An expounded reading on the conceptualisation of Tshwane between 2000 and 2004

Abstract

This study has its beginnings in the intriguing idea of how people think things are as opposed to the way things really are. This idea forms one of the central themes of the post-modern paradigm of knowledge that underlines the more inventive role of language in the constitution of knowledge. So much intrigued by this idea, I decided to plot my own expedition to gain more insight into two particular appearances of the conceptualisation of the Tshwane urban space, namely: the picturing of the current urban condition and the preferred concepts used by planners to shape a better urban future. The expedition consists of two voyages. The first voyage (Part 3 of the travel journal), paraphrases the latest themes on the contemporary spatial scenery. In these sketches I tried to make sense of the s(t)imulating sites and sights by offering a personal localisation/contextualisation of these emerging spatialities. This part of the expedition highlighted the need for considerable modifications to the concepts we as planners currently use to describe the spatialities of our time. With this expectation, I commenced with my second voyage (Part 4 of the journal). By employing my refined mode of deconstructive reading, termed expansive scanning, I firstly (1) began to critically appraise how the current spatialities of Tshwane is observed, visualised and described and secondly (2) what shades of a better urban future are directed into position. The travel journal concludes with a review that attempts to bring the multiple revelations/field notes together in a more meaningful whole as my answer to the query I staged at the start of the expedition. The reading is also ended with some reflections on possible openings for further readings and more pertinent descriptions and actions by planners.