Shopping malls with quasi-public spaces in Pretoria : neo-traditional consumption space or controlled village commons?

Abstract

Recent debates have highlighted trends towards the privatisation of public space and the incorporation of increased security measures to safeguard users. Literature has also emphasised the move away from the traditional high street to suburban shopping malls as part of an increased focus on the development of protected consumption space. As public space continuously evolves, it is interesting to find the emergence of a new type of controlled outdoor space that seems to reflect characteristics of older traditional public spaces acting as a local gathering space in suburbia, yet being very controlled within the boundaries of shopping malls and reflecting strong patterns of consumption. The paper investigates this trend within the capital city of South Africa, Pretoria, focusing on three quasi-public spaces. The findings indicate that urban design continues to play a critical role in the incorporation of characteristics that are traditionally associated with successful public spaces, but with a strong emphasis on consumption in a controlled and secure environment. At the same time, however, these spaces have also become a new type of village commons in an increasingly polarised society and, hence, cannot simply be negated as purely exclusive spaces.

Resente debate fokus op die privatisering van publieke ruimtes en die insluiting van meer sekuriteitsmaatreëls om gebruikers te beskerm. Die literatuur beklemtoon ook die beweging weg van tradisionele kernstrate na voorstedelike inkopiesentrums as deel van ‘n groter fokus op die ontwikkeling van beskermde verbruiking. Soos wat publieke ruimte heeltyd verander, is dit interessant om te vind dat daar ‘n nuwe tipe beskermde buite-ruimte na vore kom wat van die karaktereienskappe van meer tradisionele publieke ruimtes insluit en tog terselfdertyd meer gekontroleerd is binne die grense van inkopiesentrums met sterk verbruikerstendense. Die artikel ondersoek hierdie verskynsel in die hoofstad van Suid-Afrika, Pretoria. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat stedelike ontwerp steeds ‘n belangrike rol speel in terme van die insluiting van tipiese karaktereienskappe van suksesvolle publieke ruimtes, maar met ‘n sterk fokus op verbruiking binne ‘n beskermde omgewing. Terselfdetyd word hierdie nuwe ruimtes ook ‘n tipe plaaslike bymekaarkomplek in ‘n baie gepolariseerde samelewing en kan dus nie net as suiwer ekslusiewe ruimtes afgeskryf word nie.

Dipuisano tse sa tswa ba teng di hlalosa mekgwa e latelwang mabapi le ho etsa sebaka sa batho bohle hore e be sa poraefete; le ho kgaohangwa ha mekgwa e ekeditsweng ya tshireletso ho sireletsa basebedisi ba sebaka seo. Hape dingolwa di hatelletse ho sutha seterateng sa sephethephethe se tlwaelehileng; ho ya dimolong kapa dibakeng tsa thekiso tsa metsetoropo e le jwaloka karolo ya mohopolo o tsepameng ho ntshetsopele ya dibaka tse sirelleditsweng. Tsa kgwebo Jwaloka ha sebaka sa batho bohle se ntse se fetoha, ho a kgahlisa ho fumana ho hlahisa mofuta o motjha wa sebaka se kantle se bontshang matshwao a dibaka tsa kgale tse tlwaelehileng tsa batho bohle tse sebetsang jwaloka dibaka tse ka sehloohong moo ho kopanwang teng motsaneng, le ha ho le jwalo; se laolwa haholo ka hara meedi ya dimolo tse fetofetohang tsa metsetoropo, mme di bontsha paterone e matla ya kgwebo. Pampiri ena e batlisisa mokgwa ona o latelwang (trend) ka hara motsemoholo wa Afrika Borwa,Tshwane (Pretoria);mme e tsepamisitse maikutlo hodima dibaka tse tharo tsa toropo. Diphumano/diphetho tsa diphuputso di bontsha hore tsela eo toropo e hlophiswang ka yona e tswellapele ho bapala karolob ya bohlokwa bakeng sa ho kopanya matshwao ao esale a amahantswe le dibaka tsa batho bohle tse atlehileng; empa ka kgatello e matla hodima kgwebisano ka mokgwa o kgutsitseng le tikolohong e bolokehileng. Le ha ho le jwalo, ka yona nako eo; dibaka tsena di fetohile mokgwa o motjha wa motsana wa batho ba arohaneng ka maikutlo le setjhaba se sa bolokehang; mme ke ka hoo di sa kgoneng ho latolwa feela jwaloka dibaka tse ka thoko.