Elite Urban Expansion and Spatial Inequality: Evidence from a Coastal Community in Surabaya

Abstract

Rapid urban expansion driven by elite residential development has increasingly reshaped coastal urban spaces in Indonesia, generating complex socio-spatial inequalities that remain insufficiently understood from the perspective of local communities. Existing studies predominantly emphasize physical spatial change or urban growth, while providing limited attention to how spatial transformation restructures everyday social relations, accessibility, and livelihoods. This study aims to examine the socio-spatial consequences of elite urban expansion in Kejawan Putih Tambak, Surabaya, through Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space. Employing a descriptive qualitative case study, data were collected through field observations and in-depth interviews with purposively selected local residents directly affected by land-use conversion and urban development. The findings reveal that the expansion of Pakuwon City has generated dual and uneven outcomes. While it has stimulated regional economic growth and created new employment opportunities, it has simultaneously displaced traditional coastal livelihoods, intensified social inequality, altered community structures, reduced spatial accessibility, and increased ecological pressures resulting from the conversion of fishpond areas into urban infrastructure. These findings demonstrate that urban space is socially produced through capitalist development processes that privilege investment interests over the lived experiences of local communities. The study contributes to the growing discourse on socio-spatial justice by highlighting the importance of integrating social equity into sustainable urban planning and coastal development policies.