OpenUCT :: Browsing by Author "Winkler, Tanja"

Browsing by Author "Winkler, Tanja"

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Open Access
A critical analysis on the efficiency of property development approval processes in the City of Cape Town
(2023) Webster, Simon; Winkler, Tanja
The Western Cape Government Economic War Room has identified that land-use management in the City of Cape Town is inefficient. Coupled with the fact that there is a housing crisis within the City of Cape Town, it is imperative that such inefficiencies are addressed with urgency. Current development regulations in the City of Cape Town are said to be hindering the involvement of the private sector in the property development space and adding unnecessary delays to the property development sector in general. This paper will argue that a reason for this can be attributed to convoluted legislation linked to property development approval processes, that is being too rigidly interpreted and not administered efficiently. There is therefore a need to understand how the overall development application system is run, especially in relation to the land use and building plan application processes, to assist in identifying the inefficiencies affecting the property development space as a whole. This will allow pragmatic solutions to be formulated and expanded on, to better expound how a more efficient development environment can be created. A further important factor in better understanding the property development space, is comprehending the context within which it functions. Namely, the governance systems which affect it, the laws and regulations applicable to it, and the lack of emphasis on saving time throughout the application process. The purpose of this paper is to show where the inefficiencies lie in the land use management and building development management application processes, and why such inefficiencies may be happening. This paper will also discuss and recommend further topics that should be studied in order to resolve the various issues named. The methodology used to achieve the aforementioned was a mixed method of data collection, which encompassed various interviews with experts working within the property and planning development fields, iterative communication with these professionals, and literature reviews. In sum, there is no one answer to the identified issues as there are many interconnected complexities that must be dealt with in order to address the inefficiencies effectively. What is clear however, is that the current implementation of administrative penalties by the City of Cape Town are causing major capacity issues within the Development Management department and Municipal Planning Tribunal, and which ultimately has a ripple effect on the system as a whole.
Open Access
An investigation into the role of women in the spatial planning and development of their settlements that are under the custodianship of traditional leaders: A case study of Cala in Sakhisizwe Municipality, Eastern Cape
(2021) Sigwela, Noziphiwo Margaret; Winkler, Tanja
This study aims to unpack the planning strategies employed by women who live on communal lands in the rural regions of the Eastern Cape. In South Africa, traditional leaders are the custodians of communal lands. Their patriarchal nature tends to negate gender equalities as envisaged and prescribed in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa through the Bill of Rights. As a result of this patriarchal nature, women find themselves having to navigate spaces which are embedded with customary laws that continue to uplift the status of men over women. The study investigates how women in communal areas access land, deal with social and economic vulnerabilities and, most of all, how they add their voices to the planning and public decision making processes of their communities. Unequal gender relations and structural inequalities are brought to light by means of the research findings presented in this dissertation. Women's involvement public decision making processes is studied in other academic fields, including in politics, anthropology and sociology. However, such studies are not as extensively in the planning field, specifically with respect to planning in rural areas. Planning in South Africa is understood as a study that tends, more often than not, to focus on cities rather than on rural contexts (as research findings demonstrate). The research method employed in this study is the case study research method, and Cala, which is located on communal lands and which falls within the political jurisdiction of the Sakhisizwe Local Municipality, is the case under study. An in depth investigation of the following themes (in turn, resulted in the establishment of subsidiary research questions) is presented in the subsequent chapters: feminism and black feminism; the South African Constitution; the Traditional Authority Act; the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act; communal lands; and lessons from Kenya and Tanzania. Research findings demonstrate a mismatch between the legislation and everyday practices found in Cala. Women are still finding it difficult to navigate traditional spaces. They do not have enough representation in planning and public decision making structures, and, as a result, they remain disadvantaged. In response, planning policy recommendations are presented in the final chapter
Open Access
Conversations with tradition: faith-based community development through the Eden Network in Cape Town
(2018) Kirkby, Heather; Winkler, Tanja; Ngwenya, Nobukhosi
Community development is a tool in urban planning that, when used in contexts in the global South, can be used to perpetuate forms of "worlding" (Roy, 2011). "Worlding" tracks the way that urban models travel in asymmetrical ways from the global North to the global South. Christian Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs), in particular, are sites where this type planning is done. The perpetuation of asymmetries between the global North and the global South lies, partially, in Christianity's connection to iterations of urban citizenship. In the contemporary era, faith-based community development inhabits an ambivalent space, where it draws on Enlightenment traditions to legitimate action, while also invoking hope and conviviality in everyday local settings. I investigate the work that FBOs do in community development through a case study of the Eden Project in Salt River, Cape Town. I use a combination of desktop research, unobtrusive observation and interview, which I analyse using discourse analysis. I also review literature related to FBO community development. Through a thorough review of the literature on FBOs, I establish a set of assessment criteria by which I assess the case study. In the course of this research, I find that the Eden Network SA is an assemblage, which draws on global forms, or principles. These forms are assemblages because they adapt to the heterogeneous conditions of local areas. The Eden Network SA reiterates a version of "worlding", while also subverting parochialisms. The Eden Network SA invokes hope in its capacity to hold the tension between systemic concerns, while also acting on possibilities in particularised settings. These possibilities frequently relate to welfare functions, which means that this network plays a governance function in the local area it locates in. I suggest that FBOs are well-positioned for relational community development work. However, this work should be done in receptive, respectful ways that seek to join the daily life of the neighbourhood. This is the case because relationship-building is the primary foundation for participating in the life of an area. This requires a move away from goal-, or programme-led efforts to undertake community development, in favour of being in relationship with people, on their own terms.
Open Access
Crash landing in Cape Town : testing the port-of-entry conceptualisation and examining Cape Town's spatial policy for cognisance of migrant's diverse spatial and livelihood strategies
(2013) East, Christopher Mark; Winkler, Tanja
Since the fall of Apartheid, and the subsequent dawn of democracy, South Africa has increasingly become a destination space for asylum seekers and refugees from throughout Africa. It is apparent that many of these asylum seekers and refugees (collectively defined as migrants within this dissertation) although granted comprehensive rights by the South African Constitution, are unable to access or 'realise' these rights. Migrants throughout the country have been encouraged to integrate into South African society and become active agents of their own integration. This has resulted in the Department of Home Affairs granting all individuals in possession of an asylum seeker permit the right to work, negating the need for work permits within migrant communities. This has resulted in most migrant communities living within the urban fabrics of South Africa's cities. As Cape Town has become a primary destination space for migrants, its spatial policy requires cognisance of their diverse spatial and livelihood strategies in order to augment, rather than undermine, their mechanisms of integration. Port-of-entry neighbourhoods, as documented in cities such as New York and Johannesburg, are neighbourhoods in which such mechanisms manifest, deeming them strategic areas for newcomers to the city. The aims of this dissertation are firstly to construct a fine-grained case study of migrants' spatial and livelihood patterns within Cape Town, and in so doing test the port-of-entry conceptualisation within the Cape Town context. Increasingly apparent in Cape Town's case study is the emerging spatial pattern of migrant rich neighbourhoods. This pattern is emerging in a bilinear fashion in the old, often degrading, middle class neighbourhoods that straddle the northern and southern rail lines. Secondly, this dissertation aims to test and analyse Cape Town's spatial policy for its cognisance towards these spatial and livelihood strategies. Evident within Cape Town's spatial policy is the pursuit of spatial justice and rectification of the city's spatial marginalisation, yet there is no cognisance of the diverse migrant strategies within the city. Lastly, this paper suggests an alternative planning approach for Cape Town's migrant rich neighbourhoods, particularly Maitland, Parow and Bellville, which strongly exhibit the characteristics normally found in port-of-entry neighbourhoods. A number of non-spatial migrant policy suggestions are also promulgated in order to rectify the on-going marginalisation of migrants within South African society.
Open Access
Crime prevention through spatial planning : the case of Harare, Khayelitsha
(2015) Fester, Ryan Nicholas; Winkler, Tanja
Defensible space aims to provide residents with the power to control their residential environment, so that they will defend it against any threat. While the literature on defensible space is prolific, and while its principles are still being adapted for different contexts across the world, critiques of defensible space indicate that its validity for different contexts is questionable and necessitates further exploration. This paper explores how the implementation of defensible space principles in the Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU) safe node area of Harare, Khayelitsha has reduced crime rates and anti-social behaviour. Furthermore, it also aims to provide planners with knowledge regarding VPUU's prescription to defensible space principles. The research was conducted primarily through the use of the case study method, and a critical discourse analysis of VPUU's urban design principles. Harare's crime statistics were analysed through the use of mixed methods, in order to gain an understanding of how crime has been affected in the area. Interviews with locals from Harare provided insight on how residents perceived safety in their area after VPUU's intervention. Observations were also made in order to understand how the intervention area functions and how people use it. Cognitive mapping was done with primary school children to ascertain their perceptions of safety in Harare. The research findings revealed that the implementation of defensible space principles in Harare has improved the quality of public space, but it has not reduced crime rates or anti-social behaviour. Moreover, the main finding revealed that crime was not solely a result of design flaws, but rather as a result of the social conditions in the neighbourhood. As a result, the main recommendation was that crime prevention strategies should not focus solely on design but should address the social conditions present. The researcher argues that the implementation of defensible space principles should be context-driven, because what works in one context will not necessarily work in another.
Open Access
Deciphering spaces of and for participation: The subversion of community participation and rights in the urban land restitution process of District Six
(2018) Fortuin, Alicia; Winkler, Tanja
The Land Restitution Act 22 of 1994 affords historically dispossessed person to return areas from which they were forcibly removed. With a focus on urban restitution this dissertation looks at why the restitution of land in District Six has been slow and fraught with frustrations and delays. This dissertation assess the participatory planning processes in the restitution and redevelopment of land in order to gain nuanced and deeper understanding of why, the state's ideal of restorative justice has not been realised. Through a qualitative research approach, the study focuses on the case of District Six, studying the spaces of participation from 1994 -2013. Findings reveal that many want a stake in District Six, none more so than the community themselves. The findings reveal how state-led spaces of participation remain tokenistic in nature and on the other hand community led spaces of participation offers historically marginalised groups an opportunity to realise their rights. Recommendations are aimed at how planners can intervene to improve these spaces and contribute to making more inclusionary spaces.
Open Access
Enabling 'just' forms of regeneration in Woodstock, Cape Town
(2016) Rolls, Lewin; Winkler, Tanja
The dominance of market-led regeneration has the ability to incapacitate the working class individuals' ability to remain in central inner-city neighbourhoods. The inner-city neighbourhood of Woodstock in Cape Town appears to reflect this problem through private sector development that results in the increase of property prices to the detriment of low-income residents. Research indicates that a large proportion of Woodstock residents cannot afford the resulting increase in cost of living, and resort to living in temporary relocated areas remote from economic opportunities and social amenities. Municipal planners are unable to solve proceeding issues from this type of 'unjust' regeneration, however, it is integral for them to enable more 'just' forms of regeneration which mitigates the impact on lower-income residents. In order to respond to this problem, the present study draws largely from Fainstein's (2010) concept of the 'Just City' which reflect the principles of equity, diversity and democracy. In turn, a theoretical framework was established which assessed the extent to which Woodstock performs as a 'Just City'. The case study and oral history data collection method were used. Research techniques included semistructured in-depth interviews, non-participant-observations, mapping techniques of the current situation, document analysis, and an oral history interview. In addition, informal conversations and personal communication, also played a role in this study. Key findings reveal how Woodstock lacks in a number of requirements to indicate a strong presence of urban justice. Regarding equity; there are minimal affordable housing units and a high demand for social housing. Non-Governmental Organisations take the lead in finding bottom-up strategies to benefit marginalised residents. Furthermore, the Urban Development Zone Tax-incentive does not benefit a wide range of individuals beyond long-time property holders. Regarding diversity; although varied public spaces exist, their 'gated' character reveals an inherent social fragmentation. Despite this, zoning, and land-uses speak towards mixed-used and inclusionary potential. Regarding democracy; residents have representation through activist organisations, yet are still not on an equal footing when it comes to decision-making. In order for planners to enable 'just' forms of regeneration, recommendations are made to create a social housing stock, recast the current urban development tax incentive, and prioritize bottom-up strategies. Further recommendations include the establishment of a 'Woodstock Local Area Overlay Zone', promote Amin's (1999) concept of 'institutional thickness', and to enable community activities through working alongside urban designers.
Open Access
Enhancing integrated development planning to alleviate the legacy of apartheid planning
(2016) Mokgalong, Samuel; Winkler, Tanja
The research serves to gain a deeper understanding as to the reasons behind the persistence of the apartheid planning legacy. This is done through a discourse analysis of integrated development planning, a planning tool introduced into South Africa to address the consequences of apartheid. Thus the aim of the Research is to: 1. Understand the underlying values and meanings of the discourses used in the many iterations of the City's Integrated Development Plans (IDPs); 2. Explore if, and how, these values and meanings have changed since 2002; 3. Establish what has prompted a change in the adopted values and meanings contained within the different iterations of the City's IDPs; and 4. Critically assess how altered values and meanings have impacted on planning actions and outcomes. Research Methods used are the case study method, discourse analysis, institutional ethnography and archival research. More specifically, a case study on Cape Town and a discourse analysis of different iterations of the City's IDP (a method done in conjunction with archival research). These IDPs being the 2002, 2007 and 2012 IDP. The findings show that the values and meanings have indeed changed since the 2002 IDP. This change is mainly attributed to the dynamic nature of Cape Town's political context over time, as well as its socio-economic context. This change has resulted in the poor no longer being prioritized and empowered through integrated development planning. It is also seen that the shift towards a more managerial approach to planning, which is seen in the IDP, has come at the expense of actions and outcomes which successfully redress the legacy of apartheid planning. A result which clearly contributes to the persistence of the apartheid planning legacy.
Open Access
Evaluating the impacts of a state led relocation project on beneficiaries' housing satisfactions: Pelican Park as a case study
(2016) Mashazhu, Nigel; Winkler, Tanja
The dissertation evaluates the impacts of state relocation projects on beneficiaries housing satisfaction. The government embarks on relocation projects as a means to address massive housing backlog. One of the main drawbacks with relocation projects is locational disadvantage. The broad aim of this dissertation is to evaluate the impacts of a state led relocation project on beneficiary housing satisfaction. The research method employed in the study was the case study based on a state project used for the evaluation process. In order to evaluate beneficiary housing satisfaction, I set an impact assessment criteria specifically (1) enabling mobility; (2) enabling choice; (3) meeting economic needs; (4) meeting physical needs (5) meeting social needs and enabling access to public services; (6); enabling security of tenure; and (7) environmental resilience. The study findings revealed that beneficiaries were highly dissatisfied with their housing. The main driving factor to dissatisfaction was unfavourable location of the settlement which resulted in accessibility challenges to Cape Town central business district, socio-economic opportunities and transport. The relocation process impacted greatly on livelihood strategies of beneficiaries. Beneficiary aspirations were not met. The contribution of the study is not only to unveil the mismatch in state housing projects but also to ensure that future state assisted projects are delivered on quality approach as opposed to quantity approach.
Open Access
On urban fear: privilege, symbolic violence, topophobia: the everyday experiences of middle-class women in Secunda, South Africa
(2017) Paquet, Tarryn Nicole Kennedy; Winkler, Tanja
I consider how the nature and meaning of space shape middle-class women's topophobia in the new town of Secunda (with a particular focus on symbolic violence). In Lefebvre's 'terrorist societies' fear becomes latent as citizens seek to maintain status quos which maintain systems of privilege. I demonstrate that one such system is white privilege. Secunda assists in maintaining these systems as its design draws heavily on Eurocentric values and new town 'best practices'. As a company town developed in reaction to international sanctions during apartheid, its design also resulted in the preservation of certain privileged groups. I argue that white privilege is a white problem and thus base my study on the (white) middle-class as a dominant group. I show that the identities of women (although traditionally viewed as passive and fearful) are diverse, falling both victim to and inflicting symbolic violence and topophobia. I focus on topophobia, or spatial fear, as fear affects us all and influences our shaping of urban space. The mutually reinforcing nature (abstract representations of the ideologies of planners) and meaning (infused through emotions, identities and power relations) of space are explored. I dispute the bias against emotion-based research that exists within planning, arguing that this has debilitating consequences for transformation. I suggest the use of intersecting emotion-spectra rather than the dichotomous approach conventionally taken by emotion research. A feminist ethnography is used with an iterative inductive research process engaging a variety of techniques, including digital/social media. My own multiple insider identities (of middle-class, white, English-Afrikaans woman, and planner) are used to critique systems of dominance. Findings highlight various forms of symbolic violence (in addition to white privilege) including codes of 'respectability' and 'purity', consumerism, fat talk, and persistent gender roles. Further, possible influences of dominant systems on space (particularly in reinforcing persistent social segregation in Secunda) are demonstrated. Symbolic violence can be used to deflect accountability, but this research shows that topophobia is a planning problem, worthy of consideration.
Open Access
Planning in Cape Towns interstices: case studies of informal land occupations in Cape Town, South Africa
(2023) Ngwenya, Nobukhosi; Winkler, Tanja
Participatory planning has been institutionalised through planning legislation in most Western-style democracies since the 1940s. Irrespective of the variability in how participation is conducted in different contexts, participation is regarded as desirable. That is, provided participation activities and processes do not flout laws or infringe the property rights of others in the manner that informal land occupations do. Often characterised as a problem, informal land (whereby land is defined broadly to include vacant and under-utilised buildings) occupations and, consequently, the numbers of autoconstructed and retrofitted housing have not only continued apace since 1994 in South Africa, they have intensified in scale, frequency, and level of organisation. The aim of this research is to develop a theoretical understanding of informal land occupations from the residents' (read occupiers') perspectives. These citizen-led place making practices, which have not yet been fully theorised in Southern planning literature, constitute the issue under study. Thus, the main research question is: What strategies and tactics are used by residents to claim and sustain urban spaces in Cape Town, South Africa? To answer this question, the research employed the case study and discourse analysis methods. The four cases for this research were located in Green Point, Woodstock, and Khayelitsha. Fourteen (14) semi-structured interviews and five (5) focus groups were conducted to gain the perspectives of a range of actors in the spatial planning and human settlements sectors, namely occupiers, professional planners working within local government and non-government organisations (NGOs), activists, elected local government officials, and bureaucrats within local and provincial government departments. Additional data in the form of government publications, namely policy documents, legislation, and transcripts of Parliamentary debates and Council meeting minutes to mention a few, as well as photographs, media statements and articles was also collected in the period between 2016 and 2022. This data was analysed through an iterative cycle of open, axial and selective coding. The findings indicate that residents claim spaces, namely land and building, that are perceived to be vacant or underutilised. These spaces, which whilst requiring the (re)construction of housing or retrofitting, are suitable for a range of land uses. These spaces are residual in nature, nonsynchronous, accommodate new or atypical performances, create uncertainty and new rules. These spaces are claimed through bold, bi-directional discursive and physical strategies and tactics. Occupations are initiated through mobilisation, which continues for the occupation's lifespan in order to re-mobilise existing residents and to mobilise (additional)support and resourcesfor the movement. Once the occupation is under way, autoconstruction, retrofitting, repair, and maintenance activities are undertaken. These activities, along with discursive strategies and performative repertoires, enable residents to sustain their claims. The findings also highlight that these processes occur in the city's interstices, with many of these spaces being left vacant or underutilised as a result of the city's growth. Within these spaces of possibility, residents' visionsforthe city are ineffectively realised. These visions are based on inherited imaginations that, in turn, are founded on both Western and African philosophical and theological currents. And, it is from this intellectual foundation that the radicality of informal land occupations emerges. On this intellectual foundation, residents strive to foster an African sense of self, re-affirm their humanity and dignity whilst highlighting alternative solutions for dealing with their current reality.
Open Access
Public finance mechanisms for urban infrastructure: A case study of the MyCiTi BRT, Cape Town
(2018) Macauley, Ryan Manzie; Winkler, Tanja; Ngwenya, Nobukhosi
With tight budgets and shifts in the global economy, urban infrastructure has become a critical investment municipalities are struggling to fund. Innovative land-based financing tools have emerged as a means of funding critical urban infrastructure. At times, land-based financing tools enable local municipalities to meet their spatial goals. This dissertation reports on research highlights the potential applicability of land-based financing tools in cities of the Global South, namely Cape Town. The findings show that the City of Cape Town has the necessary supportive regulatory frameworks, urban planning policies and robust market conditions to use the land-based financing tools. While harnessing land value to partially fund infrastructure is not new, this study provides hearty evidence for policy makers and practitioners who seek to transform the spatial legacy of apartheid in a tangible way.
Open Access
The Pursuit of Urban Justice: Managing processes of decline and regeneration in Salt River, Cape Town
(2013) Ngwenya, Nobukhosi; Winkler, Tanja
Since the 1990s, Salt River has undergone significant changes to its socio-economic, cultural and physical structures due to the withdrawal of both public and private investments from the area. These changes are interpreted by the City of Cape Town (CoCT) as an indication that Salt River is in decline and, consequently, in need of regeneration. In response to this perception, the CoCT has developed a number of spatial frameworks and plans to guide regeneration in the area. This dissertation assesses the manner in which 'neighbourhood change' is taking place in Salt River, and how the CoCT is facilitating and managing this change. I develop a theoretical framework using Fanstein's (2010) concept of the 'just city' and consequently I establish criteria for urban justice. These are used in this research to assess the manner in which neighbourhood change is occurring in Salt River and how the CoCT is facilitating and managing this change. The main research question thus asks: How should municipal planners and policymakers engage more effectively with processes of decline and regeneration that are leading to changes in the spatial and socio-economic fabric of Salt River? The research uses the case study, oral history and discourse analysis methods to address this question. Data is collected through non-participant observation, oral history and individual semi-structured interview techniques. The focus is on capturing the views and opinions of users of Salt River; more specifically, the area's long-term residents. The research findings indicate that only the residential parts of Lower Salt River are in decline. The commercial portions of Salt River are regenerating. In adopting a minimal intervention stance in relation to the regeneration of Salt River, the CoCT has left the market to direct regeneration in the case area. Municipal planners need to take the lead in the regeneration of Salt River to ensure that social development is prioritised and that working class households do not continue bearing the costs of regeneration. I recommend that municipal planners and policy makers create a social development framework for the area in conjunction with all residents. Moreover, municipal planners and policy makers should mandate that affordable housing be kept as affordable housing in perpetuity and that one-to-one replacement policies for affordable housing be established. This will ensure that affordable housing in the area is not lost and consequently, that working class households are not displaced as property and land values in the area increase.
Open Access
Reconceptualising Conservation: Towards Updating a Section of the District Plan for Driftsands
(2023) Winkler, Alexandra; Winkler, Tanja
With the threat of Climate change combined with rapid urban expansion, the threat to natural systems is increasingly dire (Korten, 2022). Historically, the entities of nature and people have long been pitted against each other within mainstream conservation (Kiwango & Mabele, 2022). Conservation has often been seen as a tool for the elite to control land and land use, often at the expense of marginalised communities (Kepe & Mollett, 2018). However, with the increasing threat to protected areas, there has been an emergence of alternative conservation strategies, including convivial and decolonial conservation. The dissertation will utilise the Driftsands Area as a case study to consider and investigate alternative conservation methods with a particular focus on water management. The site has seen the encroachment of people into the Nature Reserve, which has degraded the space leading to the initiation of the process of de-proclamation of the site (WCG, 2021). The needs and priories of people and nature seem in direct conflict, where setters are in need of land to settle however, this is threatening the ecosystems in the space and also posing a threat to people as some setters have moved into the flood zone (WCG, 2021). There is thus a need to consider this site as a case study to rethinking conservation. The site provides an opportunity for planners to reconsider alternative methods of conservation. Therefore, the aim of the study is to introduce a layer of the sub-district plan that includes concepts that allow for people and nature to be protected together within the site and gives special consideration to protecting the valuable ecosystem systems in the area, notably the water systems (Kuils River and Wetlands) in this space. The case study of Driftsands will be supported by desktop research, a site visit and expert interviewees in the space to introduce and develop alternative methods to conserve the site. The study showed that there are alternative methods to protect nature and people; importantly, in Driftsands, the flood zone can be introduced as a promoted rather than a protected area, namely by introducing concepts such as a multi-use urban park and identifying areas for relocation of the settlements at risk in the flood zone. The layer of the sub-district plan for Driftsands can serve as a base late for future plans. This research can contribute to the various case studies and studies around alternative conservation methods and aim to add to the various examples of sites and cases that utilised the imminent de-proclamation as an opportunity to rethink and reconceptualise urban conservation.
Open Access
The right to a 'world class city'?: street trading, public space and urban governance in the Cape Town city centre
(2018) Horber, Jens; Winkler, Tanja
There is a long history of street trading restriction in South Africa, and the relocation of traders from key public spaces in Cape Town, in connection with renovation and construction for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, highlighted the contested nature of street trading in the Cape Town city centre. The Grand Parade, South Africa's oldest public space, sits adjacent to the city's major public transport hub, and plays a vital role in the daily lives of many city residents. Therefore, public space contestations, and the informal sector's importance in job creation and poverty reduction, necessitate an investigation into the impacts of the City of Cape Town's street trading management approach on the livelihood strategies of traders on the Parade. I review relevant literature on street trading management, and develop criteria for assessing the City of Cape Town's street trading management approach. These criteria are linked to Lefebvre's (1968) and Fainstein's (2010) concepts of 'the right to the city' and 'the just city' respectively. The main research question thus asks: What is the impact of the City of Cape Town's street trading management approach on the livelihood strategies of traders on the Grand Parade? The research uses the case study and discourse analysis methods to address this question. Data is collected through nonparticipant observation and individual semi-structured interview techniques. The focus is on capturing the views and experiences of traders on the Grand Parade. The research findings indicate that the City of Cape Town tends to adopt a more restrictive approach to managing traders on the Grand Parade, and that this has, effectively, a negative impact on trader livelihoods. This approach serves to produce informal arrangements, aggression and resistance on the part of traders. A disjuncture is found between the stated developmental approach of the City's Informal Trading Policy (informed by national developmental policies) and its practices. The combination of organisational restructuring processes, confused mandates as well as the low political and funding priority given to street trading management has meant that the complex of socio-economic factors and persistent management issues on the Parade, that require interdepartmental cooperation to address, continue to negatively impact trader livelihoods. I recommend that the City of Cape Town, in line with the aims contained in its Informal Trading Policy, and inspired by the 'eThekwini model', implement a more progressive street trading management approach that is based on participatory and area-based approaches. A dedicated focus on capacitating trader organisations through training initiatives is recommended, as well as changes to trading permit application processes and conditions. Lastly, specific recommendations are also made to better enable livelihood strategies of street traders on the Grand Parade.
Open Access
The role of women in the formalisation of housing and placemaking: The case of the Victoria Mxenge housing project
(2024) Howard, Ashley; Winkler, Tanja
The formal housing system in Cape Town presents a daunting challenge, with a significant backlog and a growing demand for housing opportunities. Policy challenges persist, including the perception that informal settlements are temporary. Thus, there is a need for a more nuanced approach to housing provision. Furthermore, gender disparities in urban spaces compound issues of well-being, safety, and community-building. Women face obstacles in accessing employment, education, and basic services, limiting their economic independence and social agency. A gendered lens reveals intricate layers of complexity, where disparities in resource access perpetuate the marginalisation of women. Despite constitutional and legislative provisions, women still face obstacles in land ownership and housing access. Thus, there is a need to explore women's inclusion in the formalisation of housing and placemaking to redress the historical and systemic failings of the state. This dissertation examines the multifaceted challenges within informal settlements in Cape Town, South Africa. It delves into three key issues: gender inequalities, the formalisation process of housing, and the need for community-focused placemaking principles. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of a women-led organisation on the formalisation of housing in informal settlements and how this organisation enables a sense of community through placemaking principles. To these ends, a black feminist lens, radical planning theories and placemaking principles are employed as theoretical frameworks for this study, while the case under study is the Victoria Mxenge Housing Project in Philippi. Methodologically, qualitative research methods (case study method and discourse analysis) are utilised to answer the main and subsidiary research questions. The tools that are used for data collection are interviews and mapping. The results of this study show that women-led organisations have a positive impact on the formalisation of housing and the community in informal settlements. recommends planning interventions and policy changes that emphasise the importance of empowering women through the adoption of gender-sensitive approaches in community initiatives for meaningful, inclusive placemaking. Keywords: women empowerment, inclusive placemaking, access to land and housing, and gender-sensitive planning intervention
Open Access
Transitional housing as an inclusionary planning intervention: The pickwick transitional housing project
(2024) Siff, Enrique; Winkler, Tanja
This dissertation explores if and how transitional housing, as a state intervention, enhance the inclusion of disenfranchised residents in well-located neighbourhoods. The City has often been criticised for relocating evictees to its Temporary Relocation Areas (TRAs) on the urban edge, away from the city centres and places of employment. At least 75% of Cape Town's households continue to be excluded from accessing centrally located municipal services (Ndifuna Ukwazi, 2021), whilst ongoing evictions and displacements of hundreds of families from inner-city neighbourhoods culminate in “a systemic crisis that has been going on for over a decade” (Pillay, et al., 2017:2; also see Le Grange, 1985). In response to the ongoing housing crisis, transitional housing is increasingly being advocated for by state entities and non-government organisations (NGOs) as an alternative housing model to remedy aspects of the ever-escalating demands for affordable accommodation in Cape Town (and elsewhere in South Africa and globally). As such, this dissertation explore if and how the Pickwick Transitional Housing project meets the City's commitment and mandate to enable a more integrated and inclusive city for all. This research is explored by deploying discourse analysis and the case study methods (semistructure interviews and mapping research techniques). It focused on the Pickwick Transitional housing pilot project in Salt River, Cape Town as the case under study. It investigated a case of a group of people who had originally lived nearby in Woodstock, Cape Town, but who were ultimately forced to settle informally in the neighbourhood and had been relocated to the Pickwick facility in Salt River. Key discussions presented throughout this dissertation thus focus on: (1) the significance of transitional housing in enabling integrated and inclusive spatial planning outcomes; (2) the role of transitional housing in facilitating affordable housing options for poor and working-class residents in well-located areas; and (3) the prospects of transitional housing becoming alternative, and formal, mechanisms to remedy evictions and displacements from inner-city neighbourhoods undergoing gentrification. This research made policy recommendations for transitional housing, as well as recommendations targeted at legislation and some organisations.
Open Access
Urban regeneration through transit-oriented development: an initial perspective from the global South
(2015) Vandewater, Samuel; Winkler, Tanja
As cities age and change, certain areas begin to physically decay and suffer from the flight of both its residents, as well as socioeconomic activities. The means by which these areas are regenerated remains an issue for many cities, who are unable to reconnect these places with opportunities needed to thrive. In response to this challenge, transit-oriented developments have become a more recent, sustainable form of urban growth that allow people to navigate a city's socioeconomic activities and opportunities through well-established modes of transportation. This has the potential to create cities in which people are able to have a 'live, work, play' lifestyle, supported by various modes of public transportation that also connects them to the broader urban context. The case study method is used to determine the viability of utilising transit-oriented developments as a path for enabling urban regeneration and to examine a space in need of regeneration that is also well-connected to various modes of urban transportation. Bellville Central provides an example of attempts to address urban decay through various efforts of regeneration, with the insights of the users of the space became invaluable resources for the study. The users found that safety, walkability, and transportation were of the utmost importance and should be improved to help regenerate the area, while other data suggested a need for more diverse socioeconomic activities. The results of the study reveal many overlapping principles such as notions of liveability, that, while aimed at different goals, use methods that are often complementary or even identical to each other, thus regenerative interventions should include additional theories (like transit-oriented development) and broader, inclusive impacts.
Open Access
Valuing waste and wasting value: rethinking planning with informality by learning from skarrelers in Cape Town's Southern Suburbs
(2015) van Heerden, Adam David; Winkler, Tanja
Since the collaborative turn, planning has been 'captive to an inclusionary view of society' and to the assumed value that public participation automatically confers on development outcomes. In the global South however, the extreme diversity of people and activities coupled with 'advanced marginality', perhaps inspires different interpretations of 'public' and 'private' space and the activities enacted within each, as well as of the universal acceptance and application of formal processes which aim 'to include'. In this dissertation I explore the implicit value of public participation when planning with informality, for 14 skarrelers in Cape Town's Southern Suburbs, as well as the potential for a 'deepening' of democracy through more genuine and flexible forms of engagement and learning. This involves research participants setting the terms and settings of engagement prior to the development of objectives. Joining research participants 'on the skarrel', I learn that ontologies are fluid rather than fixed, with skarrelers expressing different desires for inclusion than expected. I argue that, at the heart of such engagements with informally organised and/or marginalized groups, there should be an ethic of care and justice, with a morality that is based on responsibility and relationships rather than rights and rules. This suggests a relational approach to planning that embraces principles of democracy and pluralism, and of difference and multiculturalism - one that is thoroughly flexible in both form and ontology, and that is able to achieve far more nuanced conceptions of what it means to be included - with genuine intentions to plan with informality, rather than for it.

Browsing by Author "Winkler, Tanja"

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