Public Participation Level in Spatial Planning of Southern Cross Road Area, Malang

The purpose of this study was to measure the level of public participation in spatial planning of Southern Cross Road (SCR) Area Malang, East Java which is expected to obtain a conclusion that could be used as a government consideration in improving public participation in future spatial planning of SCR Area. This research is using mixed methods approach (quantitative and qualitative). Primary data obtained from questionnaires of the respondents in the SCR area and secondary data obtained from the agencies or institutions associated with this study, also from government offices at the study site. The results show that the participation of society in the spatial planning of SCR Area Malang is still in placation level and tokenism as the power level. Settled strategy puts less people in public affairs or government agencies which generally are still held by major elite power. Thus, people can easily defeated in elections or cheated. In other words, they allow the public to provide suggestions or additional plans, but the right still owned by authorities to determine the legitimacy or feasibility of these suggestions. There are two levels where the community is settled, i.e. (1) the quality of technical assistance that they have in discussing their priorities; (2) supplementary where communities is set to suppress the priority. Keywords: ladder of participation, Placation, Southern Cross Road, Tokenis