School of Architecture and Planning (ETDs)
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37956
Browse
46 results
Search Results
Item Investigating aspects of rapid urbanisation and densification in Sub-Saharan Africa and the effect on the physical morphology of selected suburbs in Johannesburg(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Dörmann, Kirsten; Jenkins, PaulThis study examines the transformation of the South African version of the bungalow from a free-standing house into a courtyard form of building – seen as a bungalow ‘compound’– due to the significant change in occupancy. It focuses on two lower-income inner-city neighbourhoods of Johannesburg, Yeoville and Rosettenville. Both were created at the beginning of the 20th century, on either side of the city’s mining belt. After the political changes in 1990, these neighbourhoods have been almost completely re-populated with immense socio- cultural changes – and intensely densified. This radical change has, however, been kept hidden behind the boundary walls of the private properties. There has been little attention and very limited evidence concerning the alterations to the properties despite them being widespread. The research brings a new understanding of the ‘transformed house on the plot’ and its life forms as part of wider city-making processes. Although based on a typological approach to reading the change of the domestic spaces over time, this is analysed in-depth vis-à-vis social, economic, juridical, and political entanglements and highlights the need for transdisciplinary knowledge transfers. The study examines the bungalow compounds through innovative design research, applied via a Case Study approach, to a particularly complex category of ‘as built’ documentation. It investigates the outcome as a form of re-description of a part of the transforming African city – rather than the standard sterile service instrument of spatial administration. In this context, the pattern book and the notion of type are revisited to develop an alternate catalogue of properties based on more than thirty detailed case studies. Methodologically, the research considers the bungalow compound as an epistemic object that can manifest as a problem space across multiple themes, scales, and contexts. In doing so, the study addresses the misconception of architecture as a finished product and appropriates essential incompleteness as a device to locate relevant knowledge(s). It considers the inevitable lack of complete evidence as an opportunity to understand the documentation of these emerging dynamic ‘house worlds’ as readings of what is and what could be.Item Investigating Community Involvement and Public Interests in the Alexandra Renewal Programme (ARP) Implementation and Management(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Koenaite, Mokgaetsi; Malaza, NqobileThe promise of revitalisation and restoration of rural and urban areas came with the advent of democracy in most South African cities in the 1990s. This was accomplished through the implementation of urban renewal programmes that prioritised housing-a critical issue in the country. The Alexandra Renewal Programme (ARP) is used as a case study in the paper. The topic is about investigating a public involvement process, assessing public participation as a governance tool, and analyzing housing delivery decision-making procedures. The purpose to discover more information and find new ways in which we can enhance public engagement in urban renewal programmes to establish sustainable humane settlements. The fundamental concern in the report is that there appears to be a disconnect between how policies, rules, and regulations are developed at the national level and how they are formed at the local level- which is the sphere that interacts with the people. The following methodological approaches are used in the report: structured interviews, participant observation, archival materials, and desktop research. The research concludes that decision making in Alexandra must be intimately tied to spatial dynamics in terms of housing location, density, and material used, and that participatory governance must be practiced to ensure that citizens have a say in decisions that affect them.Item Revival Through Empo[women]t: Designing Safer Public Spaces in Post-Apartheid Communities that Promote Community Cohesion(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Kanjee, Sanam D.This study investigates how architecture can transform and renew existing public realms in Downshops, Laudium. The space contains strong patriarchal culture, along with poor maintenance, dilapitated infrastructure, dark thresholds and polluted spaces. These factors have made the space very unwelcoming, uncomfortable and unsafe for women. Despite this, it contains multi-layered complexities of Post-Apartheid narratives regarding socio-economic status, religion, culture, race, gender, and languages that de昀椀ne the space. This study aims to revive underutilized infrastructure and increase female participation through environments that facilitate skills, knowledge, and economic opportunities for women. Architectural theories and themes guide the study by challenging conventional design norms, through inclusive design, safety methods, and materiality seen through the lens of women, that enhance women’s spatial experiences. Proposed design interventions celebrate women’s role in public spheres by including clean facilities, spaces of activity, a tea garden, daycare facilities, learning rooms, skills and craft markets, and a women’s market. A drop-o昀昀/pick-up zone and waiting area for taxis is also proposed. By re-imagining Downshops through a gender-sensitive approach, the study envisions clean, safe and welcoming environments that encourage women to be active participants in public spaces to promote empowerment and cohesive community living.Item Bridging the gap: public space as an anchor for social-infrastructure and community integration in Braamfontein(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Kistan, Nicole; Bahmann, DirkBridging the Gap is about creating a new shared space within Braamfontein, that seeks to provide a space that alleviates the interpreted apprehension felt towards shared spaces in the city. This tension that stems from the inaccessibility of space, infrastructure and amenities are due to the exclusionary nature of socio-economic hierarchies. The approach redefines the perceptions and physical role public space holds by investigating its history. Shared space, which is becoming increasingly scarce, is placed as a new gateway to the city to create a new and improved way of life. The design intervention combines architectural, urban, and social concerns by reinterpreting shared spaces as a social platform, which introduces a pedestrian street on ground level on which the architecture manifests as a flexible modular typology. The proposal aims to create an integrated and sustainable future in Braamfontein by engaging users, space and the city to create an urban fabricItem Looking through the activation lens :Exploring urban renewal in Lenasia through an activism centre(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Bawa, Mariam; Francis, LialeSouth Africa’s history of trauma has created traumatic spaces. As we search for a post-apartheid identity, South Africa finds itself in a healing place. This research project looks at addressing traumas of the past while understanding the healing of the present. Lenasia has undergone traumas of segregation and forced removals of diasporic groups. What is trauma? How does it affect people and places? Life comes with a lot of challenges, some greater than others. Exposure to events beyond our everyday human experience can create trauma within us. It is beyond human experience to have one’s home bulldozed and torn down by an oppressive government. Being segregated is not an ordinary human experience. Being dislocated from a community, jobs, and so much more are all traits that cause trauma. All of these factors have deeply affected communities in South Africa, especially those that are marginalised. Poverty, inequality, healthcare, unemployment, racism, and childcare create layers of extraordinary experiences resulting in trauma. The increase in unemployment and decay of government-provided amenities continue to affect us today. My thesis addresses these traumas through understanding the history of Lenasia and activism around the apartheid system. It also addresses urban decay using urban theory, phenomenology, placemaking, identity, and activism theories of change. The research will lead to an architectural intervention that addresses trauma and provides a platform for people to voice their stories. The intervention will take the form of a Youth Activist Centre that enriches the community by mobilising youth to participate in the community while allowing for a space of leisureItem An evaluation of city improvement districts in promoting positive social- spatial structures and management processes: a case study of Hillbrow Ekhaya Improvement District, Johannesburg(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Tepkeny, Gloria; Klug, NeilThis study aims to assess the effectiveness of City Improvement Districts (CIDs) in fostering positive social-spatial structures and management processes within urban areas. Specifically, the study focuses on the Hillbrow eKhaya Improvement District in Johannesburg, South Africa, as a case study. The research utilizes a qualitative research design method approach, combining semi-structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, observation, photography, reconnaissance visits, and qualitative data analysis assessments and transcriptions to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of city improvement districts on the local community and urban management. By analysing the Hillbrow eKhaya Improvement District’s initiatives, successes, challenges, and stakeholders' perceptions, the study seeks to contribute valuable insights into the role of city improvement districts in enhancing urban living conditions and social cohesion. Understanding the intricate relationship between physical urban spaces and social interactions is crucial for urban planners, policymakers, and researchers seeking to create vibrant, inclusive, and liveable cities. By evaluating the Hillbrow eKhaya Improvement District, this study intends to provide insights into the potential of improvement districts to promote positive social- spatial structures and effective management processes in urban areas. The findings of this research could inform urban planners, policymakers, and local communities about the benefits and challenges associated with improvement districts, contributing to more sustainable and liveable cities.Item The dynamics of place branding in Johannesburg: 1994 - 2019(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mbinza, Zenzile; Sihlongonyane, Mfaniseni FanaThis PhD thesis lays the ground for understanding place branding processes from cities of the Global South. It critically explores place branding as an emerging mechanism for urban governance in Johannesburg. It is critical because place branding and its related processes have increasingly gained momentum in countries, regions and cities jostling for niche status in global economics. This thesis explores the different place brands that Johannesburg coined over time, focussing on the period between 1994 and 2019. It explored the city’s place brands under the five mayors that presided over Johannesburg, beginning with Dan Pretorius (1994 – 1995), Isaac Mogase (1995 – 1999), Amos Masondo (2000 – 2011), Parks Tau (2011 – 2016) and Herman Mashaba (2016 – 2019). The thesis employed a qualitative research methodology and case study design. Primary data Archival research and interviews were the primary data collection strategies. The ensuing discussion of place brands in Johannesburg reveals the dynamics and push factors that have contributed to the development of place brands under the time in question. Politics, economics, and activities related to globalisation emerged as leading drivers for the city of Johannesburg to develop its various place brands. The thesis found that Johannesburg followed a template similar to the cities of the Global North in its application of place branding. However, the thesis also found gaps in the city’s place branding processes. For example, there was limited engagement with the city residents when developing Johannesburg’s place brands. It pointed to a unilateral, top-down application of place branding in the city, which precluded it from using these processes as democracy-building tools. It necessitates the exploration of place branding from the perspective of city governments to begin encompassing issues of inclusivity and public participation. In this light, the thesis calls for a more strategic application of place branding in the Johannesburg.Item Understanding the Contribution of Informal Non-State Actors in the Governance of Cities of the Global South through Informal Institutions: The Case Study of Informal Car Guarding in Johannesburg, South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Monakedi, Tshepo Albia; Karam, AlyThe re-emergence of coproduction to explain service delivery initiatives by ordinary citizens has transcended different scholarship disciplines, including urban planning. The governance of cities of the global South is characterised by coproduction initiatives that are either unnoticed, overlooked or disregarded because they occur outside the formal institutions of the State. This thesis uses the case study of informal car guarding in Johannesburg, South Africa, to highlight the coproduction contribution of informal non- state actors in the governance of cities of the global South, thus arguing for urban theory and policy agenda that is informed by the realities of the global South. This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge by arguing for the scope of non- state actor coproduction in governance to include informal non-state actors. Moreover, the idea is part of the scholarship to understand informality as a site of critical analysis thus moving beyond seeing informality as a function of people experiencing poverty. Informality in cities of the global South must be broader than livelihood debates or housing needs for the needy. Studies must be comprehensive and acknowledge the contribution of informality to how the cities function. In addition to the original contribution, this study generated empirical data about informal car guarding, which still needs to be studied further. The data was generated using in- depth interviews, which were largely unstructured, and participant observation. In total, 75 respondents informed this thesis across four study sites in Johannesburg: Maboneng Precinct, Maponya Mall, Parktown Office Park and Noord central business district. The study sites are representative of the localities typically associated with informal car guards in cities of the global South. Twenty themes were generated to answer the research sub-questions. The findings of the thesis are wide-ranging, pointing to the contribution of informal non-state actors and associated challenges. Notably, the idea outlines several policy recommendations for urban planning and urges cities of the global South to understand the contribution of informal non-state actors considering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG Eleven (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG One (1) No Poverty and SDG Two (2) iii Zero Hunger). SDG 11 is about access and inclusion for informal non-state actors, and SDGs 1 and 2 are critical for the livelihoods of those in the informal sectoItem Place leadership for the governance of complex urban agglomerations(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Naicker, Thilgavathie; Harrison, PhilipCity-regions are complex agglomerations – spatially, economically, and politically. Understanding the dynamics and mechanisms that create the foundation for their development is an important undertaking in the face of rising globalisation, urbanisation, migration, and climate change. This research explores the concept of place leadership and its relevance for a complex space like the Gauteng City-Region (GCR). Place leadership is a concept that has been studied extensively in the global North and proposes the rise of leaders across local spaces. The city- region is a dynamic space of contested politics, coalition governments, diffuse power, differing agendas, fragmented, and silo planning and a deeply rooted socio-economic history that has left a lasting impact of inequality. Building a globally competitive city-region has been on the Gauteng Provincial Government’s agenda since the mid-2000s. The city-region argument in Gauteng, South Africa, still lingers, but party politics, differing agendas, the complexities of governance in the city-region, and frequent changes in leadership have prevented the vision from being achieved. The research question of this thesis is: How may the emerging concept of place leadership be applied in the complex, dynamic, and low-trust environment of the GCR? The thesis explores three thematics to analyse place leadership – temporality, crisis, and trans-scalarity. Gauteng, a city-region in South Africa, was examined as a case study. Water governance and the COVID-19 crisis were utilised as lenses to examine place leadership in the GCR. The exploratory mixed-methods study used semi-structured interviews with leaders from political, government administration, academia, and the water sector in Gauteng. A set of questions designed to explore a thematic on leadership and governance was also included in an established broad survey done in the city-region by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory, the Quality-of-LifeVI 2020/21. The outcomes of this quantitative element were analysed by performing cross-tabulations across other thematics, including trust, corruption, participatory governance, and demographic data, to draw conclusions. The interviews were assessed and analysed across the themes of temporality, crisis, and trans-scalarity through the lenses of COVID-19 and water.Item Urban design coding: A Qualitative Study into the Relevance of Urban Design Coding in Informal Settlements: The Case of Mushroomville Settlement, Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Donga-Matambo, Thandeka; Msingaphantsi, MawaboIn the year 1994, South Africa saw the end of Apartheid and the beginning of a new democratic era. The African National Congress (ANC) came into power and adopted neoliberal policies that favor capitalism, entrepreneurship, a free-market economy and the privatization of some economic sectors. This approach benefited and provided resources to a handful of people at the cost of many – the rich became richer, and the poor became poorer. Today, the commodification of all aspects of life has forced the “urban poor” who cannot afford the city lifestyle to turn to informal means in order to be closer to socio-economic opportunities. Informal settlements have become a major concern to capitalists because they affect investors’ perception of an area and reduce the value of surrounding properties. For a long time, the government’s response to informal settlements has either been to upgrade the settlements in their current location or to evict the residents and relocate them on the urban periphery, far from opportunities, services, facilities and institutions. Unfortunately, the government’s efforts have resulted in the further marginalization and segregation of the poor. This research aims to assess the extent to which urban design codes can be used to redevelop informal settlements into livable, good quality human settlements that are stitched into their existing urban fabric. The Mushroomville Informal Settlement in Centurion, Pretoria will be used as a case study. The research will use qualitative research methods to achieve the set aims. The primary sources of data will include site visits, photography, interviews with an attorney and the informal settlement residents as well as observations of the residents within their natural setting. The secondary data will be sourced through desktop research on site-related court cases, newspaper articles, policies, precedents and other relevant literature. It is expected that the research findings will show that urban design codes can be a useful instrument in redeveloping informal settlements into livable settlements with good quality housing.