2014 Honours Reports
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- ItemA Search for Progressive Street Trading Management Model: Understanding the Principles of the Park Station Street Trading Management Model(2014) Lande, KwandaBoth national and local governments in parts of the global South have started to realise the importance of the informal economy in poverty alleviation. In these countries there is a growing government desire to develop informal trading policy frameworks and strategies that will not hinder the potential of the informal economy for economic growth. This is, however, often let down by varying implementation challenges. This research has focused on one specific pilot model for managing street trading around Park Station Inner city Johannesburg, a model in the making in its principles and implementation process, to investigate the extent through which its principles can be said to be progressive. This pilot model, Park Station Street Trading Management Model (PSSTMM), is set up by an alliance between a business coalition, the Central Johannesburg Partnership (CJP), and a street trading organisation, South African National Traders Retail Alliance (SANTRA). This research has documented principles and a principle renegotiation process of the PSSTMM through interviews, action research and observation that involved different stakeholders of the PSSTMM. Furthermore, as part of action research investigation of what is currently happening in the area of study in relation to street trading which were done for this research were used in the principle renegotiation process. Through this investigation the PSSTMM has shifted from only accommodating SANTRA members, a principle that existed prior to the principle renegotiation process, to accommodating all existing traders, if it happens that a design plan allow this to happen. The PSSTMM also provide support in a form cleaning and security. This is good for traders as it means more potential customers will visit the area because of improved safety and cleanliness. The PSSTMM is progressive in allowing traders, amongst other stakeholders, to be part of the policy formulation process. In this process, involved stakeholders through compromises have developed a plan agreed to by all. These principles are recognised in this research as progressive because they respond to the concepts of “inclusive” and “developmental”, which in this research are acknowledged as determining a progressive management model. However, the fee asked from street traders undermines this and I have argued that the PSSTMM to be progressive in this principle, participants of the PSSTMM need to focus on improving this principle by looking at other innovative ways. This could be done through street trader’s participation, in cleaning amongst others, to compliment the efforts of the City or of the private sector and consequently reducing the expected fee.
- ItemThe Challenges of Providing for the Street Homeless: Johannesburg as a Single Case Study(2014) Tayob, Muhammad ShabierThe thesis considers the challenges associated with providing for the street homeless in Johannesburg. From a planning perspective, the research aims at leading to enlightenment on practical solutions to address the problem in Johannesburg. The study notes that the street homeless or the ‘rough sleepers’ population are amongst the most distressed people that live in negligible and inadequate housing. Dating back since before apartheid, Johannesburg has been seen as a place that offers a platform to better one’s living conditions. Thus, there has always been a high influx of local and international migrants into the city. Given the successes of apartheid spatial planning in creating a racially and economically divided Johannesburg that served an urban minority only, the city’s infrastructure is unable to absorb and address all of its inhabitants. This, together with personal circumstances and structural inadequacies is resulting in an increase of street homeless people in the city. Street homelessness in Johannesburg requires a continuum of well-coordinated interventions that address the individualistic and structural causation factors. This research unpacks how street homelessness is being addressed in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, with particular attention given to government responses. Through the gathering of qualitative and quantitative data, the research aims at measuring government’s effectiveness in addressing the issue. The report moves forward by providing debates, conceptualisations and approaches to homelessness across the globe. Followed by this, the research focuses on identifying gaps in current approaches to addressing the issue and through this, providing potential and valuable input that will assist in effectively curbing street homelessness.
- ItemAn Exploration of the Social Production of Vilakazi Street as a Social Space(2014) Segooa, TjakaUncertainties of globalisation and gentrification remain a persistent in former black townships. The assimilation of these ideologies has led to several unintentional consequences in spaces such as Vilakazi Street, Orlando West. Vilakazi Street has been identified by the City of Johannesburg through its implementing agent, Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) as a potentially significant heritage, cultural and economic node. But the cultural implications are unknown. This study looks at the social production of Vilakazi Street within the context of Soweto in three criteria: the conceived, perceived and lived spaces since 1994. It critically explores how creativity and innovation within the social space of the street has contributed to the needs of existing local communities. Thirty five respondents were randomly selected and interviewed. These included government officials, local residents, business representatives, and tourists. In this quest, the conceived space focuses on how various interventions on the street were imagined by government officials and designers, the perceived space looks at how ordinary people have assigned meaning to the street, and the lived space focuses on the actual experience and purposeful use of the Street. The study has discovered that the use of a variety of spatial symbols allow experiments that may return spaces to the control of humanised and anti-capitalism everyday spatial practices. Thus, a consideration of cultural planning can offer better perceptions into the values and aspirations of existing local communities and enclose the gap between the past, present and future in such contexts.
- ItemThe Significance of Physical Infrastructure in Economic Growth: Maputo Development Corridor(2014) Letsile, LesegoThere has been an interest by government to invest in infrastructure in order to develop the country further and it assumes that this will increase economic growth. The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure and Development has aimed to increase infrastructure through the province in order to ensure that the foundations for growth are set. During the 2014 budget speech, the former Minister of Treasury announced that the government would be spending R143.8 billion on municipal infrastructure alone (Gauteng infrastructure, 2013). It is clear that the state recognises infrastructure as an important element of growth and through its investment national economic growth can be easily achieved. The research focuses on exploring the relationship between infrastructure and economic growth along the Maputo Development Corridor, it aims to look at the growth trends from 1996 to 2011 in order to understand the relationship in this context (Gauteng infrastructure, 2013). Through this investigation, the results will show the growth of local municipal economies compared to that of national trends in order to see the difference in growth (Gauteng infrastructure, 2013). The research will first analyse the literature on the relationship between infrastructure and economic growth, it will secondly investigate the MDC and finally analyse the statistical data that indicates growth within the chosen context.
- ItemLifestyle Estate Evolution in South Africa: Implications for Financial Viability and Environmental Sustainability(2014) de Beer, Sasha JaneIn recent years, lifestyle estates have become a prominent feature in both the rural and urban areas of South Africa. This research report argues and demonstrates that there has been an evolution of lifestyle estates in South Africa catalysed by private property developer’s concerns about the financial viability of these developments. The result has been the development of new types of lifestyle estates such as wildlife, country and eco-estates that do not include a golf course component. These new types of lifestyle estates are shown to be both more financially viable and environmentally sustainable than the original golf estate model that previously dominated the lifestyle estate sector in South Africa. The study comprises three main case studies, which include interviews with a property developer, estate agents and estate managers. The study also includes interviews with national financial institutions, to indicate that the findings by and large typify national lifestyle estate development trends.