A tale of Jalan Kaliurang: Postcolonial gentrification in the Peri-urban of Yogyakarta

Jalan Kaliurang, a once agricultural edge of Yogyakarta has been transformed by waves of student migration and commercial development. Through ethnographic research, we explore how this peri-urban corridor has evolved into a dense hub of boarding houses (kos) and cafés, shaped by a complex mix of cultural traditions, historical power structures, and market forces. What emerges is a hybrid form of urban change, where local residents are not simply displaced, but experience a more subtle process of unhoming, a loss of cultural connection and emotional belonging even as they remain in place. We also question how the traditional value of gotong royong (javanese mutual cooperation) holds up under growing economic pressures and social fragmentation. By focusing on studentification and speculative real estate practices, this study sheds light on the symbolic forms of displacement that often go unnoticed. It argues for a deeper understanding of gentrification in postcolonial cities, one that takes seriously the emotional and cultural costs of urban change.