A Lefebvrian Analysis of Public Spaces in Mangaung, South Africa

Ernestina S. Nkooe

doi:10.17645/up.v3i3.1363

Abstract

Hoffman Square, Driehoek Neighbourhood Park and Old Regional Park are public spaces in Mangaung. Henri Lefebvre’s The Production of Space and Elements of Rhythmanalysis are explored in the analysis of these public spaces’ organised representations, representational uses and rhythmic spatial practices. This article found that: (1) public spaces in Mangaung are lived spaces that are regularly appropriated by inhabitants whose unpoliced social practices of vandalism and littering—along with the harsh regional climate—deteriorate the physical quality of the public spaces, secreting environmental incivility in the public spaces; (2) cyclical rhythms of night and day times have a practical impact on the spatial practices of each public space in spite of their design and location. For example, day-time entails high and rapid levels of public space uses while night-time diffuses these dynamics significantly; and (3) Mangaung’s spatial plans encourage the liberal uses of its public spaces however, it fails to enforce its by-laws to curb experienced physical decay of, and environmental incivility in, the public spaces. This increases the vulnerability of its public spaces to external shocks—emanating from nature and society—thus depriving the public spaces of an opportunity to be perceived as alternatives for urban regeneration and local economic revitalisation.

Highlights

Public spaces—like streets, squares and parks—facilitate social interactions, movements and flows of people and things in cities
The spatial politics explored and experienced in Mangaung are significantly different from traditional politics of public space uses from elsewhere
In Mangaung, public spaces are not used as common sites for collective protest action and perpetual marginalization by neoliberal capitalism

Summary

Introduction

Public spaces—like streets, squares and parks—facilitate social interactions, movements and flows of people and things in cities. While fear and crime caused whites to relocate from post-apartheid inner cities to suburbs to live in gated residential developments (Dirsuweit, 2002; Dirsuweit & Wafer, 2006; Landman, 2006), Africans flooded inner cities, changing the socio-economic structure of post-apartheid urban landscapes. These changes led to a radical wave of privatisation of public spaces, perpetuating apartheid spatial exclusion and social segregation (Ramoroka & Tsheola, 2014). Research content for this article was generated through spatial ethnographic techniques of participant observation in the identified public spaces, which generated more than 20 hours of interview data over a four-month period from mid-June to late-October 2017

The Production of Space and Rhythmanalysis

Mangaung: A South African Secondary City

Bloemfontein CBD: A Brief Introduction

Hoffman Square

Thaba Nchu CBD: A Brief Introduction

Driehoek Neighbourhood Park

Old Regional Park

The Rhythms and Spatial Practices of Mangaung’s Public Spaces

Conclusion