Aligning Maps with Residents’ Memories
Surabaya (ANTARA) – Standardising geographical names is not merely a matter of maps and administration. The names of neighbourhoods, roads, rivers, parks and coastal areas also hold the history and identity of their communities.
As Surabaya, East Java, continues to change, preserving place names is as important as organising urban space and building infrastructure.
A trace of identity
A city is known not only through its buildings, roads, parks and commercial districts. Its memory also lives on in place names. Kenjeran, Keputih, Wonokromo and Peneleh are not simply location markers; they are names passed down through generations and form part of Surabaya’s history.
Urban change has made the need to organise names increasingly pressing. Residential development, infrastructure construction, changes in land use and digital services all require certainty about the names and locations of places and features.
Without a consistent reference, a single place may be known by several names. Conversely, the same name may be used for different locations. Such discrepancies can make it harder to find addresses, record assets, process permits and respond to emergencies.
The Surabaya City Government has begun strengthening the management of geographical names through the gradual collection and standardisation of data. By 2026, 1,517 names had reportedly been standardised.
That figure is close to the 2025 total of 1,559 names. In 2024, 332 names were standardised. The sharp increase in 2025 shows that the local government has paid greater attention to the importance of orderly geographical naming.
From 2020 to 2026, data collection covered 14 districts, targeting two districts each year. This achievement is worth recognising, given that Surabaya has 31 districts and 153 urban villages, with diverse characteristics ranging from older residential areas to industrial and coastal zones.
However, the number of names standardised should not be the sole measure of success. The 2026 figure of 1,517 is equivalent to about 97 per cent of the 2025 total, but that comparison does not mean that 97 per cent of all geographical features in Surabaya have been recorded.
More important measures are the accuracy of names and coordinates, clarity about their origins, community acceptance, and consistent use in official documents and government systems. Standardisation should preserve the city’s identity, rather than simply meet a numerical target.
A single reference
The management of geographical names has a national legal basis in Government Regulation No. 2 of 2021. The regulation frames naming as a way to protect territorial sovereignty and security, preserve cultural, historical and customary values, and ensure orderly government administration.
Geographical names cover natural features, such as rivers, mountains, lakes, islands and seas, as well as man-made features, including administrative areas, roads, buildings, special zones and populated places.
Naming principles include prioritising the Indonesian language, using one name for each feature, limiting names to no more than three words, respecting diversity and avoiding the names of people who are still alive.
Regional or foreign languages may be used when they have historical, cultural, customary or religious significance. Standardisation, therefore, must not erase local distinctiveness.
Geographical names can also carry historical messages. Surabaya Mayor’s Decree No. 188.45/282/436.1.2/2018 records the renaming of part of Jalan Gunungsari as Jalan Prabu Siliwangi and part of Jalan Dinoyo as Jalan Sunda.
The changes were an effort at cultural reconciliation between Majapahit and Pajajaran, and involved approval from the Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD). Naming can thus help preserve historical ties, rather than merely determine an address.
At the local level, Surabaya has Regional Regulation No. 7 of 2018 on Guidelines for Naming Roads and Public Facilities, as well as Mayor’s Regulation No. 33 of 2019, which implements it.