Mangarani Taman: Youth-Led Park Naming in Banjarbaru via BASAkalimantan Wiki

Abstract

The article presents a focused account of how BASAkalimantan Wiki mobilized young residents of Banjarbaru, the capital city of South Kalimantan, to participate in urban policy through a naming initiative for city parks. The effort centers on public engagement conducted under a Wikithon framework, designed to elevate youth voices in local governance by moving beyond conventional, location-based park labels toward meaningful, culturally resonant names rooted in the Banjar language. This initiative aligns with broader goals of civic involvement and linguistic preservation, aiming to deepen residents’ sense of belonging in the urban landscape while shaping how public spaces reflect local heritage.

Key to the event was a multi-institutional collaboration drawing participants from vocational schools and universities in Banjarbaru, including SMKN 1 Banjarbaru, SMAN 2 Banjarbaru, and the Department of Indonesian Language and Literature Education at Lambung Mangkurat University, among others. The Wikithon encouraged students and youth communities to propose park names during September 2025, with a special emphasis on names that convey local identity rather than mere geography. The process sought to document the naming journey, ensuring transparency and broad participation across diverse youth groups.

Central to the rationale was the observation that park names in Banjarbaru were commonly tied to surrounding streets or landmarks rather than reflecting a deeper cultural narrative. By prompting Banjar-language nominations, BASAkalimantan Wiki aimed to strengthen regional identity and language vitality while creating a more meaningful, memorable experience for park visitors. The engagement was framed as an educational opportunity as well, highlighting problem-solving, critical thinking, and persuasive communication as essential competencies for the participating students.

Before the naming proposals, participants underwent a pre-test to gauge their daily use of digital tools and media literacy, followed by guidance on how to articulate park names that resonate with the community. The pedagogical intent was to cultivate thoughtful responses that could be seriously considered during the official naming review. Facilitators underscored that a name grounded in Banjar language would simultaneously honor local culture and support linguistic continuity for future generations.

Public Dialogue Session #1, titled Mangarani Taman, emerged as a formal step in translating youth ideas into policy considerations. The event brought together representatives from housing and settlement agencies, public relations bodies, and education centers to discuss naming proposals, evaluate them against cultural and administrative criteria, and set a pathway for implementation. The dialogue underscored the importance of community input, ensuring that final park names reflect communal aspirations and linguistic heritage rather than arbitrary designation. The discussions also identified concrete steps for integrating the chosen names into city planning and communications materials.

During the initiative, the team collected and filtered hundreds of responses. An initial pool of 406 submissions was narrowed to about 30 viable names, which were then assessed by a panel of three judges with expertise in engineering, cultural advocacy, and linguistics. The judging process balanced practicality, memorability, and cultural significance, ultimately selecting four winners. This meticulous curation demonstrates a commitment to a rigorous, community-informed naming process that respects both administrative feasibility and cultural authenticity.

The four winning park names were allocated across four distinct sites: an intersection park, a park near the Guntung Paikat RTH area, a park within the Cahaya Bintang Complex, and a park in the Landasan Ulin district. The winners comprised two entries from the general public or student participants and two from student groups, reflecting a deliberate effort to diversify contributors and ensure broad youth representation. The names themselves were crafted to evoke local memory and identity while aligning with linguistic traditions in the Banjar language.

Key figures in the process, including BASAkalimantan Wiki Program Coordinator Hudan Nur and other municipal leaders, emphasized that naming in Banjar serves as a cultural signature and a vehicle for language preservation. They highlighted that the project sought not only to produce official names but also to foster awareness about the significance of language in shaping urban spaces. The officials also expressed appreciation for the collaboration with the Department of Housing and Settlements and stressed the importance of youth involvement in city development initiatives, signaling a model for future participatory planning efforts in Banjarbaru.

Following the naming proposals, four working groups organized around specific park sites generated additional recommendations, including proposals to install inscriptions explaining the naming process and its participants. These inscriptions would document the involvement of youth in the decision-making process, making the narrative behind each name accessible to park visitors. The groups also stressed the value of transparent communication about how and why certain names were chosen, aligning with governance principles that prioritize accountability and public comprehension of municipal actions.

In parallel with the naming exercise, participants engaged with public officials during a dedicated policy dialogue at the South Kalimantan Education Quality Assurance Center (BPMP). The conversation explored practical steps for implementing the names and integrating them into official signage and city records. The sessions reaffirmed the city’s commitment to inclusive governance and demonstrated the potential of youth-led design processes to influence real-world urban planning outcomes. The results of these dialogues were positioned as a foundation for formalizing the names through administrative channels and public communications strategies.

The broader significance of the Mangarani Taman project extends beyond individual park namings. It illustrates a deliberate effort to connect civic education with tangible urban outcomes, fostering a sense of ownership and pride among young residents. By centering the Banjar language, the initiative advances linguistic preservation as a live component of everyday city life, encouraging residents to view public spaces as expressions of local culture rather than neutral infrastructure.

As the process progressed, city officials noted that Banjarbaru hosts a substantial number of parks, green spaces, and public facilities—an ecosystem ripe for thoughtful naming that reflects local memories and everyday experiences. The project’s documentation and public-facing outputs, including a dedicated online portal, aimed to ensure accessibility to residents seeking to learn about the naming choices and the people behind them. This emphasis on openness reinforces the public value of participatory urban governance and serves as a potential blueprint for other municipalities seeking to cultivate youth-driven civic engagement.

The Mangarani Taman initiative also highlighted the interplay between language, culture, and public space design. By foregrounding names in the Banjar language, the project contributed to language maintenance in a practical setting, offering a living platform for Banjar linguistic expression. Officials and organizers saw this as part of a broader strategic objective to preserve regional linguistic heritage while enriching the city’s cultural landscape. The praise from participants and supporters underscored the transformative potential of combining youth energy with structured policy processes.

Looking ahead, the city anticipated formalizing the park names through official decrees and administrative actions, ensuring that the four selected names become permanent identifiers for the respective sites. The experience underscored the need for signage, educational materials, and public records that document the naming journey, the rationale behind each choice, and the roles of those who contributed to the process. By doing so, Banjarbaru could maintain a clear, enduring record of its participatory governance efforts and demonstrate the lasting impact of youth-led civic initiatives on urban identity.

In sum, the Mangarani Taman effort represents a meaningful convergence of youth empowerment, linguistic preservation, and urban governance. It showcases a practical mechanism for embedding local culture within the naming of public spaces while fostering essential skills among participants—problem-solving, critical thinking, and persuasive communication. The initiative exemplifies how a city can transform ordinary parks into symbols of collective memory and language pride, guided by transparent processes, inclusive participation, and a commitment to community-driven policy implementation.

Finally, the initiative culminates in a formal recognition by municipal authorities and a public record of the names chosen, signaling a sustainable model for ongoing engagement with young people in Banjarbaru’s urban development. The project’s alignment with BASAkalimantan Wiki’s mission to document and celebrate local knowledge demonstrates how digital platforms can catalyze real-world change in city planning, cultural preservation, and youth leadership. As Banjarbaru continues to evolve, Mangarani Taman stands as a notable example of how youth input can shape the city’s public realm and reinforce a vibrant, language-rich regional identity.

RAKAT MANGARANI TAMAN (ENG) - Flipbook by Fleepit