Working With the Community on A Mural Coloring and Park Improvement Initiative

Abstract

Urban parks serve as public spaces for social interaction, recreation, and improving the quality of community life. However, many urban parks face challenges such as lack of maintenance, low public awareness, and limited creative initiatives to beautify green spaces. Mawar Park in Johor Bahru exemplifies these issues. To address them, the 2025 International Community Service Program initiated the theme Working with Communities through Mural Painting and Park Restoration. The program was conducted by students from Universitas Riau Islands (UNRIKA) and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Johor Branch, supported by the local government and community members. The methods included preparation, mural painting with environmental and sustainability themes, reorganization and greening of the park, and community participation through collective action. The results showed that the murals successfully created a public art space with educational value while enhancing the park's aesthetics. Park restoration improved cleanliness, comfort, and green quality. Moreover, the program strengthened social bonds between students, lecturers, government officials, and the local community while raising awareness of the importance of maintaining public spaces. This initiative contributed physically, socially, and educationally. Physically, the park becomes cleaner and greener. Socially, it fosters solidarity and community ownership of public space. Educationally, murals served as communication media to convey environmental messages. Thus, this activity demonstrates that community service can generate tangible impacts aligned with sustainable development goals.