of local experts. The study
found that: 1) aesthetics, economics, and rituals are the top three functions
provided by the telajakan plants with
aesthetic function being by far the most provided function; 2) species
diversity does not correspond with functional diversity; and 3) telajakan space itself is often
minimized or sometimes lost completely for more inner, privatized space or for
vehicle parking lot for shop owners. Since telajakan is an important component of traditional Balinese architecture, its loss, degradation,
and marginalization necessarily lead to the loss of Balinese culture and
identity. This study hints, however, a new form of social interaction through
aesthetically-pleasing telajakan.
Also, functional diversity, which is arguably as important as species
diversity, can be maintained by carefully selecting indigenous species with
multiple functions.