Abstract:
Urban migration has resulted in population growth in cities and so has the rise in
infrastructural developments that accommodate it. South Africa, one of the most
urbanised countries in Africa, has 67.85% of its population residing in cities. These
infrastructural developments have had detrimental effects on the ecological and
social landscapes of cities, as urban green spaces (platforms that support biodiverse
ecosystems and social activities) are dwindling away. Moreover, as green spaces
continue to be replaced by infrastructural developments, their accessibility to urban
dwellers becomes limited, thus compromising their relations with nature.
This actuality is what inspires this investigation of the relations between people and
urban nature in the City Tshwane, as the data could inform contextually fitting
approaches towards conserving urban nature and implementing more green spaces
that are aligned with local values. Qualitative research, in the form of semi-structured
interviews, was conducted at the Pretoria Botanical Gardens, an urban nature site in
Tshwane, to gather data on the existing urban nature relations in the city. The
collected data was analysed through coding, a qualitative data analysis method, to
highlight the recurring topics and themes of the conducted interviews. The findings
show that most of the study participants value urban nature and feel that nature
conservation and maintenance plus further establishment of green spaces are crucial
spatial endeavours in the city. This study also provides insights into the factors that
inform attitudes towards urban nature with a focus on place identity and therapeutic
values of green space.
