<![CDATA[The Batang Arau area is a vital zone in Padang City, functioning as a traditional port center, an Old Town cultural heritage site, and a waterfront tourism corridor. As a heritage area, it is expected to support the tourism sector through the development of pedestrian-friendly sidewalk infrastructure, ensuring public movement comfort while presenting river views and colonial architecture without degrading spatial quality. However, the area is experiencing a phenomenon of spatial contestation, namely the shifting function of sidewalks—originally intended to remain clear for pedestrian circulation—into informal economic activity spaces occupied by street vendors (Pedagang Kaki Lima/PKL). The placement of stalls and tents on the sidewalk creates spatial ambiguity between pedestrians' rights and the informal sector's means of livelihood, driven by the attraction of river views in the evening and the high volume of visitors. This study aims to identify the temporal pattern (day–night) of sidewalk space use by street vendors and the factors influencing their choice of trading location along the Batang Arau corridor, using a descriptive-qualitative approach through field observation and photographic documentation. The results show that this functional shift brings dilemmatic impacts: on one hand it revitalizes the local economy and culinary tourism, while on the other hand it triggers urban degradation, diminishes heritage aesthetics, and endangers pedestrian safety. Spatial management based on the identification of street vendor types and forms is therefore needed to balance space use without sacrificing the primary pedestrian function.]]>
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