The Relations between people and urban nature in the City of Tshwane, through the lenses of Place identity and therapeutic value

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.