The transformation and adaptive capacity of Tsweu Street in Mamelodi, City of Tshwane

Abstract

Cities and neighbourhoods are changing rapidly. While rapid change is accepted, it is less clear how to understand and analyse change and steer it towards a more sustainable trajectory. This paper focuses on the transformation of a particular street in Mamelodi, situated in Pretoria (capital city of South Africa). Utilizing a resilience lens, we unpack the various cycles of adaptation evident in the street. Our analysis shows that the transformation of Tsweu Street broadly followed the phases of the adaptive cycle, namely rapid growth, conservation, release and reorganization and incorporated three dimensions of resilience, namely social or community, spatial and institutional resilience. We argue that resilience thinking offers a mechanism to understand and analyse change at various scales, including the street level and that this provides planners with a tool to work with change through the application of appropriate measures at the relevant time to maximize their impact.