How to define the historic urban landscape of Pretoria through an understanding of its historic layers

Abstract

The Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) Approach was promulgated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in 2011. South Africa, as a member-state of UNESCO, has yet to implement this ‘soft law’ into its regulatory framework. The HUL Approach is intended to be included in the planning regulations of the third tier of government or at the local authority level. As a practicing architect and heritage consultant, I deemed it appropriate to devote this study to the definition of the historic urban landscape of historic Pretoria. The administrative capital of South Africa has a richly layered history and demonstrates a vibrant and diverse community life. Many layers of cultural and tangible history await exploration by contemporaries from the administrative-, academic- and public-sectors, all of whom are receptive towards the application of the HUL Approach as a valid strategy that integrates both planning and heritage conservation. In order to fully understand how the Historic Urban Landscape must be defined, I aimed the research toward recent applications of the HUL Approach in appropriate precedents. Two precedents were selected, one of which is quoted as a pronounced success: the City of Ballarat in Australia. The other precedent consists of the three World Heritage Sites on the Swahili Coast of East Africa: the Island of Mozambique, the Stone Town of Zanzibar and Lamu Old Town in Kenya. The latter precedent is perceived by me as an example of an incomplete application of the HUL Approach, due to the initial inconclusive definition of the historic urban landscape. The study concludes with recommendations on the diverse layers that should represent the historic urban landscape of historic Pretoria. These should include but may not be limited to: site topography, geomorphology, hydrology and natural features, historic and contemporary built environments, infrastructure, open spaces and gardens, land use patterns, spatial organizations, perceptions, visual relationships, social and cultural practices, and values and economic processes. I have applied my research to the history of Pretoria to portray the richness of the layers, and have endeavoured to describe the many and varied role-players that are still represented by the diverse cultures that live as a collective community in the capital city of the New South Africa. Limitations to the study include: available literature on the implementation of the HUL Approach and the collective community’s view on the impact of the contemporary history of Pretoria. The latter is expected to emerge resolutely from the involvement of the local community during the actual implementation of the Historic Urban Landscape Approach.