Making place for South Africans : rethinking urban conservation

Abstract

An approach to conservation based on phenomenology recognises the human need to feel a sense of belonging both to society and to the environment and seeks to maintain those qualities of the cultural landscape which, as manifestations of cultural values, both express and reinforce this sense of belonging. This article uses a phenomenological approach to explain the importance of urban conservation in terms of human experience of the urban environment and how a 'sense of place' in this environment may be retained. It then discusses some of the ideological problems related to past and current conservation practice, and argues that since urban conservation is involved with the production of a society's history, and hence also its identity, it can be a powerful and profound tool for bringing about commonly desired changes in our post-apartheid society.