Learning from sustainable landscapes of death in Bali : landscape planning and Tri Hita Karana

Landscape planning in many countries is predicated upon on fulfilling the functions for human living objectives. Many land use practices have been plotted for living, busines~, trading, industrial, farming as well as providing places for dead people primarily through cemeteries. Research in Palm Beach County, FL, has demonstrated the need to plan for 30 years of demand of land use functions to service death (Coutts, Basmaj ian et al. 20 I I). Coutts et al assert that planners are required and responsible for the planning of funeral necessities. Therefore, the protection of landscapes of death is an important consideration in the planning of landscapes. Bali is popular with its beautiful landscape, hospitality, and traditional architecture as demonstrating the integrity between human, environment and God, as expressed in the Balinese Tri Hita Karana concept. Balinese commemorate life from birth to death through their traditional ceremonies which informs their traditional cultural landscape. One of the most important landscapes, which cannot be separated fi·om Balinese life are graveyards which are used for deceased ceremonies. This landscape is an integral part of traditional village patterns across Bali. Culturally, Balinese people have their own traditional cremation ceremony which is call the Ngaben Ceremony. The Ceremony takes place in graveyards and thereupon ashes are placed in the sea waters surrounding Bali. An interesting point of planning in Bali is how to enable eco-friendly interment extensions to villages. This is occurring because of the increasing number of corpses that require cremation thus necessitating no accretions in land provision of graveyards. This research investigates the landscape of death in Bali expressed in its traditional values in the area of planning which implicate sustainable environments and land conservation topics. Other functions of graveyards, as noted by Strangstad ( 1988), include ceremonial and their role as educational tools for history lessons, art, sociology, geology, English lessons, as well as for scavenger hunts.

Creative conservation and Balinese traditional landscape : scenarios for eco city concepts and culturally sensitive tourism development

Bali is internationally recognized as an island possessing a beautiful natural landscape as well as a unique culture. The natural qualities of its mountains, lakes, rivers, rice terrace fields with subak irrigation make Bali an important tourism destination. Cultural Tourism is integral in Bali’s tourism industry providing the basic capital for development1. The social condition of this society that is strongly characterized by religious beliefs, and its nature and ecology also supports this. The conservation and maintenance of this traditional landscape is often forgotten because of government agendas to implement cultural city programs aimed at encouraging tourism development. Despite this, the government is now supporting the program of ‘Bali toward Garden Island’, which aims to sustain the physical and cultural environment of the island towards conservation of its landscape. The implementation of this program includes attention to universal, societal and cultural values as unity indicators, of which the landscape planning of the Balinese characteristics and traditions cannot be separated. Landscape planning is integral in this initiative of character defining the region.

Globalisation is increasingly becoming one of the most important discussions amongst the Balinese people. It has become a national concern about the changes implicating Bali’s environment. Urbanisation, population growth, ribbon development, migration and consumption of energy are important imperatives and necessary evils for growing cities. These imperatives are creating the sprawl of building planning, development information, loss of open spaces, as well as the decline of the identity of cities. Places such as Denpasar City are struggling with increasing population at a rate of 1.94% per year that is causing increase in housing and public facilities demanded by both residents and ex-patriates. Thus land associated with the city has been lost to the rapid development of this cultural landscape.

This paper examines the Balinese traditional landscape and its role in encouraging tourism development that based on the Balinese culture and its ecology. The paper focuses on the planning of city landscape appearance characteristics and seeks to test and adopt the terms ‘creative conservation’ and ‘eco city concept’. By conserving the most important philosophy of the Balinese Tri Hita Karana Concept will better inform all aspects of city development in Bali. This study seeks to offer guidance for the legitimate use of landscape planning especially for city development in Bali.

Landscape changes in Denpasar City

Denpasar City is one of cities in Bali Province which faces the problem of landscape change. Most land use is for rice fields, dry lands, crops, housing, grave yards, fish ponds, forests and other functions. Based on Agriculture Office, in 2010 Denpasar City has 20% rice fields of the city’s total area, compared to 41% rice fields of the city’s area in 1992. This shows that Denpasar landscape has changed from agriculture field to commerce, housing, industry etc. and that changing landscape also happened in several green belt areas. This fact is supported by the Agriculture Office report that Denpasar City lose rice field about 25 hectares every year. In contrast, Denpasar City must provide at least 30% of land for open spaces. Furthermore, Denpasar City should keep city based on traditional philosophy such as Tri Hita Karana concept, Rwa Bhineda concept, etc. This paper examines the causes of landscape changes due to growing of population, tourism facilities, economic, and lack of government policy. There are the negative impacts of landscape changes which are associated with social economics and environmental issues. This study seeks to offer guidance for the legitimate use of landscape planning for sustainability development in Denpasar City. Some recommendations could be applied such as prevention of population growth, tourism development base, strict building regulation and increase tax property, and provide the policy and institutional options in land use planning.

The Bali Aga housing : minimalist and functionalist architecture

Nusantara (Indonesia Archipelago) Architecture is a significant heritage which has been inherited to descendants. Nusantara Architecture is rooted from the existence of culture that spread over the Indonesia archipelago. The culture in each region related to their traditional customs and religions that binding the culture and physic as well as socio-culture of its society. It cannot be denied that the traditional architecture is closed to realm and tactful definitely to interact to the environment. Likewise the Balinese traditional architecture is a substantial treasure which has been inherited and maintained currently. Culture and tradition are adhered in the Tri Hita Karana philosophy, which shows how Balinese balance to their Gods, natures and fellow creatures. The concept implies in the architecture of housing as product of culture. The housing pattern of the Bali Aga villages in Bali Province which has hut forms with linear or compound pattern, it lies naturally from headwater of the mountain to downstream of the sea. The existence of Bali Aga housing stills abide and maintain that defined as reflection of minimalist and functional architecture. Example for this is some observations in the indigenous villages' i.e Pinggan Village, Buahan Village, Julah Village etc. Those housing pattern shows the minimalist concept for living facility and its functions. The discourse of traditional architecture aims to preserve Nusantara architecture which is facing nowadays as a dilemma to be abandoned.

The conservation of Balinese traditional architecture: the integration of village pattern and housing pattern in indigenous villages

Bali Island is known not only for its culture and flourish of nature, but it is also for its traditional architecture which is embedded by the traditional philosophies including Tri Hita Karana, Tri Angga, Tri Loka etc. The Indigenous villages, as rural settlements, disclose their Indigenous traditions and values of Balinese culture and architecture which have been inherited from generation to generation. Many scholars have documented the Indigenous villages of Bali in relation to the nature, socio-culture, norms, as well as its architecture. In this paper, through an extensive literature review, and the use of observation, interview and documentation of extant Indigenous villages in Bali, the author explores how the village pattern is relational to the housing pattern in the Indigenous villages in Bali within the landscape that is Bali Island.

The role of traditional regulation in the Indigenous villages for conservation of village pattern

Balinese traditional architecture is a significant treasure which has been inherited to the Balinese descendants. Scholars over the last 50 years have identified this statement, pointing to the unique and distinctiveness of Balinese culture and its associated architecture. Their research documents Balinese architecture and culture of the past and how Balinese architecture has been affected by development pressures in Bali, and in the Indonesian nation as a whole. This knowledge can understood through their research that documents how the Balinese people interact with their society, to their spiritual realm and with their environment, and to their God which is integral to their philosophy of Tri Hita Karana which is their universal discourse. This historical relationship has ensured that Bali Island has become a major tourism destination and is considered one the most beautiful places on Earth, both of which result in increasing pressures upon Bali that directly affect the nature and quality of Balinese life.