Surabaya is the second largest city after Jakarta. In its development, the city is moving towards becoming an inclusive global city thanks to the leadership of Mayor Risma, who has implemented socially inclusive urban governance, particularly in the coastal towns of Kenjeran and Bulak Banteng. The process of public space formation (placemaking) in coastal Surabaya, in this case, is a topic worthy of discussion. It explores community strategies in optimizing spatial space, how they articulate their ownership of the city's coastal environment, how their identities are formed, and how the process of public space formation becomes an object of struggle for many involved. The identity formation of two distinct communities studied is examined: the local community living in a naval housing complex and the local community living in a coastal fishing village. The novelty of this paper is its examination of the identity formation of fishing communities, which is worthy of study because it shapes distinctive coastal and fishing cultures, as well as developing distinct livelihood strategies. This study aims to identify the process of public social space formation (placemaking) in fishing communities and the formation of a distinctive fishing culture in coastal areas within the context of competition for urban space. Fishermen develop livelihood strategies that differ from other communities. This paper uses a qualitative research design to explore and discuss the topic by conducting in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, and data analysis is carried out using descriptive analysis.