Discover inclusivity of open public spaces in gen z perspective, case study: Alun-Alun Kidul Yogyakarta

Abstract Alun-alun Kidul Yogyakarta is a famous open public space as a youth destination. Teenagers explore their identity by engaging in social activities with peers or other age groups in public spaces. Young people nowadays are categorized as Gen Z as digital natives who involve gadgets in almost every activity. This condition was expected to influence their utilization of open public spaces. This paper investigates the inclusivity of open public spaces using the correlation between space utilization and perceived social affordances by Gen Z. Behavior mappings and questionnaires were carried out for data collection. Samples were selected by purposive sampling based on criteria Gen Z, visitors of Alun-alun Kidul Yogyakarta. The finding showed that Gen Z prefers doing sedentary activities in open public spaces with friends, partners, or family, especially in grassy areas suitable for gatherings or in food stalls for culinary purposes. Even though Gen Z do activities in open public spaces physically, they tend to maintain their communication virtually, whether alone, with friends, family, or partners. Therefore, an inclusive public space for Gen Z must be accessible in physical, social, and activity aspects through physical participation and information access through virtual communication.