A narrated emergence : a complex urban Integration of an informal settlement in Moreleta Park, Pretoria with its surrounding context

Abstract

In communities stigmatized by economic inequality, citizens who fall within the lower income bracket tend to migrate to the city, seeking the opportunity of gaining financial independence (Njwambe et al. 2019); they are forced to reside in informal settlements which tend to border urban densities due to their oftentimes close proximity to work (Njwambe et al. 2019). Situated amidst gated communities, are two such settlements Cemetery View and Plastic View, which stand in stark contrast to the wealth, elegance and sophistication of their surroundings. These settlements share a multi-cultural connection to the landscape, and create narratives within these landscapes according to their cultural and ritualistic needs. The settlement of Plastic View sits within a particularly contested area, wrought with political and external involvement that has been the recipient of multiple aggressive interactions, that have lead to its current condition, shape and ways of existing. It is within these ways of existing that a keen focus is given by the architect. Through studies and investigations, these rituals are indicitave of evolution of space within the settlement. Its in understanding these rituals and interactions of evolution that leads the aim of this dissertation. This dissertation seeks to investigate and challenge the role of the architect in such scenarios and take it further into the discipline of landscape architecture. As Important the landscape’s role is in informal settlements, so should be the landscape architect’s engagement with the environment. Harnessing the knowledge systems used within the informal settlements should, however, not romanticise the idea of an informal settlement. The architect’s engagement is necessary due to the innovation they bring both spatially and strategically (Dovey 2013). In order to address the complex urban integration of Plastic View with its surrounding context, while upholding the knowledge systems and identity found within the settlements, It’s important to situate oneself within the continuum of informal settlement integration. This proposal seeks to understand the architects involvement in informality and how the knowledge gained can contribute to the discourse for future urban intergration projects.