Incidental great public spaces and the role of urban design in South Africa

Abstract

Urban Design in South Africa as a formal profession has a relatively short history. However, in practice, there have been many examples of what must be considered both good and bad Urban Design. There have also been numerous debates at universities and conferences on what Urban Design should be. However, in the constant making and re-making of urban and rural space, Urban Design has a tenuous and weak presence. This article interrogates the rather low profile of Urban Design in the country and why it is not growing or better positioned compared to other countries. This is done through a discussion of three cases that illustrate the often incidental making of great public spaces in contrast to the thoroughly planned approach. The article argues that spontaneous projects of high quality, rather than over-planned projects, where shortcomings result from this preoccupation to rationalise, often have a greater potential to strengthen the role and value of Urban Design. Such an approach would favour incremental, flexible and sensitive proposals and interventions where spontaneity and adaptation are recognised and celebrated, as well as support the notion that urban design should set a framework for many role players to respond to in shaping the city.

Stedelike Ontwerp in Suid-Afrika as ’n formele beroep het ’n relatiewe kort geskiedenis. In die praktyk was daar egter baie voorbeelde van wat beskou word as beide goeie en slegte stedelike ontwerp. Daar was ook al talle debatte by universiteite en konferensies oor wat stedelike ontwerp moet wees. Nietemin, by die voortdurende vervaardiging en herbou van stedelike en landelike ruimtes is Stedelike Ontwerp egter vaag en swak verteenwoordig. Hierdie artikel ondersoek die redelik lae profiel van stedelike ontwerp in die land en die rede hoekom dit nie groei of beter geposisioneer is in vergelyking met ander lande nie. Dit word gedoen deur ‘n bespreking van drie gevallestudies wat die dikwels toevallige maak van goeie openbare ruimtes illustreer in teenstelling met die deeglik beplande benadering. Die artikel argumenteer dat spontane projekte van hoë gehalte, eerder as oorbeplande projekte gebaseer op ’n beheptheid om te rasionaliseer, dikwels ’n groter potensiaal het om die rol en waarde van stedelike ontwerp te versterk. So ’n benadering sal eerder fokus op inkrementele, buigsame en sensitiewe voorstelle en intervensies waar spontaneiteit en aanpassing erken en gevier word, asook die idee dat stedelike ontwerp ’n raamwerk moet vorm vir baie rolspelers om saam te werk om die stad te vorm.

Moralo wa motse setoropo Afrika Borwa jwalo ka profeshene e molaong, o na le nalane/histori e kgutshwane. Le ha ho le jwalo, tshebetsong, ho bile le mehlala e mengata ya tseo di shejwang ka hore bobedi, ke moralo o motle hape le o mobe wa toropo. Hape ho bile le dipuisano tse ngata diyunivesithing le dikhonferenseng ka seo moralo wa toropo o tlamehileng ho ba sona. Le ha ho le jwalo, ketso le ketso botjha e sa fetoheng ya sebaka sa toropo le mahae, moralo wa toropo o na le boteng bo sa bonahaleng le bo fokolang. Atikele ena e botsollotsa profaele e tlase ya moralo wa toropo ka hare ho naha le hore ke hobaneng e sa hole kapa e bewe hantle papisong le dinaha tse ding. Sena se etswa ka puisano ya diketsahalo tse tharo tse bontshang ketso ya ka boomo ya ka mehla ya dibaka tse kgolo tsa batho bohle ho fapana le mokgwa/tsela e entsweng ka kelohloko. Atikele ena e phea kgang ya hore diprojeke tsa maemo a hodimo tse etswang ka ho rata, e seng tse rerilweng ho feta tekano e bile ditshito tse hlahang ho tswa ho tlhokeho ena ya ho etsa diphethoho , hangata di na le bokgoni bo bongata ba ho tiisa mosebetsi le boleng ba moralo wa toropo. Katamelo ya mofuta ona e ka thusa ditlhahiso le boqapi bo eketsehileng, bo fetohang ha bobebe le bo thonkgehang ha bobebe, moo teng dintho tse etswang ka ho rata le boitlwaetso di bonwang, le ho ketekwa; hammoho le ho tshehetsa kgopolo ya hore moralo wa motse setoropo, o tlamehile ho etsa moralo wa tshebetso bakeng sa bankakarolo ho arabela popong ya toropo.