Drawn to care, drawn to-gather: Socio-spatial connections at modified riverfronts

Across Indonesia and Malaysia, riverfronts are often reshaped by large-scale projects aimed at managing floods and controlling development. But these projects can overlook how people actually live with rivers. My research explores how communities adapt to these changes, drawing attention to the everyday ways people connect with rivers and each other. Using drawing as a research tool, I document life along three river sites and highlight stories of care, adaptation, and belonging. My work encourages planners and designers to better recognise riverfronts as lived, shared spaces—and to design with, rather than for, the communities who live alongside them.