Gated communities in South Africa : tensions between the planning ideal and practice

Abstract

Gated communities are considered by many South Africans as a necessity – a place to stay in a safer environment in the context of high crime rates. At the same time, these developments can also challenge planning and development goals towards greater integration and accessibility. This article considers the views of planning masters’ students related to gated communities and the inherent tensions and presence of inconsistent attitudes prevailing within the students. This reflects the growing dichotomy between the planning ideal and practice in South Africa and raises a number of questions for planning education. With reference to the different roles of planning theory, the discussion explores different ways to read and interpret these tensions and attitudes and redirect planning education not only to reflect this, but also to effectively utilise it in an attempt to bridge the gap between normative visions and contextual realities.

Geslote gemeenskappe word deur baie Suid-Afrikaners as nodig bestempel – ‘n woonplek in ‘n veiliger omgewing gesien in die konteks van die hoë misdaadrekords. Terselfdertyd, kan hierdie ontwikkelings ‘n uitdaging bied vir beplanning- en ontwikkelingsdoelwitte van groter integrasie en toegang. Hierdie artikel ondersoek die standpunte van meestersgraadbeplanningstudente oor geslote gemeenskappe en die inherente spanning en teenwoordigheid van niekonstante houdings algemeen onder studente. Dit reflekteer die toenemende tweeledigheid tussen die beplanningsideaal en die praktyk in Suid-Afrika en lig ‘n aantal vrae vir beplanningsonderrig. Met verwysing na die verskillende rolle van beplanningsteorie, verwys die bespreking na verskeie maniere om die spanning en houdings te lees en te intrepreteer en rig beplanningsonderrig nie net om dit te reflekteer nie, maar ook om dit dit effektief te gebruik in ‘n poging om die gaping tussen normatiewe beskouings en kontekstuele realiteite te oorbrug.

Ma Afrika Boroa a mangata a bona metse e koetsoeng e le ntho e bohlokoa ebile e hlokahala ka ha e fana ka sebaka se sereletsehileng sa ho dula le ho phela hara boshodu bo bongata ka hara naha. Ka nako e le ngoe, tswelopele tsena di bontsha diphephetso tse etsang hore meralo le dintlha tsa tswelopele di se ke tsa fihla phihlelong tse phahameng. Atekele ena e bontsha dichebisano tsa baithuti ba mangolo a phahameng (Masters) a meralo. Dichebisano tsena ke tsa metse e koalletsoeng le hohlano tse tebileng le maikutlo a fapaneng ka taba ena mahareng a baithuti bana. Sena se bontsha ho hanyetsana hoo matla mahareng a merero ea meralo le phethahatso ea se reroeng ka hare ho naha ea Afrika Boroa, ebile e phahamisa dipotso ka thuto ea meralo. Ho ipapisitsoe le dikarolo tsa tsebo ea meralo, mosebetsi ona o sheba mekhoa e fapaneng ea ho bala le ho utloisisa dikhohlano le maikutlo ana, ebe mekhoa ena e kenyeletsoa dithutong tsa meralo, hore e se ka tsebahala fela, empa e be e sebeletse hore e mpe e leke ho koala phahla e mahareng a pono tse tloaelehileng le nnete e bonahalang.