Reclaiming Mangroves of Balikpapan Bay

Designing Socio-Spatial Strategies Towards Regenerative Landscape

Master Thesis (2025)
Author(s)

Frithasya Jeniardina Purba (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)

Contributor(s)

S Nijhuis – Mentor (TU Delft - Landscape Architecture)

D.A. Sepulveda – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Spatial Planning and Strategy)

Faculty
Architecture and the Built Environment
More Info
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Publication Year
2025
Language
English
Graduation Date
20-06-2025
Awarding Institution
Delft University of Technology
Programme
['Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Urbanism']
Faculty
Architecture and the Built Environment
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Abstract

Coastal ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable to the intensifying impacts of climate change, urban expansion, and industrial development. In Balikpapan Bay, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, mangrove degradation poses serious ecological, social, and economic risks—especially in light of the development of Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara. This thesis explores an integrated approach to mangrove regeneration that seeks to balance environmental restoration with ongoing socioeconomic development pressures. By applying socio-spatial strategies that emphasise site potential, the project investigates how place-specific interventions can strengthen social-ecological resilience—fostering healthy ecosystems that adapt to climate change while supporting the livelihoods and cultural values of coastal communities.

Grounded in the concepts of designing with nature, people, and synergy, the research combines spatial analysis, field observations, stakeholder engagement, and design exploration. Taking the landscape as a departure point, the project identifies leverage points within governance structures and community practices to enable collaborative restoration. It proposes spatial frameworks for multiple strategic sites, incorporating nature-based solutions, adaptive land use, and community-driven ecotourism and aquaculture. In doing so, the project reimagines mangrove landscapes as resilient socio-ecological systems. The findings offer insights for coastal planning and climate adaptation in Indonesian estuarine and deltaic regions facing similar challenges.

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