Urban and Ecological Harmony: Re-naturalizing Surakarta’s Riverbanks Through Community-Driven Landscape Design

Surakarta, a city in Indonesia, confronts significant challenges from climate change, urbanization, and social disparities. With a population exceeding 552,000, it is particularly susceptible to water-related issues exacerbated by rapid urban expansion and informal settlements along its riverbanks. The active involvement of River Care Communities (Komunitas Peduli Sungai - KPS) contributes to rehabilitating and revitalizing the urban environment. This paper focuses on KPS SIBAT Sewu and KPS Sumber. Despite their efforts, environmental challenges and economic constraints hinder the development of a positive relationship between residents and the river. The research aims to re-establish the city’s connection with its river through riverfront re-naturalization and to evaluate KPS initiatives. The methodology employs a multidisciplinary and participatory approach, including observations, focus groups, and stakeholder interviews.The study reveals that the lack of green spaces, combined with political constraints, prevents improvements in ecological practices and contributes to recurring floods. While risks will persist, the goal is to mitigate their effects. Educating the population is the first step toward sustainable projects. Re-naturalization through landscape design is proposed as an ecological and educational tool to reconnect residents with the river. These projects should be based on community needs and developed with experts and institutions. Given their long-term nature, re-naturalization efforts must begin without delay, building on KPS initiatives through nature-based solutions such as phytoremediation.