kawasan

Kawasan is a term in Indonesian and Malay that refers to a defined tract of land or a zone with specific boundaries and characteristics. It denotes a geographical area that may be governed, managed, or utilized according to particular rules or functions. In everyday language, kawasan can refer to any neighborhood or region; in official contexts, it carries a technical meaning related to land use, planning, and administration.

In planning and governance, kawasan is used to designate zones with distinct purposes, such as kawasan perumahan (residential area), kawasan industri (industrial zone), kawasan komersial (commercial zone), kawasan wisata (tourist area), kawasan lindung (protected area), and kawasan hutan (forest area). The boundaries and permitted uses of a kawasan are typically defined in spatial plans like RTRW (Rencana Tata Ruang Wilayah) in Indonesia or equivalent land-use documents, and may be further detailed in RDTR (Rencana Detail Tata Ruang). Some kawasan are created as strategic or economic zones, such as kawasan strategis nasional, or for specific purposes like kawasan konservasi or kawasan pesisir.

Origin and usage: The term derives from Malay and Indonesian, and is widely used across both languages with similar meaning. It supports land management, infrastructure planning, environmental protection, and investment by clarifying where activities are permitted and how land is managed. The exact definition of a kawasan can vary by country, region, and regulatory framework.