Privatized public space in Johannesburg and Nairobi: unexpected opportunities for sociability in highly segregated cities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Public spaces in the historic cores of Johannesburg and Nairobi are currently being reshaped by informality, neoliberal spatial practices, and fear. Historically, colonialism and apartheid denied the ‘publicness’ of such spaces. Critics lament that post-democratization privatization exacerbates urban fragmentation. Others highlight the failures of government to provide and maintain public space. This study reveals a tangled spectrum of user perceptions which this article captures through visualizing the ‘urban motif’. The findings suggest that the pluralization of public space management offers unexpected opportunities to foster arenas for multifarious forms of sociability in otherwise highly segregated cities.