Space and reconciliation: Cape Town and the South African City under transformation

Abstract

In contemporary South Africa, urban design has the potential to transform the spatial legacy of apartheid, and thereby to contribute to social and economic reconciliation. However, the contest between conflicting interests has not necessarily contributed to desirable public outcomes. The limitations of budgets, professional capacity and community participation each influence design interpretation and consequently the final ability to deliver. ‘State’ projects, in particular, attract limited budgets and must compete within the general laissez faire attitude to the development process that favours the private sector. However, a clear and distinguishable role for urban design has begun to emerge through the mechanism of the City's Muni-Spatial Development Framework. By working within this framework, the experiences of project implementation is contributing interpretative capacity through both realisation and post occupancy of projects. This paper will attempt to locate urban design attributes in the spatial transformation in South African cities and Cape Town in particular. In locating a range of competing projects, the paper will identify emerging and piecemeal sensibilities to design that rely on an individual architect's interpretation with both negative and positive consequences for urban renewal.'