Social and spatial exclusion in a coastal area of Cape Town: The case of Kalk Bay, St James and Fish Hoek
Master Thesis
2014
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University of Cape Town
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There are many areas in Cape Town and other South African cities, which historically have been diverse and integrated in terms of race and income. This research is concerned about the quality of these urban areas in light of numerous factors that have the potential to lead to social and spatial exclusion. The aim of this research is to focus on the coastal areas of Kalk Bay, St James and Fish Hoek situated on the Cape Peninsula as a case study of urban exclusion in a global South context. These areas are relatively economically mixed and, in the case of Kalk Bay, racially diverse. The research focuses on exclusion on the basis of income as economic exclusion is no longer strictly bounded by race in the post-apartheid period. The overarching research question asks: what are the extent and outcomes of factors that lead to the social and spatial exclusion of lower income urban residents in the Kalk Bay-St James-Fish Hoek study area? Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through interviews, document analysis, analysis of archival records and field observations. These research findings were interpreted according to an analytical framework consisting of eight significant factors that lead to the social and spatial exclusion of lower income urban residents in cities of the global South. The research finds that the factors that may be having the greatest exclusionary effect on lower income urban residents in the study area are: the lack of affordable housing and the limited potential for future development within the area; the financially exclusionary property market; the commercialisation and privatisation of public spaces; gradual processes of gentrification; exclusion from decision-making; and limited employment opportunities within the area. While current spatial policies in Cape Town seem to prioritise the spatial goals of integration and inclusion, they do not seem to address the economic factors that are often central to exclusion in the study area and in other areas of Cape Town. In light of these policy gaps, this study proposes a number of recommendations to address these exclusionary factors in the study area.
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Includes bibliographical references.
Reference:
Dyer, S. 2014. Social and spatial exclusion in a coastal area of Cape Town: The case of Kalk Bay, St James and Fish Hoek. University of Cape Town.