Investigating the perceived effects of street art in Urban Regeneration, Gentrification and on the local community in Cape Town's Woodstock and Salt River

Douglas, Kathlyn

Investigating the perceived effects of street art in Urban Regeneration, Gentrification and on the local community in Cape Town's Woodstock and Salt River

Master Thesis

2021

Abstract

The phenomenon of gentrification is a controversial and heated issue globally, but there is nowhere more so than in South Africa. The country's legacy of Apartheid has meant that those most vulnerable to displacement are typically previously disadvantaged citizens and a lack of government intervention in the gentrification process is often compared by the media to the forced removals and neighbourhood segregation seen under Apartheid. Today, governments and municipalities are saddled with the task of trying to regenerate areas and inspire investment, whilst simultaneously protecting previously disadvantaged communities and responding to pressures for low-income housing options in city neighbourhoods. The aim of this thesis is to explore the role of street art in both gentrification and urban regeneration in Cape Town's Woodstock and Salt River areas in order to ascertain how it effects existing community members, business owners and in-movers with the hope that this would assist in more informed decisions around urban regeneration. A mixed-method research methodology was applied, consisting of 161 street surveys with passerbys at four different street art sites, 108 surveys with business owners and property professionals, and 11 semi-structured interviews with informed people such as artists, tour guides, city councillors and organisation leaders. The findings revealed an overall positive sentiment towards street art by various participating groups (including long-standing community members and business owners) and a perception that it plays a powerful positive role in regenerating areas. However, it also revealed that cultural and historical representation in street art holds importance to long-standing communities and that government intervention and strategies should be explored to curb any gentrifying effect it may have.

Keywords

Property Studies

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