CONFLICTS OF INTEREST IN SUSTAINING THE GREEN OPEN SPACE EXISTANCE IN DENPASAR CITY

Conflicts of interest always occurred in each government act, including policies in spatial planning. This situation has emerged within the regional regulations violation cases concerning the development prohibition on green belt areas in Denpasar City. This research tries to reveal this problem through conflicts of interest study in the green open space utilization and mediation between conflicting interests through a socio-cultural approach, as an effort to maintain the existence of Green Open Space in the city.

This research was designed using a mixed model research method that combines qualitative and quantitative strategies at the same stage. Data collection conducted through direct observation techniques, in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and documentation techniques. Data analysis utilized an inductive approach, which examines specific things so that the conclusions can be drawn generally.

The results of data collection and discussion show three factors that trigger the regional regulation violations, namely the green open space management policies, economic pressure, and the city’s physical development. Furthermore, the results of this study found that: (1) economic, political and socio-cultural interests in the green open space utilization, which determine its existence in the city; (2) the conflict between socio-cultural interests with economic and political interests involved in the green open space utilization, affecting the green open space elimination in the city; (3) Bali's socio-cultural role in mediating the interests involved as a control mechanism in controlling the elimination of green open space, therefore, the green open space existence in the city can be maintained.

The novelty of this research which are universalized Balinese local values and Tri Hita Karana concept (the balance between God, human, and environment interrelationship) has supported by finding the interests especially in two aspects, namely cultural traditions and krama Subak’s (traditional agrarian society) religious rituals which held continuously on the ricefield as a green open space. For this reason, all parties have the same obligations and responsibilities to maintain the green open space in the Denpasar City with all the provisions and local wisdom contained within.