Post-industrial urban quarries as places of recreation and the new wilderness – a South African perspective

Pieter Tobias Vosloo

doi:10.18820/2415-0495/trp72i1.4

Abstract

The objective of this article is threefold: To re-evaluate the concept of wilderness as a place to be experienced by human beings as part of their outdoor recreational needs; to investigate if reclaimed post-industrial urban quarries can fulfil these needs, and to investigate the legislative frameworks in South Africa within which such reclamation and re-use can be undertaken. The objective is not to present detailed case studies of post-industrial urban quarries that have been rehabilitated or redeveloped for a different land use, but rather to demonstrate the potential of such quarries. The majority of South Africa’s population is urbanised and has hardly any prospect, due to various constraints, of ever visiting natural or even ‘man-made wilderness’ areas for recreational purposes. The currently held concept of wilderness is critically evaluated and the need to change our perception of wilderness is discussed. The biophysical and socio-economic nature, as well as the legal framework, within which the redevelopment potential of our ubiquitous post-industrial urban quarries must be viewed, are examined to determine whether they can be reclaimed as outdoor recreation places and a new ‘urban wilderness’. It is shown, through a literature review and examining five case studies, that reclaimed quarries can satisfy urban dwellers’ innate need for outdoor recreational spaces and natural or wilderness areas, albeit man-made and despite the procedural challenges posed by the requirements of the South African regulatory urban spatial planning frameworks and Acts. Keywords: Derelict land, legislative frameworks, outdoor recreation, post-industrial urban sites, quarries, wilderness

Highlights

IntroductionThe mountains are calling and I must go.In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.(John Muir 1838-1914, in Wolfe, 1979: 313).This yearning by John Muir expresses a wish that is probably not attainable by the majority of urban dwellers who do not have the means to travel to often distant ‘natural’ nature areas.Over 63% of South Africa’s population is urbanised (RSA, 2011) and a sizeable number of them have no prospect, mainly due to financial constraints, of ever visiting natural or even ‘man-made wilderness’ areas for recreational purposes. Cronon (1996a: 85) deplores the fact that the so-called ‘wilderness experience’ is often viewed as a form of recreation enjoyed only by those “...whose class privileges give them the time and resources to leave their jobs behind...”
An analysis of the literature on this topic and case studies investigated has shown that post-industrial urban quarries’ biophysical and socio-economic attributes can lend them to be reclaimed as enclaves of ‘nature’ and ‘wilderness’ in urban settings; this could be described as transformative resilience, i.e., the ability to regenerate a collapsed natural or social system (Chapin et al, cited in Peres, Barker & Du Plessis, 2015: 40)
In addressing the three objectives of this article, first, to examine the concept of wilderness in an urbanised world, it has been shown that wilderness is a human construct and as such should be able to be redefined in a new paradigm that reflects expanding urbanism and decreasing ‘natural wilderness’ areas, while still recognising our need for access to ‘natural’ and ‘wilderness areas’

Summary

Introduction

The mountains are calling and I must go.In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.(John Muir 1838-1914, in Wolfe, 1979: 313).This yearning by John Muir expresses a wish that is probably not attainable by the majority of urban dwellers who do not have the means to travel to often distant ‘natural’ nature areas.Over 63% of South Africa’s population is urbanised (RSA, 2011) and a sizeable number of them have no prospect, mainly due to financial constraints, of ever visiting natural or even ‘man-made wilderness’ areas for recreational purposes. Cronon (1996a: 85) deplores the fact that the so-called ‘wilderness experience’ is often viewed as a form of recreation enjoyed only by those “...whose class privileges give them the time and resources to leave their jobs behind...”. The mountains are calling and I must go. (John Muir 1838-1914, in Wolfe, 1979: 313). This yearning by John Muir expresses a wish that is probably not attainable by the majority of urban dwellers who do not have the means to travel to often distant ‘natural’ nature areas. Over 63% of South Africa’s population is urbanised (RSA, 2011) and a sizeable number of them have no prospect, mainly due to financial constraints, of ever visiting natural or even ‘man-made wilderness’ areas for recreational purposes. Cronon (1996a: 85) deplores the fact that the so-called ‘wilderness experience’ is often viewed as a form of recreation enjoyed only by those “...whose class privileges give them the time and resources to leave their jobs behind...”

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Conclusion