Tackling Urban Open Space Encroachment in a South African Township: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Urban open spaces are becoming extinct and spatial patterns of urban land use are severely affected. The changes in land use and occupancy patterns on urban open spaces have led to value conflicts in terms of the quest for sustainable neighbourhoods. This affects the value of urban open spaces, land use management, preservation and sustainability of open spaces. As such, this study seeks to explore, in its entirety, the incidence of urban open space encroachment in Mangaung Township, Free State Province of South Africa. A qualitative case study research design was adopted in the study. The accruing data was analyzed thematically relying on a set of pre-set themes that evolved from literature. The study identified the drivers propelling the incidence of this malaise, chronicles the plethora of strategies which have been implemented to curtail its continued occurrence and it highlights the strengths and weaknesses of these strategies. The study’s findings highlight high cost of the available land for housing, poor sustenance and management of municipal land by municipality officials, non-participation of community members in planning processes, and poor enforcement of land use regimes which remain salient contributors to the preponderance of open space encroachment. These findings have immense implications for planning practitioners and other professionals involved in urban planning and socio-economic development praxes both within the province and beyond.