1 

 

Declaration 
 

I declare that this research report is my own unaided work. It is being 

submitted to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional 

Planning Honours to the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has 

not been submitted before for any degree or examination to any other 

University. 

…………………………………………………………………………… 

             Katlego Innocent Pule 

……11th….. Day of …November …2015… 

    

 

  



   

2 

 

Abstract 

Some critics of the information age believe that technology could potentially add to 

a public space’s genius loci as the internet is fast becoming ubiquitous in cities. 

Through investigating this phenomenon, this research report explored the impact of 

free wifi in Pretoria’s Church Square focusing on how it affects the functions and 

user’s social interactions within the space. The methods used for exploring this were 

adopted from existing case studies employing user surveys and various observations 

techniques. The findings revealed that free wifi alone cannot alter the user’s social 

interactions and the functions of Church Square to a great extent as there are other 

contributors to the space’s genius loci. Despite this limitation, the presence of free 

wifi adds another dimension by encouraging alternative methods of communication 

in Church Square.         



   

3 

 

In loving memory of my mother 

Thandi Nooi Anna Pule 

 

It was your soul that touched us all. 

Your time on earth was a heavenly gift from God. 

For those of us who knew you, your presence made us laugh. 

Memories of you linger my mind as I face each day. 

I’ll forever live my life with love and patience, 

Because that was your way. 

Thank you for the life lessons 

During your short stay 

How I wish to have framed your smile 

To hang it in a permanent way… 

It was your soul that touched us all 

 

Adapted from the song memories by Rocco featuring Marcel 

(2007). 

 

  



   

4 

 

Acknowledgements 

Conducting this research has been enjoyable and enlightening. Faced with 

numerous obstacles in 2015, completion of this research would have been an 

impossible task had it not been for the help of the following:  

 

 God Almighty. Through You, all things are possible.  

 My supervisor Doctor Alex Mary Parker. Thank you very much for guiding me 

and giving me useful insight on my topic. I am most grateful for the patience 

and belief you had in me throughout 2015.  

 To my family for their love and support. Ntaoleng and Sihle Kunene – thank 

you for all that you have done for me this year. I really appreciate how you 

have stood by me in 2015 and kept me motivated, even in the midst of all the 

obstacles I faced in pursuing my honors. Thank you for taking good care of 

me whilst I was a guest in your beautiful home. To Lesego, Sphiwe and Dineo – 

thank you all for keeping me in your prayers and wishing me well throughout 

this period.  

 To my grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Jiyane – thank you for all the love and 

support you have shown me in 2015. All I ever wanted to do was to make 

both of you proud. 

 The rest of my family – thank you for all the wishes.  

 My funders – the Postgraduate Merit Award board, and Ms. Thato Pharatsi 
without whom the 2015 academic year would not have materialized. To 

Thato – thank you for believing in me and granting me the chance to pursue 

my honours degree. The world needs more women of your stature who 

believe in education.    

 Abraham Ajibade, Wetu Memela, and Nthando Mthimkhulu – thank you for 

your support in persuading me to stick to my original topic for the research. 

My academic year would have gone a different route had I not listened to 

you all. To the rest of the clique – Nompi and Mitch – your love and support 

does not go unnoticed too. Thank you. 

 My classmates – thank you for the support.  

 Thembani Mkhize – Thank you for being super cool and mentoring me 

throughout this research.  

 The lecturer who inspired me to pursue this topic – Solam Mkhabela. Thank 

you for being such a significant figure throughout my undergraduate in urban 

design.   

 To Garth Klein – thank you for all the assistance you gave me with reagrds to 

my literature review. 

 
 The rest of my lecturers – thank you for making me understand the planning 

profession through your lens. 

 Project Isizwe – thank you for your cooperation and the information provided 

to make my research report a success. 

 The City of Tshwane – the people that partook in the suveys – thank you for 

your time and cooperation in contributing to the Church Square study.  



   

5 

 

Contents  
Declaration ............................................................................................................................... 1 

Abstract .................................................................................................................................... 2 

Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ 4 

Contents ................................................................................................................................... 5 

List of figures ............................................................................................................................. 7 

List of tables .............................................................................................................................. 9 

Acronyms ................................................................................................................................ 10 

Chapter 1: Introduction – technology meets public space ........................................... 11 

Why ubiquitous computing? ............................................................................................ 12 

Research question ............................................................................................................. 13 

Researchable sub-questions: ........................................................................................... 13 

Additional data acquired ................................................................................................ 16 

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 17 

Chapter 2: Literature review – The public realm: in decline or evolving? ..................... 18 

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 18 

Public realm definition is out-dated in the 21st century ................................................ 18 

Has there been a decline of the public realm? ............................................................ 19 

Those who believe that the public realm is not in decline....................................... 20 

Public spaces in the Global South ................................................................................... 20 

Public spaces in South Africa ........................................................................................... 21 

Not all public space is in decline in South Africa .......................................................... 22 

The ICT revolution extending the public realm beyond the physical ........................ 22 

Ubiquitous computing – a new function for public space? ........................................ 25 

Existing case studies of ubiquitous computing........................................................... 26 

Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 27 

Chapter 3: ICT in South Africa – contextualising ubiquitous computing with Church 

Square ..................................................................................................................................... 28 

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 28 

Internet access in South Africa ........................................................................................ 28 

Church Square – the hub of Pretoria .............................................................................. 31 

Church Square becomes a FIZ for users ......................................................................... 37 

Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 42 

Chapter 4: Findings and analysis of Church Square ........................................................ 43 



   

6 

 

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 43 

Observations on site .......................................................................................................... 43 

Hourly behaviour for the Church Square FIZ .................................................................. 45 

Survey findings for Church Square .................................................................................. 46 

Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 53 

Chapter 5: Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 55 

The functions of Church Square remain unchanged ............................................... 56 

Communications revolution does not facilitate a decline in the public realm for 

Church Square ............................................................................................................... 56 

Internet in Church Square does alter social interaction…but not in the way we 

had anticipated ............................................................................................................. 57 

The impact of Wireless broadband in public spaces ................................................... 57 

Reflections of the study ..................................................................................................... 59 

What this research has shown .......................................................................................... 60 

Reference list .......................................................................................................................... 62 

Appendices: Survey interviews and notes ......................................................................... 70 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



   

7 

 

List of figures 

 Figure 1: pie chart illustrating the reasons for the limited internet use in South 

Africa (Project Isizwe, 2015) (page 30).   

 Figure 2: pie charts showing smartphone ownership in South Africa (Effective 

Measure, 2014) (page 31).  

 Figure 3: pie chart indicating the places where people access internet in SA 

(Project Isizwe, 2015) (page 32). 

 Figure 4: contextual map locating Church Square in Pretoria. Contextual map 

done by Katlego Pule (2015), and aerial photograph adapted from Google 

Maps (2015) (page 32). 

 Figure 5: image showing the fountain donated by Sammy Marks in Church 

Square in 1905 (World Digital Library, 2014) (page 33). 

 Figure 6: Map illustrating the main elements of Church Square (page 35). 

 Figure 7: map illustrating the context of Church Square within the surrounding 

tertiary institutions and intermodal transport station. The blue and white filled 

triangles represent the surrounding tertiary institutions and the yellow and 

white filled triangles represent the surrounding train stations. Map courtesy of 

Google Maps (2015), edited graphics by Katlego Pule (2015) (page 36). 

 Figure 8: map showing the context of Church Square with regards to 

government institutions. Map adapted from Google Maps (2015) and edited 

by Katlego Pule (2015) (page 37). 

 Figure 9: image of one of the four unknown Boer soldiers surrounding the Paul 

Kruger statue (Pule, 2014) (page 38). 

 Figure 10: image illustrating the infamous Palace of Justice that hosted the 

Rivonia Trial to right; and adjacent to it is the Post Office building (Pule, 2015) 

(page 39). 

 Figure 11: image of the southern part of Church Square which is much more 

elevated than the northern part (Pule, 2015) (page 39). 

 Figure 12: a typical illustration of how exactly a FIZ works (Project Isizwe, 2015) 

(page 40). 

 Figure 13: map illustrating the free wifi internet coverage for the FIZ in Church 

Square (Google Maps, 2015). Edited graphics by Katleo Pule (2015) (page 

41). 



   

8 

 

 Figure 14: overall statistics of the Tshwane Free Wifi since it was first introduced 

in November 2013. (Project Isizwe, 2015) (page 42). 

 Figure 15: illustrates the percentage of the population of Tshwane without 

access to the internet access versus those with access (Statistics South Africa, 

2011) (page 42). 

 Figure 16: bar graph illustrating the various IM apps used amongst South 

Africans, with Whatsapp being the most used (Effective Measure, 2014) (page 

44). 

 Figure 17: image illustrating Church Square towards the North-end at 12:00pm 

noon as it reaches its peak (Pule, 2015) (page 46). 

 Figure 18: bar graph illustrating the user frequency and the hourly behaviour 

for the FIZ in Church Square for July 2015 (Project Isizwe, 2015) (page 48). 

 Figure 19: image illustrating how people are attracted to Church Square 

mostly because of its sense of place (Pule, 2015). It is still too premature to 

predict if the free wifi will be the main attractor to this space (page 51). 

 Figure 20: map illustrating the bollards which are located at the northern part 

of Church Square. This section of the square a lot of people who arrive 

without any companions. Map adapted from Google Maps (2015) and 

image by Katlego Pule (2015) (page 53). 

 Figure 21: image illustrating a man using his smartphone (Pule, 2015). 

Asynchronous communication is the dominant mode of interaction in Church 

Square. Despite this man being alone, he could be interacting within a wider 

network of social ties (page 55). 

 

 

 

 

 

 



   

9 

 

List of tables 

Table 1: represents the observations of Church Square for the specified intervals 

(page 45 & 46).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



   

10 

 

Acronyms 

CS: Church Square 

CBD: Central business district  

FIZ: free internet zone 

ICT: Information and communications technology 

ISPA: Internet Service Provider Association  

NDP: National Development Plan 

NPO: Non-Profit Organisation 

UN: United Nations 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



   

11 

 

Chapter 1: Introduction – technology meets public space 

In the urban design profession, much of the 20th century debates on public space 

have been centred on the decline of the public realm in cities. One of the first few 

authors to suggest this view was Richard Sennett in 1977 in his book The Fall of the 

Public Man. As a result, this posed for an interesting debate to the floor of the urban 

design profession, which saw a lot of theorists and academics supporting his view 

such as Putnam (1995, 1996), Carmona, Heath & Tiesdell (2010) and Banerjee (2001) 

to name a few. When looking at the context from which this view arose, one can 

see why the likes of Sennett (1977) would suggest this narrative of loss in the public 

realm. One of the underlying causes of the public realm’s decline according to 

Banerjee (2001) was the ‘communications revolution’ of the information age where 

people could socially interact with others without being physically present. This was 

achieved through telecommunicating with telephones or using a desktop computer 

to access the internet from home. This resulted in people not having to occupy 

public spaces just to interact, which was different from what it was like in ancient 

Greek agoras (Carmona et al, 2008). The Greek agoras were public spaces where 

citizens engaged in both planned and unplanned interactions.  

However, 15 years later, the same underlying cause of the public realm’s decline 

can be viewed as an attractor to public spaces as opposed to what was proposed 

by Sennett. Due to the advancement of technology in the 21st century, internet 

demand has increased significantly as more and more people are getting 

connected. Internet activity has expanded beyond our private enclaves into the 

public realm through ubiquitous computing in public spaces (Hampton, et al., 2010). 

Ubiquitous computing enables the ability to access the internet in public spaces 

through wireless connectivity using a laptop or a smart device (Weiser, 1993). Thus 

the public space becomes an open internet café to a certain extent. Ubiquitous 

computing has gained momentum in municipalities across the globe, particularly in 

South Africa. Just recently the City of Tshwane in collaboration with Project Isizwe 

implemented ubiquitous computing for its residents in public spaces. This comes 

after Jacob Zuma’s 2015 State of the Nation Address Speech earlier this year which 

emphasized the rollout of wireless broadband infrastructure to improve internet 

access for South Africa (Mawson, 2015). This saw the first phase of broadband rollout 

across schools and government institutions in South Africa (Alfreds, 2015). This is part 

of the government’s Nine Point Plan which is strategically targeted at stimulating 



   

12 

 

economic growth (Zuma, 2015). This Nine Point Plan was informed by the National 

Development Plan formed back in 2011, with one of its milestones ensuring that all 

South Africans have access to high speed broadband (Cooperative Governance 

Traditional Affairs, 2014). The government’s broadband policy, South Africa Connect, 

has reflected positively to multinational corporations such as the United Nations (UN), 

labelling it as an excellent policy which takes into account the demand and supply 

aspects of the market (Staff Writer, 2014). Drafted back in December 2013, South 

Africa Connect was also well received by broadband giants, Cisco, as a 

comprehensive policy for the country (Alfreds, 2015). This could see more public 

spaces around cities in South Africa offering free (although limited) internet access 

to people.       

Prompted by these developments, my research has explored the 

extent/impact/influence ubiquitous computing has had on public space in South 

Africa, through the case study of Church Square in Pretoria. The square has a rich 

history and has always been the hub of Pretoria’s public life (Pretoria, 2015). The 

research shows that the introduction of free wifi internet has not significantly 

impacted the functions of Church Square as anticipated. The findings suggest that 

wifi may not be attracting new users to this public space but that new forms of 

communication are occurring in this square alongside traditional forms. 

Why ubiquitous computing? 

Regarding this new trend in public spaces in cities, it becomes necessary to 

understand how the introduction of information and communications technology 

(ICT) affects public space functions: whether it augments public space in a positive 

or negative manner. According to Hampton et al. (2010), the internet has the 

potential to reconfigure the public realm.  This study speaks directly to this point in 

trying to assess the impact of the internet in public spaces. It has been noted that 

this topic has not been researched enough in recent literature, and requires further 

exploration in understanding the role of ICT in the information age in spaces 

(Hampton, et al., 2010). This research is important in the South African context 

because the introduction of ICT further connects the country to the global world 

where more and more people are being connected to the web. ICT has the 

potential to redefine the images and perceptions of post-apartheid cities’ from 

being historic remnants of apartheid. 



   

13 

 

Based on my experiences of public spaces in Johannesburg, themes of under-

utilization or lack of maintenance characterize spaces such as Mary Fitzgerald 

Square and Pieter Roos Park. Both Mary Fitzgerald Square and Pieter Roos Park in 

Johannesburg are examples of public spaces which are under-utilized. These are in 

desperate need for revitalization in order to attract more people. They could be 

seen as potential spaces for ubiquitous computing. Consider the location of Pieter 

Roos Park for example: it is surrounded by the University of the Witwatersrand’s main 

and education campuses which could attract a lot of students for the free wifi. This 

could be seen as one way of reviving a public space without having to redesign the 

physical aspects of it such as public furniture.  

With regards to the introduction of ICT in public spaces, it is not clear if more people 

will be attracted to public spaces. Despite case studies in Finland, Oulu (2014) and 

North America of Bryant Park (2010), this particular topic has not been explored yet 

in South Africa.  It is also important to note that South Africa is still one of the most 

unequal countries in the world where the gap between the haves and the have-

nots keeps increasing. Inequality in South Africa is greater now than what it was 

during apartheid according to Oxfam (Kings, 2014). Therefore, not everyone in South 

Africa has access to a smart device or laptop which is compatible with internet 

activity, leading to one of the limitations of this ICT approach in cities.   

Research question 

To what extent can free wireless broadband infrastructure impact the functions in 

Church Square in Pretoria? In this report, I define functions as the following: social 

communication interactions (verbal) between people; activities people do for 

leisure, work, economic opportunities (trading).  

Researchable sub-questions: 

 How does the introduction of internet access in Church Square impact 

social interaction? 

 “Who” used the space before and after the introduction of internet 

access in Church Square?   

 How will internet access impact the design and function of the square?   



   

14 

 

 Does the introduction of internet access attract more people to Church 

Square?  

Case study: The selection of Church Square  

I selected Church Square in Pretoria Central Business District as the case study for the 

research because it is one of the few public spaces in South Africa which consist of 

ubiquitous computing that has very few barriers to entry compared to the Library 

Lawns of the East Campus of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. 

Anyone can access Church Square at any particular time whereas at the Library 

Lawns, you need special permission to access the space if you are not a student of 

the university. I also selected Church Square on the basis that it contrasts the 

prevailing argument of the public realm’s decline due to the amount of people 

present in the space. Church Square is always filled with people either having their 

lunch break, or playing soccer, or even interacting with others – there is always some 

activity going on.  

The main advantage of Church Square over other public spaces in South Africa is 

that it provides free wifi internet to users. Considering the country’s expensive ICT 

context, free wifi internet has potentially positive benefits for the population of 

Church Square.  

Methodologies and research methods  

The methods adopted for this research report originate from Keith N. Hampton, Oren 

Livio, & Lauren Sessions Goulet’s (2010) study of ubiquitous computing in public 

spaces of North America. Despite this adaptation, the research methods adopted 

were modified for Church Square solely due to the nature of Hampton et al.’s (2010) 

study. Their study focuses on seven public spaces as opposed to one, requiring more 

than one author and more time being allocated.   

Hampton et al.’s (2010) study shares one fundamental theme with mine: 

understanding the impact of wifi internet in public space. Their study informed mine 

significantly because it is one of the most recent studies on ubiquitous computing in 

public spaces.  Hampton et al.’s (2010) study is far more detailed and 

comprehensive due to the duration of the study and resources available. Hampton 

et al. (2010) began with their research findings since May 2007. The study consisted 

of five different observers studying seven urban public spaces in North America. The 



   

15 

 

observations on site were executed using psychology’s behavioural mapping 

techniques of understanding person-centred and place-centred trends (Hampton 

et al, 2010; Ittelson et al, 1970; Sommer & Sommer,  2001). Not to mention that this 

study was shared amongst three authors, gathering the findings for this particular 

research of ubiquitous computing is not a simple task. Therefore due to the limited 

time and resources that was assigned for the Church Square study, I could not 

adopt Hampton et al.’s (2010) research methods entirely.    

Approaches used for the surveys and observations 

This research report used both quantitative and qualitative approaches for the 

surveys and fieldwork to ensure the comprehensiveness of the whole research 

process. The research report combined the objective aspects of a quantitative 

approach which provided insight on the quantifiable reality on whether people 

came to Church Square primarily for the wifi access or not which was explored in the 

surveys. The subjective aspects of the qualitative approach analysed the social 

interactions within Church Square in relation to the wifi access which was also 

explored in the surveys. The survey also covered the qualitative aspect of how 

Church Square has changed since the installation of free wifi in December 2014 in 

terms of user population. This particular survey targeted existing informal traders in 

the space as well as any surrounding shops or restaurants. 

The observations employed a qualitative approach through mapping where the 

majority of the activity occurs in Church Square at different times of the day.  

Two sets of surveys were completed: one for the users of the free wifi internet and 

one for the informal traders and surrounding shop owners/waiters/waitresses/parking 

guards in and around Church Square. A total of ten surveys were conducted with 

the users of Church Square in Pretoria between the Monday the 24th and Friday the 

28th of August 2015 with each survey lasting between 10-15min. The user criterion was 

not gender specific as electronic devices are used by both males and females in 

Church Square. This particular survey was targeted at those using the wifi enabled 

devices in Church Square. The age range for the participants was from 18-75, thus 

not limiting the type of people who would use wifi enabled devices in Church 

Square.  

In addition to the ten, a total of four surveys were conducted with three informal 

traders and one waiter from the Café Riche restaurant which is located on the west 



   

16 

 

side of Church Square in Pretoria between the Monday the 24th and Friday the 28th 

of August 2015 with each survey lasting between 5-10min. This particular survey was 

aimed at shop owners/waiters/waitresses/parking guards based on the premise that 

they may have witnessed changes in the square over a longer period and be able 

to comment on the introduction of wifi. Church Square has only one restaurant 

adjacent to it. The rest of the buildings include commercial banks, the North & South 

Gauteng High Court, post office, and a tertiary institution.     

Observations 

All observations for this research were undertaken by me due to the nature of the 

research not requiring intensive fieldwork. Between Monday the 24th and Friday the 

28th of August 2015, a total of five visits were made to Church Square. I opted to go 

during the week because that it when the square is at its peak with regards to user 

frequency as opposed to the weekend or on a public holiday. Each visit lasted nine 

hours. Overall, each visit involved standardised observational procedures and 

techniques: 

 Doing a head count on the number of users present at different time intervals: 

8-9am; 10-12pm; 1-2:30pm; 3-5pm; 

 Observing the different age groups present on site;  

 Doing another head count on the number of users using smart 

devices/laptops versus those without at those respective time intervals. 

 Observing where the different types of activities occurred in Church Square 

as well as the pedestrian traffic. 

The observations regarding the different types of activities required a mapping 

technique. I recorded the time of that particular activity and then marked out the 

locations of these activities on the map. 

Additional data acquired 

The statistics from Project Isizwe (responsible for the wifi intervention in Church 

Square) on the frequency of the wifi usage in the space were acquired by 

communicating with the appropriate people in charge of the Church Square 

project who granted me access to the relevant information. Other statistics on the % 

of residents/locals in Pretoria, as well as South Africa who have access to a smart 

phone/tablet were acquired by accessing the relevant cellphone companies’ 

websites who can provide relevant documents for 2015. 



   

17 

 

Conclusion 

Chapter two will continue the discussion of public space as the public realm and the 

role of internet in cities. Chapter three will then introduce the case study of Church 

Square in Pretoria and provide an overview of internet activity in South Africa. 

Chapter four unpacks the findings of the case study and begins to formulate trends 

of the analysis. Chapter five will then synthesize the concluding thoughts of the 

research report and discuss the potential of ubiquitous computing in urban public 

spaces in South Africa.      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



   

18 

 

Chapter 2: Literature review – The public realm: in decline or evolving? 

Introduction 

The following chapter seeks to challenge the populist views of the public realm’s 

decline by posing a different perspective. I argue that the public realm has evolved 

and extended beyond the physical settings it once used to be characterized in. This 

is made possible through the role ICT plays in urban areas which I will demonstrate 

throughout this chapter. This will be followed by existing case studies of ubiquitous 

computing in cities from North America and Finland.  

Public realm definition is out-dated in the 21st century 

In the book Public Places – Urban Spaces by Carmona et al. (2010), they provide a 

useful definition of the concept in understanding that it does not only relate to the 

physical setting of space, but of the social activities occurring within that space. 

When being in the public realm, one is exposed to unplanned gatherings and 

interactions with a diverse network of people (Hampton, et al., 2010). The public 

realm consists of both physical and social aspects of space, meaning the different 

spaces that facilitate public life and social interaction (Carmona, et al., 2010). In 

broad terms, public life is understood as the comparatively open universal social 

contexts that oppose private life which is more intimate and has controlled access 

to family and friends (Loukaitou-Sideris & Banerjee, 1998). The private realm is mostly 

categorized as the home environment where an individual is less vulnerable to 

exposure (Hampton, et al., 2010). Both the public and private realm sits within 

opposite ends of the physical space scale. The next realm which exists sits between 

the public and private known as the parochial realm. The parochial realm is found in 

settings outside of the home environment such as the workplace, shops, and 

restaurants. A parochial realm has more diversified ties and is less intimate than those 

found in the private realm (Hampton, et al., 2010). The public realm is characterized 

as having the following functions: a political forum for display and action; common 

ground for social interaction; intermingling and communication; a platform for 

information exchange and social learning (Strauss, 1961). All these functions were 

traditionally associated with urban public spaces since the height of ancient 

Classical Greece back in 5 BC (Carmona, et al., 2008). Therefore the public realm 

and public space are two interrelated concepts as the public realm is the by-

product of public space.  



   

19 

 

However, we now live in a period where the internet has reinvigorated the public 

realm’s sense of place. The communications revolution has modified the genius loci 

of the public realm which was found in urban public spaces (Bridge & Watson, 

2010). The internet extends the functions of the public realm through social media. 

Social media was not considered to be the public realm to the likes of Carmona et 

al (2008; 2010), which is why I state that their definition is out-dated.  

Has there been a decline of the public realm? 

During much of the 20th century, many authors believed that the public realm was in 

decline. This view gained a lot of momentum and has dominated urban design 

literature of Western contemporary cities. Authors such as Carmona et al (2010) 

believed that there has been a loss in public life due to the decrease in demand for 

public space in spaces during the 1900s in cities. This stemmed from one of the first 

few theorists to propose this view, Richard Sennett (1977) in his book The Fall of the 

Public Man, which suggested that the socio-economic and political factors have 

rendered the public realm obsolete during the 20th century. Echoing this narrative, 

Putnam (1995, 1996) suggests that there has been a decline in the civic spirit in the 

US since WWII.  I do agree with this point in the sense that the public realm was 

affected significantly by the global transformations (globalization) which shaped 

urban environments today. However, I am not agreeing with the notion of the public 

realm’s decline. Banerjee (2001) mentions that one of the structural underlying 

causes which have attributed to the public realm’s decline is the communications 

revolution.  

The information technology transformation of the information age or the 

‘communications revolution’ as Banerjee (2001) would put it, has made it possible for 

individuals to detach themselves from public space. He held the view that this 

revolution would potentially remove all social life from public spaces (Banerjee, 

2001). Graham & Marvin (1996) argued that the role of the internet in the 1990s 

facilitated the trend towards privatism as desktop computers were limited for home-

centred environments. In my opinion, this view is fatalistic in believing that 

information technology could render the public realm obsolete, or if E-commerce 

will replace shopping malls. Despite the curiosity, I think it is too extreme to determine 

to what extent it will alter the public realm. But I also believe that it does not decline 

the public realm, which I will argue throughout this chapter.         



   

20 

 

Those who believe that the public realm is not in decline    

My view on the public realm contrasts the above mentioned views of Sennett and 

Carmona. I believe that the public realm has extended beyond the physical 

settings. Despite the populist view, others believe that the public realm is not 

declining. Critics such as Fyfe (1998) are of the opinion that these views on its decline 

are overstated. Hajer and Reijndorp (2001) argue that this negative view on the 

public realm is too narrow. They believe that urbanity is complex and dynamic, and 

that we cannot limit ourselves to the traditional city, meaning that we must not only 

restrict public space to parks and streets but to other emerging spaces (Hajer & 

Reijndorp, 2001). I agree with this view because the urban network is expanding 

every day. People’s social networks have changed drastically since the 19th century 

(Hampton, et al., 2010). This is characterized by privatism (Fischer, 1992), where 

people’s personal discussion network takes place in the private realm (Hampton, et 

al., 2010). Some of these emerging public spaces as mentioned by Hajer & Reijndorp 

(2001) are coffee shops, restaurants or bookstores – which are classified as ‘third 

places’ according to Oldenburg (1999). He defines them as “…great variety of 

public places that host the regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated 

gatherings of individuals beyond the realms of home and work” (Oldenburg, 1999: 

16). Oldenburg (1999) further states that elements of public life exist in these third 

places and we should not discard them, despite not having explicit civic functions of 

the agora or the forum. Based on Oldenburg’s (1999) view on public life in third 

places, one may argue that an overlapping between the public and parochial 

realm exists in third places. Therefore an individual may find similar interactions which 

occur in urban public spaces in third places too.      

However, as much as I agree with this side of the public realm argument, I must 

admit that it can be problematic. These emerging spaces or ‘third places’ are 

mostly places of consumption where you require financial means to participate in 

public life. Where does that leave the individual without those means? As a result 

they are excluded from public life, which is something that should be given right to 

all human beings.  

Public spaces in the Global South 

From looking at the literature, one gets an understanding of the public realm in 

Western developed countries, and not so much from the developing ones. This is 



   

21 

 

problematic because one cannot assume that a public square in New York is the 

same as a public square in New Delhi. The existing literature has little relevance to 

cities of the Global South due to their different histories and conditions which shaped 

them. There is lack of literature in public spaces of the Global South, which is one of 

the main reasons why I am doing this research. 

Public spaces in South Africa  

When looking at the emergence of public space during the 20th century, the public 

realm in South Africa was limited to the minority of the population due to apartheid. 

During apartheid, equal rights of all citizens to access quality public spaces were 

denied to the non-white population in South Africa. The planning practices of the 

state during apartheid created an uneven distribution of public space throughout 

South Africa which is still prevalent today. Due to the fact that apartheid planning 

favoured the minority group of the white population, comprising of well-located 

settlements with access to public space, the non-white population were located in 

settlements where public space was not planned for (McConnachie & Shackleton, 

2010). This limited the population in relying on the street as the primal form of public 

space in townships. A study undertaken by McConnachie & Shackleton (2010), 

indicates that the more affluent suburbs where the majority of the white population 

resided, had a higher area of green space per capita, compared to the townships 

and informal settlements where majority of the non-white population resided. This is 

an example of how the ruling class’ interests manifests through public space 

(Carmona et al, 2008). Restriction of public space could be interpreted as 

preventing a citizen’s right to the environment which is enshrined in Section 24 

Schedule 1 of the Bill of Rights (The Bill of Rights of the Republic of South Africa, 1997). 

 

In post-apartheid South Africa, existing public space has fallen into disarray due to 

the general perception that they are unsafe (Safer Spaces, 2015). A study by Kruger 

& Chawla (2002) showed how children felt vulnerable to use Joubert Park due to the 

safety issues. As a result, the parents preferred it if their children stay at home as they 

fear for their safety in the space. As a response to this, the real estate market 

facilitated the demand for gated communities by capitalizing on the issue of safety. 

The rise of gated communities in South Africa since 1994 is partially responsible for this 

neglect of the public. These developments end up commodifying these public 



   

22 

 

facilities. This is true when looking at developments such as the Waterfall Estate in 

Johannesburg where one has to be a resident to access the biking trails along the 

greenbelt (Century, 2014). Therefore the facilities of Waterfall are solely exclusive to 

its residents.    

Safety is a major issue in South African public spaces. Just recently, there was a rape 

and murder incident at Rhodes Park, east of Johannesburg involving two couples 

being attacked around 18:30 on Saturday the 17th October (Mchunu, 2015). Since 

then, authorities have increased security measures in and around Rhodes Park, 

warning residents to not use the park when it gets dark (Mchunu, 2015). With crime 

being a fundamental issue troubling many South Africans, gated communities 

gained popularity, particularly in metropolitan regions such as Gauteng (Landman & 

Schonteich, 2002). This approach of privatizing space to increase safety as a result 

attracts criminal activities to neglected public spaces making them unsafe 

(Lemanski, 2004). Gated communities such as Midstream in Centurion consists of 

good urban design principles such as pedestrianization but are only exclusive to its 

members. This means that you have to pay for good public life in some parts of 

South Africa.  

Not all public space is in decline in South Africa 

It is interesting to note that not all public spaces are in disarray. Zoo Lake in 

Johannesburg is a prime location for Joburgers for all their leisure activities during the 

weekend. It is a public park which opened back in 1908 donated by Beit and Co. 

(City of Johannesburg, 2015). You will find a variety of activities from families having 

picnics, or people enjoying their Sunday run, or musicians come to perform their 

music (Vanderstraeten, 2014). Another reason for Zoo Lake’s success is due to its 

Bowling Club which attracts people of all ages (Vanderstraeten, 2014). People tend 

to boast of Zoo Lake’s user demographic, stating that it exhibits inclusiveness and is 

non-racial in any way given South Africa’s segregated past (Vanderstraeten, 2014).      

     

The ICT revolution extending the public realm beyond the physical 

In an increasingly digitized world, the information age keeps unveiling its various 

facets that present new and complex dimensions to urbanity for planners. 

Communication between people and the function of cities is influenced by 

technology to a certain extent daily (Hennig & Volger, 2013).  To date, it still has not 



   

23 

 

been projected as to how cities will develop in their absolute form in the information 

age due to their dynamism (Carmona, et al., 2010). And because of this dynamism, 

we as planners should encourage open-minded thinking and flexible approaches to 

urbanity. Digital telecommunication networks have the potential to transform and 

reconfigure the urban (Mitchell, 1995). As a result, this could displace the required 

social conventions of interacting in traditional public spaces with newer, innovative 

forms of urbanism (Aurigi, 2005). Some of these social conventions include face-to-

face interaction, which was previously the only means of communicating with others 

in public spaces. It has been stated that asynchronous communication 

(communication without face-to-face contact) proves to be more convenient 

which separates the users both in space and time, and does not require travel 

(Carmona, et al., 2010). Meaning one person can talk to their friend or family relative 

without being physically present. Asynchronous communication is gaining 

momentum globally as 75% of the planet’s internet users utilize mobile messenger 

apps daily on their smartphones (Statista, 2015). It is the opposite of the conventional 

verbal communication method which can be exercised through social media and 

instant messaging applications (Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, 

Blackberry Messenger, Skype, and Twitter to name a few). Asynchronous 

communication enables the individual to interact with social ties found in both 

public and private realms such as parks and their homes respectively.  

This is made possible through new innovative methods for interaction between 

individuals via social avenues through images, videos and avatars in any location at 

any particular time (Erickson, 2010).  These developments have seen the growth of 

virtual spaces such as social media which add a whole new dimension to public 

space. This has ultimately signified that the role of internet has supplemented existing 

forms of communication (Quan Haase, et al., 2002).   

This means that communication technology could provide new opportunities for 

urbanity which could prove to be revolutionary. Through telecommunication 

technologies such as the internet, people will be able to work from home or from a 

coffee shop (Hampton & Gupta, 2008; Mitchell, 1995).  For some individuals, coffee 

shops that provide wifi proved to be an ideal setting for productivity compared to 

the office (Hampton & Gupta, 2008). What telecommunication does is grant the 

individual choice for a more flexible lifestyle (Graham & Marvin, 1999). No longer is 



   

24 

 

internet access limited to the private realm of our homes or internet cafés. The 

presence of smartphones also plays a crucial role. Smartphones are mobile 

computers which allow the individual to make telephone calls in addition to sending 

and receiving emails (About Tech, 2015). This means that anyone with a smartphone 

can access the internet through wifi or mobile broadband.     

With regards to public space, it is still unclear to what extent telecommunication 

technology will impact on public space which is why I am doing this research. 

According to Castells (1996) and Sassen (1994), face-to-face contact will still remain 

as the primary mode of interaction in public space, believing that public space will 

not be threatened by new emerging technologies. However, critics of this 

emergence of telecommunication technology in the information age believe that it 

will exacerbate the existing issues related to segregation and privatization. Kroker 

(1996) views this wired culture as creating a socially disconnected society 

embracing loneliness. Meaning that more and more individuals experience isolation 

from the real world as they are consumed by the virtual world. When looking at the 

context of Kroker’s (1996) view, it makes sense why he would think this way. The 

internet was still associated with the desktop computer which could be accessed in 

the private realm during the 1990s as mentioned earlier. Kroker’s (1996) view is 

contradicted by the significance of asynchronous communication through the 

multiple social ties an individual maintains through mobile messenger apps in the 21st 

century. An individual seated in a public park using their smartphone may seem to 

be alone from one’s view, but in actual fact are not. They may be interacting with 

their networks through mobile messenger apps such as Whatsapp or social media 

such as Facebook.    

Despite these views of how telecommunication technology could potentially 

perpetuate the ills of social disconnect, I am of the view that it could create endless 

opportunities which could enhance urbanity in a positive light. Telecommunication 

has the ability to offer pragmatic solutions for people’s livelihoods (Crang, 2000). 

Rheingold (1993) was one of the first few people who believed that communication 

technologies could potentially revitalize the public realm, bringing back public life in 

traditional public spaces. This is where the likes of Hampton et al. (2010) may have 

adopted this view in believing that the internet has the potential to reconfigure the 

public realm as mentioned earlier. Advocating this argument, I will now present the 



   

25 

 

concept of ubiquitous computing, which could be a prime example of using 

telecommunication technology to revive public spaces.     

Ubiquitous computing – a new function for public space? 

Ubiquitous computing has as its goal the nonintrusive availability of computers 

throughout the physical environment, virtually, if not effectively, invisible to the user 

(Weiser, 1993). Unlike virtual reality, ubiquitous computing will integrate information 

displays into the everyday physical world (Weiser, 1993). Its proponents value the 

nuances of the real world and aim only to augment them (Weiser, 1993). And unlike 

current personal digital assistants, ubiquitous computing will be a world of fully 

connected devices, with cheap wireless networks (Weiser, 1993). 

The study of ubicomp (ubiquitous computing) in urban spaces is referred to as 

“urban computing” (Ylipulli, et al., 2014). It is an emerging multidisciplinary field 

considering public places such as cities and parks as sites for computing, including 

interaction between humans and such environments (Ylipulli, et al., 2014). Due to the 

nature of ubiquitous computing, it enhances the existing functions of public space. 

In most third places such as coffee shops and restaurants, wifi connectivity is offered 

as a way to lure customers into these third places. The interesting part of this is that 

these third places provide the choice of doing office-related activities such as 

browsing particular websites, sending emails, or even searching for freelance work. 

These third places create temporary environments which eliminate the need for a 

fixed office with the required infrastructure (Powell & Meinrath, 2008). This is an on-

going trend globally, where more people are getting connected through the 

internet. Even in South Africa, where in third places such as Wimpy and McDonalds 

are being used by adults and teenagers for the wifi (Oxbridge Academy, 2015). 

However, there are limitations in using ubiquitous computing in third places as I have 

mentioned earlier that it could potentially exclude those who do not have access to 

the necessary devices.   

Even though ubiquitous computing research has gained momentum in the 20th 

century, there is still a level of ambiguity attributed to its theoretical and 

methodological background (Ylipulli, et al., 2014).  This means ubiquitous computing 

as an emerging discipline is still in its premature phase as there is no fundamental 

theory validating its content. With regards to the methodology, it is unclear on how 

to assess the impact of ubiquitous computing in public spaces as it covers many 



   

26 

 

aspects of urban design, IT, and sociology. According to Hampton & Gupta (2008), it 

is still uncertain on how wireless internet will reconfigure public spaces.  

Another limitation to this discipline is its context. It is mostly applicable for developed 

nations as they already have efficient ICT infrastructure in their cities. Thus the existing 

studies have little relevance for the cities in the Global South.   

Existing case studies of ubiquitous computing 

Oulu, Finland 

The city of Oulu in Finland with its 190 000 inhabitants (Oulun kaupunki , 2015), 

implemented a municipal wireless network (Ojala, et al., 2011). Ylipulli et al (2014), 

did a study of the appropriation of a municipal WIFI network (panOULU WLAN) in 

public spaces. The WIFI provides free unrestricted internet access to the users at the 

various WIFI hotspots. The University of Oulu established an Open UBI Oulu test-bed 

which monitors the WIFI activity and people’s interaction. According to their 

research data, Ylipulli et al (2014) states that panOULU WLAN has increased in its user 

base significantly as the demand for internet has become like a public service. 

Despite the success of panOULU WLAN, they do mention that the appropriation of 

ubicomp in urban settings is a complex process which requires more in depth 

studies. 

Wi-fi use in third places: Seattle & Boston 

This case study may not relate to ubiquitous computing in public spaces such as 

public squares or parks. Ubiquitous computing takes place in Oldenburg’s (1999) 

third places for this case study. The interesting aspect of third places is that they 

exhibit similar public life which is found in those conventional public spaces 

(Oldenburg, 1999). Therefore excluding research on third places will limit my findings 

significantly.   

Hampton & Gupta (2008) embarked on an ethnographic study of how WIFI 

influenced social interactions in four different cafes. Two of the four were paid wifi 

cafes while the others were free. The study determined two typologies for the 

different users in the wifi cafes: ‘true mobiles’ and ‘placemakers’ (Hampton & 

Gupta, 2008). True mobiles viewed the cafes as places for productivity where they 

either focused on work or studying/research (Hampton & Gupta, 2008). Whereas the 

placemakers viewed the cafes as hangout spots for leisure (Hampton & Gupta, 



   

27 

 

2008). What Hampton & Gupta (2008) revealed from their results is that both 

typologies illustrated the shift away from privatism to public-privatism. This means 

that true mobiles preferred to use the cafes as an escape from home or work to 

continue with their work. However, this did not allow for new opportunities for 

unplanned social interaction in the cafes according to their data (Hampton & 

Gupta, 2008). 

Assessing the impact of wireless internet in 7 parks & plazas in North America 

Hampton, Livio, and  Goulet, undertook a study examining the impact of ubiquitous 

computing in urban public spaces in North America. In doing the study, they set out 

a hypothesis which views the internet as having the potential to reinvigorate the 

public realm, yet maintaining that it can also encourage forms of privatism 

(Hampton, et al., 2010). The main intent for this particular study was based on the 

fact that this aspect of wireless internet has not been explored enough, which is 

similar to my intentions for Church Square. After comparing the findings of all 7 parks 

& plazas, they found that wireless internet has a way of allowing individuals to create 

their own parochial realms encouraging a level of privatism within a public despite 

communicating with a wider social network through social media and instant 

messaging space (Hampton, et al., 2010). They conclude in stating that wireless 

internet alone cannot reshape public spaces due to the fact that other factors also 

play a role in influencing space (Hampton, et al., 2010).    

Conclusion 

This chapter sought to demonstrate obsoleteness of the public realm definition for 

our contemporary context. Critics of the 20th century could not foresee the 

advancement of technology impacting people’s lives based on their views. No one 

could. The world is far too dynamic and unpredictable. The communications 

revolution has altered the public realm’s sense of place to an extent where an 

individual can be present in a private realm, yet still within the public one 

simultaneously. As a result, the demand for internet keeps growing globally with 

various cities in North America and Finland implementing ubiquitous computing in 

public spaces. However, this may be limiting considering how the demand for 

internet in developing nations, particularly in South Africa, does not resemble that of 

the developed nations. Chapter three will then discuss the overall context of internet 

activity in South Africa which will be followed by the introduction of the Church 

Square case study.        



   

28 

 

Chapter 3: ICT in South Africa – contextualising ubiquitous computing with 

Church Square 

Introduction 

This chapter seeks to give an overview of South Africa’s internet context, as access 

to the internet has become a priority for the state. This has seen the rise of wifi 

hotspots all over the country in restaurants, cafes, and even taxi ranks. The chapter 

will then begin to introduce the non-profit organisation responsible for some of these 

interventions, along with Church Square as it recently became a free internet zone 

(FIZ). 

Internet access in South Africa 

Internet demand keeps increasing in post-apartheid South Africa amongst citizens. 

One key aspect facilitating this demand is the presence of free wifi hotspots, 

allowing people to access the internet for free, provided that they remain within the 

parameters of the hotspot. By 2013 there were already 1 000 fully operational free 

hotspots across South Africa (Staff Writer, 2013). The Internet Service Provider’s 

Association (ISPA) mentioned that internet access is fast becoming a utility such as 

water and electricity for the population in South Africa (Alfreds, 2015). However 

critics still believe that the ICT infrastructure is not where it should be. Fixed 

broadband penetration for 2014 was recorded at 3.1% compared to wireless 

broadband of 28.7% (Van Zyl, 2015). This shows how more South Africans are 

accessing the internet from their mobile devices compared to their desktop 

computers. South African cellular operator, MTN, saw an increase of 63% in mobile 

data capacities for 2013 while its rival, Vodacom, was receiving 75% more mobile 

data circulation per device than in 2012 (Van Zyl, 2015). Overall, 48% of South 

Africans used the internet in 2014 (Alfreds, 2015). However, this does not tell the full 

story. Statistics show that broadband costs are a limiting factor for South African 

internet users (Alfreds, 2015).   

Reasons for limited internet use 

Despite the 48% of the South African population having access to internet, there are 

those who are excluded from the benefits of internet due to the expensive internet 

rates. Low income communities tend to be the most affected because having 

access to the internet has turned into a privilege (Vuma Reputation, 2015). Figure 1 

below indicates that the prevalent issue hindering adequate broadband 



   

29 

 

penetration in South Africa is that internet is relatively expensive. The average 

broadband costs for a South African is worth ten times more than that of a citizen 

residing in the United Kingdom (Van Zyl, 2015). The other prevailing trend was that 

internet in South Africa is relatively slow (Project Isizwe, 2015). ISPA has called on the 

South African government to invest more money into broadband infrastructure for 

better faster and reliable internet connectivity (Alfreds, 2015). Currently, the average 

consumer in South Africa pays an exorbitant fee for broadband to receive a slow 

connection than what it would be in the United Kingdom (Van Zyl, 2015).  

 

Figure 1: pie chart illustrating the reasons for the limited internet use in South Africa (Project Isizwe, 

2015). Expensive internet rates continue to be the dominant contributor to the limited internet use in 

South Africa.  

Where people are currently accessing the internet 

With the advancement of technology and the role internet plays in our lives, we can 

now access internet everywhere we go through our smartphones. It has gone 

beyond the private realm of our homes which contributed to the public realm’s 

decline as echoed by the likes of Sennett (1977) and Carmona et al (2010). Internet 

access is no longer restricted to our homes through our desktop computers. It is all 

around us. At home, work, even in public spaces where it never existed before. The 

ever growing market for smartphones perpetuates this as more and more South 

Africans are buying smartphones. According to Effective Measure (2015), 91.7% of 

internet users own a smartphone in South Africa as illustrated by the graph below. 



   

30 

 

 

Figure 2: pie charts showing smartphone ownership in South Africa (Effective Measure, 2014). Majority of 

South Africans are accessing the internet through their smartphones. 

This trend can be seen in South Africa as Figure 3 provided  by Project Isizwe’s (2015) 

data base indicate that people are accessing internet in other spaces such as 

educational institutions, the workplace and internet cafes, despite home still being 

the preferred location. In places such as restaurants and hotels, we have seen the 

emergence of free wifi being offered by wifi network company AlwaysOn, which 

operates in over 850 hotspots (Staff Writer, 2013). Just recently, NPO Project Isizwe 

installed free wifi for both the Gugulethu and Khayelitsha taxi ranks in Cape Town 

officially on the 31st of July 2015 (Vuma Reputation, 2015). Now commuters can 

access information around education and news more conveniently (Vuma 

Reputation, 2015). This initiative follows on from Project Isizwe’s initial free wifi rollout 

on the back of the City of Tshwane’s BRT provision in December 2014 which grants 

commuters free internet access while on the bus (Orangeink, 2015). These initiatives 

by Project Isizwe are significant, particularly in the South African context, where 

commuters can spend several hours between work/school and home on the roads. 

This is a perfect example of how the role of the internet has become ubiquitous in 

our lives.   



   

31 

 

 

Figure 3: pie chart indicating the places where people access internet in SA (Project Isizwe, 2015). 

 

Church Square – the hub of Pretoria 

 

Figure 4: contextual map locating Church Square in Pretoria. Contextual map done by Katlego Pule 

(2015), and aerial photograph adapted from Google Maps (2015). 

Church Square is one of South Africa’s iconic public spaces famous for its rich 

heritage and history. Market Square as it was once known, functioned as a 

multipurpose open space hosting commercial activities from the market, as well as 

sporting activities until a church was erected in 1856 (Pretoria, 2015). The Dutch 

Reformed Church was removed from the square due to its tower being declared as 

a hazard to its users (Heritage Portal, 2013).  Once the church was removed, an 

affiliate of Paul Kruger, Sammy Marks, donated a fountain in 1905 which was located 

in the middle of Church Square as illustrated below in Figure 4 (World Digital Library, 



   

32 

 

2014). A few years later, the square was redesigned in 1910 by Rees Poole (Artefacts, 

2015), which then included an electric tram terminal (Heritage Portal, 2013). In 1954, 

the Paul Kruger statue was unveiled in Church Square at the vacant spot left by the 

fountain (Heritage Portal, 2013). The Paul Kruger statue is surrounded by four other 

statues resembling the soldiers from his time of battle (Show Me, 2009).   

 

Figure 5: image showing the fountain donated by Sammy Marks in Church Square in 1905 (World Digital 

Library, 2014). 

Church Square is relatively open allowing for maximum sunlight coverage. The 

northern part of Church Square has the most trees along the edges of the grass 

islands, while the southern part has fewer trees. The Southern part of Church Square 

is elevated approximately five metres from the ground giving the user a view of the 

whole square.  Church Square is located within the most central part of Pretoria CBD 

anchored by Paul Kruger Street running from North to South and both WF Nkomo 

Street and Church Street running from West to East respectively. Church Square lies 

1.7km north of the Pretoria Train Station along Paul Kruger Street. Church Square is 

surrounded by numerous institutions as illustrated on Figures 7 and 8, demonstrating 

the type of user that would traverse the space.  

The heights of the buildings surrounding Church Square are mid-rise range between 

14m-20m resembling building densities of parts of Johannesburg’s inner city. Towards 

the Eastern side of Church Square consists of an FNB bank, PEP clothing retail outlet, 

John Craig retail outlet. The Southern side of Church Square consists of a PC Training 

Business College Tertiary institution, a Standard Bank and an Areyeng BRT station 

which is still under construction. The Western side of Church Square consists of the 



   

33 

 

Café Riche restaurant, The South African Post Office, and the Ou Rasdaal building. 

Towards the Northern side consists of the North Gauteng High Court which was 

known as The Palace of Justice where the infamous Rivonia Trial took place (Show 

Me, 2009). 

 

 

Figure 6: Map illustrating the main elements of Church Square. 



   

34 

 

a) Palace of Justice designed by Sytze Wierda in 1902 (Artefacts, 2015). 

b) Bollards which are located at the north end of Church Square. 

c) A student using their laptop while leaning on a bollard. 

d) An informal trader using one of the gazebos in Church Square. There are two 

gazebos at all four entrances in Church Square.  

e) A fountain located at the north end of Church Square. This fountain should 

not be confused with the Sammy Marks one, which was moved to the 

Pretoria Zoo once Church Square was redesigned (Heritage Portal, 2013). 

f) Tudor Chambers designed by John Ellis in 1904 (Artefacts, 2015). 

g) People using one of the four benches in Church Square as they engage in 

‘people-watching’. 

h) Paul Kruger statue which is located at the centre of Church Square. 

i) Old ZAR Council Chamber designed by Sytze Wierda in 1891 (Artefacts, 2015). 

 

Figure 7: map illustrating the context of Church Square within the surrounding tertiary institutions and 

intermodal transport station. The blue and white filled triangles represent the surrounding tertiary 

institutions and the yellow and white filled triangles represent the surrounding train stations. Map 

courtesy of Google Maps (2015), edited graphics by Katlego Pule (2015). 



   

35 

 

 

Figure 8: map showing the context of Church Square with regards to government institutions. Map 

adapted from Google Maps (2015) and edited by Katlego Pule (2015). 

1. National Department of Transport 

2. Department of Home Affairs 

3. Law Society of the Northern Provinces 

4. National Department of Public Works 

5. Department of Labour UIF 

6. Department of Higher Education and Training 

7. Master of the High Court: Gauteng North  



   

36 

 

 

Figure 9: image of one of the four unknown Boer soldiers surrounding the Paul Kruger statue (Pule, 2014). 

Due to its location, Church Square is central to Pretoria central’s commercial and 

administrative activity. Many government and municipal departments are within 

close proximity to the square. Based on observations, users of Church Square use it 

as a destination. Some would bask in the shade from the trees on the lawns during 

their lunch break, while others sit on the bench and read the local newspaper, and 

is a local gathering spot for students to meet up with their friends after class.   

 



   

37 

 

 

Figure 10: image illustrating the infamous Palace of Justice that hosted the Rivonia Trial to right; and 

adjacent to it is the Post Office building (Pule, 2015). 

 

Figure 11: image of the southern part of Church Square which is much more elevated than the northern 

part (Pule, 2015). 

 

Church Square becomes a FIZ for users 

The City of Tshwane municipality became the first metropolitan municipality in South 

Africa in 2013 to offer free internet in public spaces for its residents (Mudzuli, 2013). 

Church Square is one of the public spaces selected in offering free wifi internet to its 



   

38 

 

users courtesy of Project Isizwe. The NPO formed a private-public relationship with 

the City of Tshwane municipality by facilitating the deployment of ICT infrastructure 

which enables people to access subsidized internet at various wifi hotspots (Project 

Isizwe, 2015). These wifi hotspots are called FIZs (Free Internet Zones) which are 

situated throughout Pretoria CBD, with Church Square included. A FIZ allows wifi 

enabled devices such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops to connect simultaneously 

to gain access to free internet as illustrated by Figure 11 (Project Isizwe, 2015). 

Church Square, along with surrounding tertiary institutions such as Tshwane University 

of Technology’s Soshanguve Campus and University of Pretoria’s Hatfield Campus, 

were some of the first few locations for the first initial rollout of FIZs (Mudzuli, 2013). 

These were strategically selected so that the youth can better access education 

and employment opportunities according to the Executive Mayor of the City of 

Thswane, Kgosientso Ramokgopa (Mudzuli, 2013). According to Project Isizwe, the 

City of Tshwane authorities have approved an additional 1 848 sites through Pretoria 

to be provided by the end of 2016 (Project Isizwe, 2015). 

 

Figure 12: a typical illustration of how exactly a FIZ works (Project Isizwe, 2015). 



   

39 

 

 

Figure 13: map illustrating the free wifi internet coverage for the FIZ in Church Square (Google Maps, 

2015). Edited graphics by Katleo Pule (2015). 

Despite the negative contributing factors affecting internet penetration in South 

Africa, FIZs in Tshwane as a whole portray a positive image for internet access. 

Project Isizwe records an average of 165 000 users accessing their FIZs monthly, 

which represents approximately 22% of Pretoria central’s population (Frith, 2011; 

Project Isizwe, 2015). According to Statistics SA (2015), 48.6% of the population of 

Tshwane metropolitan remains without access to the internet versus the 51.4% who 

do. This just further illustrates how South Africa’s broadband penetration is still 

relatively low. As a result, this taints the common perception of the techno-savvy 

and policy makers that the internet has become a service just like water and 

electricity because lower income groups do not have access to it, thus not 

regarding it like a service. The team at Project Isizwe claim that the reason for the 

expensive internet rates in South Africa is a result of telecoms not investing a lot of 

money in expanding their networks (Project Isizwe, 2015).    



   

40 

 

 

Figure 14: overall statistics of the Tshwane Free Wifi since it was first introduced in November 2013. 

(Project Isizwe, 2015).. 

 

Figure 15: illustrates the percentage of the population of Tshwane without access to the internet access 

versus those with access (Statistics South Africa, 2011). 

Project Isizwe’s mandate is to make internet access as convenient as possible in 

order to break the digital divide (Project Isizwe, 2015). Project Isizwe COO Zahir Khan 

states that the poor have long been excluded from accessing the internet due to 

the expensive data rates in South Africa (Vuma Reputation, 2015). This is true when 



   

41 

 

you consider how those with smartphones communicate. What we have seen is that 

the dominant method of communication relies solely on internet data, which is 

currently expensive (Mudzuli, 2013). Whatsapp is most used instant messaging 

application in South Africa according to the graph below adapted from Effective 

Measure (2015). Therefore having a smartphone in South Africa is crucial with 

regards to communication and accessing information.  

However, Project Isizwe is only tackling part of the issue. The bottom line remains that 

only those with wifi enabled devices can benefit from the FIZs. Therefore it would be 

futile if there are FIZs in the city while people do not have the means to access them. 

Statistics show that only 18.6% of residents in Tshwane access the internet from their 

smartphones, which is the preferred mode compared to computers and laptops 

(Statistics South Africa, 2011). Thus the barriers to purchasing a smartphone should be 

mitigated for those who are affected by the digital divide. Major cellular network 

operators such as MTN and Vodacom have begun making smartphone accessible 

by offering cheap alternatives from the high-end brands. In 2014, MTN launched 

their Steppa Smartphone which costs R500 (Greenway, 2014). The Steppa is a wifi 

enabled device comprising of all the basic functions much like any other 

smartphone on the market as it scored 3/5 in one of the HTXT reviews (Greenway, 

2014).      



   

42 

 

 

Figure 16: bar graph illustrating the various IM apps used amongst South Africans, with Whatsapp being 

the most used (Effective Measure, 2014). 

 

Conclusion 

This chapter sought to give an overall context of South Africa’s internet activity with 

relevance to ubiquitous computing. Statistics show that broadband activity is slowly 

gaining momentum in South Africa, but is hindered by socio-economic factors such 

as the expensive internet data rates and smartphone access. It is also important to 

note that internet demand in South Africa has not reached that level where it can 

be regarded as a service by the majority of the population. Just under half of the 

Tshwane population does not have internet access (Statistics South Africa, 2011).  

Despite these negative statistics, municipalities have begun addressing this issue by 

installing free wifi hotspots, with City of Tshwane being the first in collaborating with 

NPO, Project Isizwe with the rollout of broadband in low income areas. This resulted 

in Church Square becoming an FIZ, targeting those with smartphones to access the 

internet for free. Chapter four will then present the findings and analysis from the 

study to begin to understand the impact of free wifi internet in Church Square.    

 

 



   

43 

 

Chapter 4: Findings and analysis of Church Square 

Introduction 

This chapter will begin to present the findings and analysis of the study conducted at 

Church Square in attempting to answer the research question. The observations 

section will paint an overall picture of the type of activity that goes on in the square 

at different time intervals. This will then be complemented by the FIZ hourly 

behaviour statistics for Church Square to get a deeper understanding of what goes 

on in the square. This will then be followed by the survey findings which will present 

both qualitative and quantitative data relating to the sub-research questions.  

Observations on site  

From the five days that I was on site, I observed the square at different time intervals. 

I worked out an average for the number of users present in the square.  

Table 1: represents the observations of Church Square for the specified intervals between the Monday 

the 24th and Friday the 28th of August 2015. (CS=Church Square). 

08:00-09:00 10:00-12:00 13:00-14:30 15:00-17:00 

50-80 people present 100-200 people 

present 

350-450 people 

present 

150-200 people 

present 

80% of activity occurred 

towards South-end of CS 

due to the sunshine while 

the North-end was shaded 

60% & 40% of 

activity occurred 

at both the South 

& North-end of CS 

respectively due to 

coverage of the 

sun reaching the 

shaded parts 

55% & 45% of 

activity occurred 

at both the South 

& North-end of CS 

respectively  

60% & 40% of 

activity occurred 

at both the South 

& North-end of CS 

respectively as 

more people 

sought shade 

during this period 

55% of people were seated; 

20% were standing; 25% 

were walking through CS 

58% of people 

were seated; 18% 

were standing; 

24% were walking 

through CS 

61% of people 

were seated; 17% 

were standing; 

22% were walking 

through CS 

66% of people 

were seated; 14% 

were standing; 

20% were walking 

through CS 

60% were students; 5% senior 

citizens; 2% informal traders; 

10% municipal cleaners; 23% 

adults (28-49 years old) 

67% were students; 

3% senior citizens; 

4% informal 

traders; 26% adults  

73% were students; 

4% senior citizens; 

5% informal 

traders; 2% 

construction 

workers; 10% 

adults; 6% primary 

+ high school 

71% were students; 

5% senior citizens; 

4% informal 

traders; 3% primary 

+ high school 

pupils; 17% adults  



   

44 

 

pupils 

20% of CS population used 

visible wifi enabled devices; 

40% communicated with 

someone physically present; 

5% read 

newspaper/magazine/book; 

35% engaged in people-

watching 

27% of CS 

population used 

visible wifi enabled 

devices; 46% 

communicated 

with someone 

physically present; 

20% engaged in 

people-watching; 

7% read  

33% of CS 

population used 

visible wifi enabled 

devices; 42% 

communicated 

with someone 

physically present; 

22% engaged in 

people-watching; 

3% read 

29% of CS 

population used 

visible wifi enabled 

devices; 47% 

communicated 

with someone 

physically present; 

22% engaged in 

people-watching; 

2% read 

65% were alone; 25% in 

pairs; 10% groups of three or 

more  

57% were alone; 

21% dyads; 22% 

groups of three or 

more  

46% were alone; 

17% dyads; 37% 

groups of three or 

more 

63% were alone; 

20%% dyads; 17% 

groups of three or 

more  

2% listening to music through 

earphones 

5% listening to 

music through 

earphones 

3% listening to 

music through 

earphones 

3% listening to 

music through 

earphones 

  

 

Figure 17: image illustrating Church Square towards the North-end at 12:00pm noon as it reaches its 

peak (Pule, 2015). 

 



   

45 

 

Hourly behaviour for the Church Square FIZ 

There exists a strong correlation with the user frequency of the FIZ and the nature of 

activity in Church Square. The graph below illustrates the number of users accessing 

the FIZ in Church Square for July 2015. Church Square reaches its peak during the 

week, with Wednesday and Thursday receiving the highest number of users. This 

could be due to the fact that most students attend classes during those days based 

on their timetables. Church Square still receives a fair number of users during the 

weekends but not as much as during the weekdays. The numbers on the x-axis on 

Figure 17 represent the respective hour for the day (7=07:00/7am). The FIZ starts 

receiving numbers as early as 07:00 in the morning with the frequency decreasing 

from 19:00 onwards. Based on my findings from the survey, some of the traders state 

that a lot of people come through to Church Square on a regular basis. After talking 

to a student who was passing by Church Square mentioned the following: 

“It’s never empty. It’s always full with people all the time.” Anonymous. 

Unfortunately I could not obtain additional statistics for the other FIZs for Pretoria 

central to compare Church Square’s user frequency due to time constraints. 

Therefore it is problematic to claim if the user frequency of the Church Square FIZ is 

sufficient or not. 

 Nearly 12 000 people use the Church Square FIZ in a single day. This figure accounts 

for 7.2% of Project Isizwe’s FIZ users across Pretoria central FIZs (Project Isizwe, 2015). 

Given Church Square’s pre-existing population, central location and its urban design 

principles, these figures are justified. With an average population of 2 000-7 000, 

these figures illustrate Project Isizwe’s success with installing free wifi in Church 

Square. This further proves that people do use the free wifi internet regularly in 

Church Square.   

However, it is important to note that this graph illustrates the number of people 

accessing the FIZ in week per day. It does not necessarily mean that one will 

guarantee to find 12 000 people in Church Square present. The 12 000 figure 

represents the number of users recorded from time interval 07:00-22:00 for the FIZ. 

One important fact to note is that the FIZ is not limited to those present within the 

parameters of the square. The FIZ reaches 90m from the centre by the Paul Kruger 

statue allowing those in the surrounding buildings to access it. As long as an 

individual remains within the perimeter of the Church Square FIZ, they can access 



   

46 

 

the internet. Therefore one may be using social media while being in the Post Office 

building.  

User frequency vs hourly behaviour 

 

Figure 18: bar graph illustrating the user frequency and the hourly behaviour for the FIZ in Church 

Square for July 2015 (Project Isizwe, 2015). 

Survey findings for Church Square 

Does the introduction of free internet access attract more people to Church Square?  

In answering this question, I sought to explore whether or not internet access has the 

ability to repopulate contemporary urban public spaces, with Church Square being 

the case study. Given the South African context, internet access has the potential to 

attract more people to public spaces assuming that it has become a service just as 

pundits have claimed. As mentioned earlier, internet in South Africa is relatively 

expensive and is not accessible to everyone which further exacerbates inequality. 

Therefore through the provision of free wifi internet in Church Square courtesy of 

Project Isizwe, could potentially bring in the numbers. Thus attracting more people 

with wifi enabled devices to Church Square. 

However, the findings from the survey portray a different story. From the survey, only 

3% of the people who inhabited Church Square during that week that partook in the 

survey mentioned that they come solely for the wifi. This small result illustrates that 

free internet access is currently not the main attractor to Church Square. It should be 



   

47 

 

noted that the free wifi is adequately advertised throughout the inner city of Pretoria 

through visible signage on bins, billboards, bus stops, as well as the Areyeng BRT.  

A site’s popularity is dependent on a number of factors such as urban design 

characteristics, population density and the local culture (Hampton, et al., 2010). It is 

worth noting that Church Square as a public space had a pre-existing population of 

users before the introduction of free wifi. A waiter from Café Riche, Thabang (2015), 

who partook in the survey mentioned that he has not seen an increase in users in 

Church Square since they brought in the wifi. He has been working there for the past 

five years which is long enough to have seen Church Square was turned into a FIZ .  

“Church Square has always been filled with people for a long time.” – Thabang, 

waiter at Café Riche. 

This struck similarities with the study Hampton et al. (2010) of the seven parks & plazas 

they examined in North American cities. They believed that internet could revitalize 

and repopulate public spaces (Hampton, et al., 2010). However, their findings and 

observations proved to counter this view. Bryant Park for instance, supports this view 

at great lengths. Out of the seven parks & plazas, it had the highest number of wifi 

users with 51% stating that it was an ideal space to do work (Hampton, et al., 2010). 

Hampton et al. (2010) concluded in stating that internet access as an attractor to 

public space is influenced by the existing context of the space as some public 

spaces may have a higher population density, resulting in more users. The general 

consensus of that study was that internet access cannot bring in more people to a 

public space, despite the case of Bryant Park. To a certain extent, this trend exists in 

Church Square. Because it is predominantly inhabited by students due to its central 

location to tertiary institutions, the intention to come to Church Square will differ to 

that of Bryant Park. Students do not only use the internet to do their work. They use it 

for entertainment purposes and to interact with their networks through social media. 

The survey indicated that only 2% of the users in Church Square used the free wifi 

internet for their research and work. The dominant reason for using the free wifi was 

for social media (60%) and instant messaging (90%) amongst the users of the survey. 

Other categories included online gaming and browsing the internet which were 

recorded at 10% and 40% respectively amongst users of Church Square. 

 



   

48 

 

‘Who’ used Church Square before and after the introduction of free wifi? 

Has the demographic changed ever since the City of Tshwane brought in free wifi to 

Church Square? I had assumed so. My initial thought was that the free wifi would 

force the older age groups out of Church Square due to their incapacity with 

electronics, while attracting a much younger age group. Based on the observations 

in Church Square, the majority of the users are categorized within the age group 18-

30. These were primarily students. On average in a week, 65% of the population in 

Church Square are students during the time interval of 08:00-12:00; 78% between 

13:00-15:00; 70% between 15:00-17:00. Other age group categories such as 30-50, 

teens and senior citizens, amounted to negligible portions of the population in 

Church Square. This is also reflected in the survey done by the traders. Peter (2015), 

who sells ice cream, indicated on the survey that a lot of young people from school 

used Church Square. Thabang (2015), the waiter from Café Riche indicated on the 

survey that a wide range of people use the space including students and old 

people. 

However, was it always like this? There were some mixed reviews regarding this 

matter. For some, Church Square has not exhibited any changes since the 

introduction of free wifi. According to Keiju (2015), an informal trader selling ID sized 

photos in Church Square who has been using the space since 2000 claims it has not 

changed. He indicated on the survey that Church Square has not changed much 

since the introduction of free wifi. Peter (2015), who has been trading in Church 

Square for approximately eight years, also claims that Church Square has always 

had people and has not changed. Yet for Thabang (2015), the waiter from Café 

Riche believes that there has been a change in Church Square ever since the 

introduction of free wifi. He states that people are much more comfortable to bring 

their laptops to the space now. This is interesting because based on the observations 

in Church Square, 69% of the population had a visible electronic device on average, 

although only 3% of the 69% accounted for laptops.  

Therefore it remains unclear whether or not if there have been any changes based 

on my findings. All the traders gave interesting answers yet they somehow seem to 

contradict each other. Perhaps interacting with more people who have knowledge 

of what it was like before would have aided this part of the study.   

 



   

49 

 

How will the introduction of free wifi internet impact on the design and function of 

Church Square as a public space? 

Here are some of the basic functions of public space adapted from Carmona et al 

(2010): 

1. To facilitate commercial activity 

2. Through the projection of sacred or political values 

3. To project status and wealth of the elite 

4. To facilitate recreation and civility 

For the purposes of this study, we are only going to focus primarily on the first and 

fourth functions because they relate to Church Square. 

Church Square makes for a great escape from the high buildings and busy roads of 

Pretoria CBD. People tend to enjoy the sun under the trees, or play soccer on the 

lawns, or sit on the benches to read the newspaper or to ‘people-watch’. These all 

represent the recreational functions of Church Square. Now with the introduction of 

free wifi internet, ubiquitous computing adds another dimension to the recreational 

functions of Church Square.  

 

Figure 19: image illustrating how people are attracted to Church Square mostly because of its sense of 

place (Pule, 2015). It is still too premature to predict if the free wifi will be the main attractor to this 

space. 



   

50 

 

The assumption in answering this question was that the introduction of free wifi 

internet would alter Church Square to an extent where it does not facilitate 

recreation and civility. Potentially turning it into a work space just like in Bryant Park 

where majority of the users go there for work purposes (Hampton, et al., 2010). But 

for Bryant Park to be viewed in this light is due to its design. In Bryant Park, one has 

access to small tables and chairs, much like in café or restaurant, which resembles 

that of a ‘workspace’ setting (Hampton, et al., 2010). This results in a lot of people 

bringing their laptops to do work as the most dominant user profile were young and 

old professionals (Hampton, et al., 2010). This is an example of a contextual effect 

where an environment can influence the type of activity in a space (Hampton, et 

al., 2010).  

Church Square, however, is different from Bryant Park. Its contextual effect does not 

facilitate a ‘workspace’ environment due to the way the square is designed and 

laid out. Church Square does not have those small tables and chairs like those found 

in Bryant Park. It has a total of four benches. This forces people to either sit on the 

grass, ledges, or on the steps towards the south end of the square. Therefore Church 

Square’s contextual effect facilitates a more relaxed environment. With ubiquitous 

computing coming to the fore, it becomes that people with electronic devices 

need to be catered for in public spaces. While on site, I noticed that there were not 

many laptop users in Church Square. As mentioned earlier, only 3% of the users with 

visible electronic devices had laptops. Could this be based on the contextual effect 

Church Square exhibits? When looking at the 3%, they were all seated on the 

bollards where majority of the trees are located within the northern part of Church 

Square. Each bollard under the trees creates a parochial realm (home territory) for 

the individual. It is also important to note that it is difficult to use a laptop in sunlight. 

This explains why the southern end of the square is busier than the northern part 

through the day. It is from here that we begin to see how the introduction of free wifi 

has facilitated the creation of these parochial realms for people within Church 

Square who do not want to be located where it’s busiest. 



   

51 

 

 

Figure 20: map illustrating the bollards which are located at the northern part of Church Square. This 

section of the square a lot of people who arrive without any companions. Map adapted from Google 

Maps (2015) and image by Katlego Pule (2015). 

So can ubiquitous computing change Church Square’s function of facilitating 

recreation? No, as I have explained how public space facilities can influence the 

function of an environment to a great extent. But these alone cannot guarantee a 

desired contextual effect. As mentioned earlier, factors such as the pre-existing 

population and local culture of a space can influence an environment (Hampton, 

et al., 2010). However,       

With regards to the free internet altering the existing commercial activity from the 

informal traders is of little relevance. My initial assumption was that the traders would 

have to consider advertising their products online. But this was not the case. The 

trade activity which occurs in Church Square is on a small scale. Their trade is not 

categorized as a business which would account for advertising expenses as they 

cater for the market in Church Square solely. The traders hardly require any basic 

facilities in Church Square based on what they sell. Their products range from 

sweets, cigarettes, snacks, to newspapers and books. Even Keiju (2015) who sells ID 

sized photos has not been affected by the introduction of the free wifi internet. 

           

How does the introduction of free wifi internet impact on social interaction in Church 

Square? 

In answering this question, we first have to ask ourselves: will free wifi internet 

perpetuate aspects of privatism? Critics such as Kroker (1996) would certainly 

concur with this view. This is based on the assumption that the internet would 



   

52 

 

disconnect people socially while being consumed in the virtual world. In undertaking 

this study, I myself had assumed the same thing. My initial thought was free wifi 

internet would encourage people to be on their electronic devices creating 

numerous private enclaves within Church Square. 

Of the 69% of the population which had visible electronic devices, 82% were alone, 

13% were in pairs, and 5% were in groups of more than people. The survey findings 

further support these figures with 50% of the users claiming that they come to the 

park alone, 40% of the users who had planned gatherings of meeting their 

friends/family, and only 10% who came with companions to Church Square on the 

day. We begin to see a recurring theme that most wifi users tend to be alone when 

they are in Church Square. But that is still not enough to prove that internet access 

perpetuates loneliness in public spaces. Perhaps they were utilizing their phones 

because they were alone. The observations showed that normal face-to-face verbal 

communication still occurred despite the majority of the people in Church Square 

being alone. Whether this form of communication is the most dominant in a space 

like Church Square where ubiquitous computing is present is another question. 

Unfortunately I could not get access to statistics that showed the general user 

activity of the Church Square FIZ due to time constraints. This would have helped the 

study in exploring if asynchronous communication was the dominant mode of 

communication. When looking at 69% of that population which had visible 

electronic devices, one would easily assume that asynchronous communication was 

the dominant mode of communication.  

The survey showed that 90% of the wifi users in Church Square used the free wifi 

internet to interact with their social networks through the instant messaging app, 

Whatsapp, with only 60% being accounted for social media (Facebook, Twitter, and 

Instagram). This form of interaction cannot be ignored due to its popularity. So we 

begin to how free wifi internet facilitates asynchronous communication because it is 

dependent on internet connection for it to function. Thus those who come to 

Church Square alone with their electronic device may seem to you as though they 

are not interacting with anyone but when you begin to take into consideration the 

asynchronous aspect of communication, then you realise that they are actually 

communicating with a wider network of people.   



   

53 

 

 

Figure 21: image illustrating a man using his smartphone (Pule, 2015). Asynchronous communication is 

the dominant mode of interaction in Church Square. Despite this man being alone, he could be 

interacting within a wider network of social ties.  

Conclusion 

This chapter began exploring the extent to which Church Square can be altered 

through the presence of internet access. The findings and observations showed that 

internet access has not impacted Church Square significantly as expected. I had 

initially thought that internet access would either attract more people or facilitate 

privatism. This is when I came to the conclusion that internet access alone has not 

reconfigured the public space of Church Square because other factors have to be 

considered. However, it should be noted that this result is based on the study’s 

limitation of using a small sample size. Despite this result, internet access has 

impacted on social interactions in Church Square significantly. Users of Church 

Square can interact within a wider social network without having to rely on planned 



   

54 

 

or unplanned interactions, as asynchronous communication was the dominant 

mode of communication according to the survey.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



   

55 

 

Chapter 5: Conclusions 

The public realm debate within the urban design profession will never reach a 

consensus because of its multi-faceted nature. The public realm has evolved 

significantly from what it was categorized as during the 19th and 20th century by the 

likes of Sennett (2010) Loukaitou-Sideris & Banerjee (1998) and Carmona (2008) 

(2010). The reason for its evolvement is due to how it now exists beyond the 

traditional urban public spaces due to the communications revolution, which was a 

main contributor for its decline (Banerjee, 2001). This resulted in people interacting 

with others from the private realm, particularly from their homes. One of the aspects 

of being in the public realm is experiencing unexpected encounters with strangers – 

a domain with hardly any barriers to entry facilitating democratic interaction. This 

can all happen online nowadays. An individual from South Africa can communicate 

with another individual from Sweden through the internet. The internet is fast 

becoming omnipresent in first world cities such as New York and Oulu as we have 

seen with the case studies presented. However, this is of limited relevance for cities in 

the Africa where broadband penetration is growing at a slow rate of 0.4% (Staff 

Writer, 2014). Internet access is relatively expensive for people in Africa as it 

accounts for approximately 32.2% of the average monthly income as opposed to 

1.5% in first world cities (Staff Writer, 2014). 

Due to the fact that the demand for internet is fast growing in the world, it will soon 

become omnipresent in our lives. Approximately 40% of the world’s population has 

access to the internet (Staff Writer, 2014). As a result, we have seen policy emphasis 

being placed on ICT infrastructure investment in South Africa as critics claim that this 

could boost the country’s GDP (Alfreds, 2015). The South African government has 

already begun with the first phase of broadband rollout across eight district 

municipalities (Zuma, 2015). These efforts further facilitate the rise of ubiquitous 

computing in public spaces as we have seen in Church Square. Internet activity can 

happen anywhere nowadays with the help of mobile broadband granting an 

individual internet access from their smartphone. Despite the digital divide, statistics 

show that more people in South Africa are getting access to the internet through 

their mobile devices. It has been predicted that there will be an increase in internet 

users from the 15 million in 2014 to approximately 20 million internet users within the 

next five years (Staff Writer, 2014). One can only wonder how the future of public 

spaces will be, considering at how our society keeps changing and adapting. 



   

56 

 

Therefore it is only logical to understand why critics such as Banerjee (2001), Kroker 

(1996), Loukaitou-Sideris & Banerjee (1998) and C