3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item PROMOTING URBAN SOCIAL INTEGRATION THROUGH URBAN DESIGN INTERVENTION IN CYRILDENE(2019) Lu Ke, Ke LuThis research proposal discusses urban structure, ethnic group segregation, space-making, crime prevention and, the use of urban design intervention to solve social and spatial issues and promote sustainable and integrated urban communities in the Cyrildene area of Johannesburg. From the review I hope to understand the characteristics of homogeneous communities and the reasons that homogeneous communities isolate themselves, which, from the preservation of Ethnic Minorities' Culture’s angle, is to encourage the identification of the ethnicity’s unique characteristics. This research proposal also explores the relationship between space and neighbourhoods, and the value of the convivial space, as well as arguing that economic gain should not be used to determine social policies. The urban landscape space has multiple benefits, it can help to reduce particular types of crime, improve public health, as well as reconnect the urban environment with the eco-system. From reviewing the traditional Chinese urban planning and design history, there are some traditional Chinese urban planning and design principles that could be utilised in today’s cities, and these principles could help to build up urban communities and emphasise the unique culture of the Chinese community. This research proposal analyses, through urban design, the current issues in the Cyrildene area. Urban design could be used as an instrumental tool to solve these urban design-related problems, and at the same time promote the urban communities. Properly designed urban open spaces can help to improve local social relations and job opportunities for the surrounding neighbourhoods. This research proposal develops an example for the ethnic group to show their unique identity through urban design in the environment and at the same time increase tolerance between ethnic groups to promote social integration. From reviewing the literature, restructuring the existing urban structure can improve social and spatial issues as well as build up the neighbourhoods. Furthermore, a high level of local community engagement can lead to the progression of social integration. Social integration, while at the same time strengthening an internal sense of community, is the goal for these urban communities. This research proposal attempts to discover the constraints and opportunities based on the urban design analysis result to generate an urban design concept framework and urban development code.Item The urban logic: a timber processing factory empowering rural ares through value addition(2019) Ndlovu, Menziincreased the interdependence between rural and urban dwellers - the resources they offer each other is the common thread that pulls them closer together. While this has introduced various forms of innovation in underdeveloped parts of South Africa, the balance between what the urban areas remove from the rural land versus what returns in the form of economic upliftment; industrial transformation; cultural and social development, as well as general living standards, is still very much debatable. This research explores how architecture can improve the value chain between rural and urban areas in order to improve the balance these two areas share, by looking at activities that can be performed in rural areas using the raw material harvested, before the material is moved to urban areas for further processing. The research process begins by looking at a broad social economic plan; the infrastructural plan to make it work; and a small intervention where these issues will be addressed. By moving activities within the supply chain previously only dedicated to and reserved for urban areas closer to rural areas, it not only keeps the supply chain safely intact but improves the context and value found in rural areas. This begins to create an organic platform for ancillary economic movement to start building, in the hopes to improve industrial sustainability. The building is an industrial timber processing factory in northern KwaZulu-Natal that allows the context to feed into it. The main activity, amongst many others this factory does, is take wood harvested from the forests plantations of northern KZN and add an additional step where it processes it into wood fibers, to be transported in larger quantities than previously possible to the urban industrial areas where the final stage of production takes place. In a social context of poor living standards due to lack of economic activity this building aims to – parallel to wood processing work – lend itself as a community workspace in order to be the focal point for skills development where locals can utilise the timber processing equipment, cultural transformation and most importantly a port for other industries to plug-in. The architecture looks to welcome back the design principles so often lacking in current industrial buildings - these principles present a great opportunity to effect social change over and above industrial functions. Parallel to that, it questions the function of a factory in a rural setting and re-imagines its function through design and program. The farmer sells his corn for R2.00, after production it is sold back to him as popcorn at R10.00 – the farmer cannot afford the end product of his own labour. The tensions between urban and rural; raw and finished product and, architectural design and industrial engineering, are exposed and given the spotlight in the search for economic transformation and social balance in the value chain.Item Indian women and public space: women’s landscape of Fordsburg, Johannesburg(2017) Mohamed, SumayyaThe urban spatial restrictions women are subjected to are universally acknowledged. These restrictions, which exist physically and symbolically within space, are used as a tool for gendered ‘othering’ and exclusion. Using a conceptual framework that include structures of power, spatial and gender theories as a tool of analysis this research seeks to analyse and track the process of spatial restrictions on the female body in their everyday lived experiences. The socio-political undercurrents of urban space is entangled within the power structures and ideologies that govern and objectify women’s presence and behaviours within public space. This has a debilitating effect on the way they access and use it. Indian women in Fordsburg are no strangers to these universal problems. They experience many of the same fears that have been documented within the Public sphere. Their resilience and constant presence in public space questions the validity of the Public/Private binary as well as common stereotypical assumptions surrounding their identities which operate at different scales. Their everyday lived experience showcases their strategies in coping and overcoming the challenges the complex nature of urban public space presents to them. Their strategies of reclaiming the space are unique and intricate. Their resilience in challenging the normalization of socio-spatial dynamics leads them towards reclaiming their identities, power and respect as women.Item Representations of the postcolonial city through the eyes of the African artist as Flâneur(2015-02-16) Matheolane, Mpho MosesThis research report considers the question and concept of the flâneur as an artist and a means of representing the city. In doing this, the figure of the flâneur is removed from its European and Western urban context and placed within an African one. This figure is also imagined as an African black artist as opposed to its popularly and historically known white poet and artist, of Baudelaire’s creation. In this way, the flâneur as an African artist, in an African city, may be used to ask and possibly answer the question of what this all entails for the representation of such a city, are there any differences between this flâneur and its Western archetype? Factoring in the significance of postcolonial theory and its application to space, more especially the city, what nuances and perspectives may be drawn from this? For purposes of the above; the city of Johannesburg is used as the spatial subject matter, the early series of work by the artist Kudzanai Chiurai being an example of the aforementioned representation of the city while the artist himself is seen as the flâneur with the rationale behind his work being the practice of the flâneur that is, flânerie. Keywords: Postcolonialism, postcolonial urbanism, flâneur, flânerie, Baudelaire, Walter Benjamin, Johannesburg, post-apartheid, Achille Mbembe, Kudzanai Chiurai.Item A study on factors undermining the incorporation of green principles into the Design Development Stage of building projects in the Gauteng Province of South Africa(2015-05-27) Kiggundu, Davis WasswaDesign development is a stage of the construction procurement process where the requirements of a project are specified including the technical and performance specifications. Thus the design development stage provides a significant opportunity in construction to incorporate green principles into building procurement to achieve energy efficiency, resource efficiency and environmental friendliness in the life cycle of built assets thus producing green buildings. However, this does not always happen in practice and in South Africa some of the reasons underlying this problem have not yet been fully researched and understood. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to conduct a study into factors that undermine the incorporation of green principles into building projects at the Design Development Stage. This research aims to examine the factors in the Design Development Stage in projects that undermine it from producing green buildings in South Africa’s construction industry, the Gauteng province being the focus of the study. The study investigated what is required from procurement processes generally to result in green buildings, then further narrowed down what is specifically required from actions undertaken at the Design Development Stage of projects to produce green buildings. Actions undertaken by the main practitioners involved in the Design Development Stage in Gauteng was then investigated in order to determine the factors within the Design Development Stage that undermine it from producing green buildings. Based on the critical review of the literature, six factors were systematically identified to facilitate each phase of the Design Development Stage producing green buildings, namely; “green concepts”, “green design”, “green specifications”, “green cost systems”, “green financial viability systems” and “green programmes”. Based on the knowledge acquired from the literature about the processes involved in the Design Development Stage, questions were developed to enable semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey to be conducted. The questionnaire was designed and administered online to architects and quantity surveyors using the Qualtrics software which also supports the analysis of data provided by respondents. Data collection for the study was restricted to the Gauteng Province of South Africa which contains the country's largest city, Johannesburg, its administrative capital, Pretoria, and a population of around 13 million. Hence there is a significant concentration of building projects and professionals in this Province to provide a useful setting for the collection and analysis of data to achieve the study objectives.Results flowing from the analysis of information collected from 25 architects and 20 quantity surveyors indicate that the main factors undermining the incorporation of green principles in the Design Development Stage are “Green cost systems”, “Green financial viability systems” and “Green Programmes”. The six factors identified that facilitate the Design Development Stage producing green buildings were as follows; “Green concepts”, “Green design”, “Green specifications”, “Green cost systems”, “Green financial viability systems” and “Green programmes”. Although the findings indicate that the incorporation of green principles at the Financial Planning Phase and Project Programme Phase are the main hindrance towards producing green buildings; this must be looked at with care as the Design Phase offers the greatest chance to produce green buildings. It is recommended that further research to other provinces with a larger sample size and frame is undertaken to gain a more accurate depiction of South Africa’s construction industry. Furthermore a study to why these factors are underperforming and how they can be configured to work to green buildings is recommended.Item The effects of bureaucracy on the delivery of services within the city of Johannesburg(2015-02-25) Mafune, Irene AdziambeiSince the advent of democracy in 1994, government programmes have improved the quality of lives and living standards of the poorest South Africans, the majority of whom were previously disadvantaged by apartheid segregation policies. On face value, racism and prejudice seem to have declined. Thus society seems to be slowly integrating as equals. However, the legacies of apartheid, combined with poor budgetary and financial management skills, a massive backlog in basic services and infrastructure, regional inequalities in the provision thereof, and sometimes tense social relationships, continue to limit opportunities for social and economic development. Additionally, despite progress made, many people remain vulnerable with poverty, unemployment, and health issues remaining a factor that continues to promote dependency on government The ability of government, municipalities in particular, to deliver such services and meet the expectations of the communities remains a contested notion. Capacity, a lack of suitable skills, bureaucracy and outsourcing of government functions to consultants has been widely blamed for what has been viewed as “shabby service delivery” by municipalities. These they believe are as a result of poor leadership skills, lack of vision and an inability to deliver while outsourcing its functions to unqualified, less experienced contractors who do not have the government’s development goals as their aim. The primary purpose of this research therefore is to determine the effects of internal bureaucracy on the provision of services within the City of Johannesburg. The research will further investigate how that impacts negatively on the City’s quest to provide quality services to its residence. These are leadership role, citizen engagement and governance. With reference to the ongoing public protests in various parts of the City, this ii research will in addition explore and attempt to understand how the City intends to address public violence linked to service delivery demands, and the impact that current internal institutional arrangements, leadership challenges and management systems have on realising the vision to achieve a world class African City that is well governed, resilient, sustainable and liveable for all. Recommendations informed by participant’s views and management theories will be also be made.Item Information and communication technology and urban transformation in South African cities(2011-05-04) Odendaal, NancyPolicy rhetoric and the media portray Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a means to social and economic empowerment. The ubiquitous presence of mobile telephony and proliferation of digital networks imply a critical role for these technologies in overcoming the tyrannies and constraints of space. Academic literature draws from a range of disciplines but fails to address the significance of new technologies for African-, and South African cities. Debates on technologies and urban spaces reflect a Northern bias and case literature that dwells on the developmental aspects of ICT do not engage with the broader significance with regards to urban change in African cities. This research addresses these gaps by examining the metropolitan and local transformative qualities of ICT in a South African city, Durban. Three cases were selected. The first examined the city of Durban as place and policy space. Geographic data was used to analyse distribution of technology access. Perusal of policy documentation and newspaper articles together with open-ended interviews informed the analysis of ICT policy and discourse in relation to access. The second case tracked a process by which web sites were developed for 8 community organisations in marginalised places in Durban. This was an action research project where participant observation, interviews and focus groups were methods used to collect data. The third case was concerned with the ways in which technology is used by informal traders active in the city. Photography, interviews and focus groups comprised the methods used in this instance. Actor-network theory was used in all three cases in the analysis of the field work, uncovering material and human actors, network stabilisation processes and agency in determining the transformative potential of ICT at city and local scales. The distribution of ICT access in Durban was found to follow a spatial trajectory resembling historical patterns of investment and resource distribution. The inclusion of ICT policy on the municipal agenda has deepened the complexity of the local governance terrain. Digital Durban may be promoted as developmental but its transformative qualities are limited; its goals are aligned with the needs and agendas of a broad range of actors, not necessarily in support of inclusion. Network relations are determined by aligned strategic agendas as actors are enrolled into the actor-network through translation. A failed web development process showed that translation processes are core to stabilising network relations. Work with informal traders indicated that appropriation of technology is informed by livelihood strategies. Innovation is enabled when translation extends to appropriation. More in-depth research is needed on how technology is moulded and appropriated to suit livelihoods. Throughout the research the spatial dimensions of the relationship between ICT and networks were considered. The network spaces that emerge from actor relations do not correspond with the physical spaces usually considered in policy. Future work on these contradictions is necessary in order to provide insights into how more meaningful public intervention can be enabled; the true spaces of transformation.