Society today is structured in a way that supports centralised authorities who devise systems for living (eg: food supply, energy sources) that are not necessarily in keeping with sustainable processes. South Africa is facing a severe energy crisis and the current solution to this problem is to build more energy plants that are heavily dependent on non-renewable resources. The global economic situation is heading towards a recession and South Africa will be greatly affected. The general public seems to be responding to these problems by trying to solve these problems individually eg: buying a generator for their home or installing solar panels on the roof, but these solutions are impractical if not expensive. Rates of energy and resource consumption worldwide follow an exponential growth curve. Already there are noticeable effects of this unsustainable way of living and there is substantial evidence that we are causing often irreparable damage to the planet that supports our livelihoods. To reduce our impact on the planet we should begin to live in a system of closed metabolic cycles that follow patterns of natural systems. Therefore, the key problems that have prompted this dissertation are: The impending global food and energy crises Unsustainable living – in terms of attitudes, such as ignorance of natural systems, and practices, the excessive consumption of resources and production of waste Based on these problems, this dissertation will begin to explore what would happen if certain lifestyle habits changed. If people did start living differently, communities could integrate with natural systems and collectively create sustainable systems that also provided carbon neutral energy and sustainable food supplies. (Although it is explained later, for now it is assumed that landscape architecture plays an important role in creating landscapes of different living.) Because this is a landscape architecture dissertation it is focused on the spatial manifestation of living differently, ie. what will it look like?

The sub-terrain is the foundation for plant growth. Soils are important for biodiversity, supporting animal and plant life above and below the earth's surface. Soil profiles have diverse physical, chemical and biological properties and can assist in reducing pollution by harmful substances through soil absorption properties. The sub-terrain also has the ability to capture and store water to assist in providing water supply. However, soils found within the urban environment have been negatively impacted and altered by human activity resulting in poor structure and depleted properties. Grafting is a horticultural technique used for propagation of similar productive trees, combining one plant portion with another to assist growth of the plant as an integrated whole. The concept of grafting can be applied to soils and reshaping of the sub-terrain. This will be achieved by cutting out the fragments of the current sub-terrain and inserting alternative soil types that consist of varying properties. This cut and fill of the sub-terrain cab be viewed as the equivalent to grafting two similar plant species together. Inserting fragments of improved soil profiles into portions of Mowbray's current sub-terrain has the ability to alter the current nature of the streetscape leading up to and including Mowbray's public transport hub. This rejuvenation of the sub terrain will result in improved soil profile conditions, providing the opportunity to incorporate pockets of various productive trees. Redesigning the soil profiles will result in greater biodiversity, improved ground water storage and an enhanced productive landscape, as well as create an unusual type of landscape and experience, grown from the ground up.

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Saldanha Bay, South Africa's second busiest port, exists as a complex set of living systems, poised at the interchange between land and water. Because of its role as a port city, it is a place where water systems, transport routes, and industrial activity meet and intermingle. This thesis focuses on the threat that is posed to the ecosystems of the bay through repeatedly introducing copious amounts of ballast water from the holds of international cargo ships (Duncan, 2014; Marangoni, Pienaar, & Sym, 2001). Paradoxically, it is the entangled routes and systems that led to the disastrous degradation of marine life that suggest Saldanha Bay's potential for sustaining a more symbiotic water system. The main design objective is to mitigate the degradation of the marine environment by filtering ballast water to rid it of invasive non-indigenous species (NIS). The central design proposes to filter ballast water through onshore abalone farming and concurrently generate onshore seaweed feed and farming. Such filtration would rely on the environment created by naturally occurring seaweeds, Ecklonia maxima and Gracilaria, which have great potential to further support ecological functioning. The site of this project is an abandoned iron ore factory, which is well-situated to be repurposed for water filtration. It is not only the saline water system that will benefit from such an intervention: to repurpose the factory site in a way that rejuvenates both the health of the bay's waters and the economy, would be to fulfil the promise of job security that the community was led to expect when the factory was originally constructed. Furthermore, if the ballast water were desalinated and reintroduced as a source of much-needed fresh water, it would support other living systems in the town and surrounding community. The interdependent industries of ballast water maintenance, fresh water sourcing, and mariculture would work together to make each more resilient and provide opportunities for people to be grounded in their environment.

This project highlights the dynamic processes, systems and ecological interactions of the intertidal landscape. The tidal pool sits at this intersection of land and water, known as the intertidal zone. They are site specific social spaces where people can interact with marine life and they are valuable public places that can connect people to nature. As such it's in the unique position to raise awareness about the dynamism of natural systems and ecological processes which can be particularly well observed in tidal flux. In the context of climate change and associated sea level rise this awareness of change and flux will be particularly important in fostering adaptation capabilities. Although tidal pool design respond to site in their engineering and are mostly built on rocky substrates, I have noticed that not much form inspiration is drawn from the unique geologies of tidal pool sites. As a result the natural heterogeneity and delight inherent in rock pools is lost and somewhat mono-functional human-centered spaces result. As a design strategy, I considered the core importance of specificity to site as a strategy to build in this rather unusual landscape. The intent is to find and establish a new set of criteria for tidal pool design within the Table Mountain Sandstone geology. In this thesis I'm exploring whether the process of designing with intimate attention to the host rocks can provide better opportunities and a more sensitive approach for creating heterogeneity in tidal pool design that make vibrant space for both social and ecological functions. Sculpting heterogeneity in the rocky intertidal zone of St. James' rocky outcrop will enhance the cohabitation of human and marine life and hold the opportunity to celebrate the ecological value of this rich and sensitive environment through environmental education through experience.

The Theewaterskloof dam supplies more than 40% of the City of Cape Town's water. However, the catchment area that leads to the dam is almost entirely infested with invasive alien plant species which are the single largest contributor to water loss from the dam (up to ±300 million liters of water are lost per year). Given the context of severe water scarcity in the region, the management of these alien invasive species, which are rapidly spreading, must become a priority. This thesis investigates how landscape architectural design can influence management strategies for dealing with the alien plant invasion of mountain catchments, and how these alien species may come to be seen not just as a threat, but also as a resource. The project examines mechanisms of invasiveness in four key plant species affecting the area in order to inform a suitable responsive management strategy. Mapping of the current locations of invasive alien plants, their context-specific growth patterns and densities was required. An analysis of how these four species could be used in the production of timber, wood fuel, resin, honey and carbon products, reveals significant potential for using these invasive plants as an economic resource. One of the key discoveries of the research, is that access to invaded mountain areas, which include steep, rugged and marshy terrains, remains a major obstacle to the management of the invasive alien plants. The design project considers a system for improving access to these difficult-to-reach areas which doubles as a system of new recreational routes through the landscape. As part of the public interface with the productive and management systems that are envisioned, an experimental working node is developed. The node combines productive and experiential programs in an engaging public space that aims to change perceptions that acknowledge the presence of alien invasive plants as an enduring feature of the landscape.

Sea-level rise is on the forefront of global climate change concerns with an estimated 800 million people at risk of experiencing the devastating social, economic, and environmental impacts of rising seas and storm surges (C40 Cities, n.d.). In particular, coastal towns and cities are under immense pressure as major solutions are needed to ensure the resilience of these spaces. Langebaan, in the Greater Saldanha Region along the Western Cape, South Africa is suffering from the effects of poorly planned linear coastal development that has suffocated the protective dune systems and public beach space. Where, according to the Sea Level Rise and Flood Risk Assessment for a Select Disaster-Prone Area Along the Western Cape Coast Report, Langebaan is specifically mentioned for being highly susceptible to coastal erosion and storm swell damage (Blake & Chimboza, 2011). The town is a fast-growing holiday destination and retirement area, which has led many of the new developments to be privatised, commandeering large portions of the coastal beachfront. The small portion of the beach that is then left for the local communities to enjoy is the most at risk to sea-level rise. It is at this moment where my dissertation lands itself, in the investigation of the pinch-point between human and nature; the human treatment of the coastal 'dunescape', and the ecosystem services of coastal dunes amid a climate crisis. Due to the constrained nature of the coast, sea defences are required to take place offshore, therefore, I propose a land claim in the form of an ecological island. This thesis harnesses the existing ecological systems in and around the area to form a buffer between Langebaan and the sea. The defence system acts to unsuffocate dunes and public space in Langebaan by claiming land for ecological systems and humans. Overall, this thesis illustrates the importance of the envelopment of the human and the natural in reacting to climate change and creates an accessible, sensitive, and meaningful space, revealing the memory of the site.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a profound and widespread issue for women in South Africa, and this was demonstrated on the 4th of September, 2019 when womxn marched together to end GBV in South Africa after the death of local UCT student Uyinene "Nene" Mrwetyana. GBV is a significant obstacle for gender equality and female empowerment in South Africa and also has long-lasting psychological effects on the women who survive these events as well as those around them; altering the way they see themselves and others in relation to the world. There is a need for healing spaces for womxn in South Africa. Spaces that make women feel safe (physically and mentally) and empowered. The current healing spaces are mostly found in private clinics/hospitals patient-use (private space) and they are usually focused more on physical health (with the use of medicinal plants) but not centred around improving mental health. Retaining healing spaces in these sorts of environments (private spaces) makes them inaccessible. This project aims to contribute to the field of landscape architecture (and other space-makers) mainly focused on mental health and to encourage that these spaces be made more accessible, an essential part of our everyday lives, and implemented as a design solution for environments that could be detrimental to our mental health. This thesis carefully unpacks the issues around gender-based violence in South Africa (such as safety, representation and memorialization of local women, female empowerment, and mental health) and theories such as ecotherapy and ecopsychology to understand how the landscape can be used to provide a safe and healing environment for local women. Healing typically consists of cognitive restructuring (changing ideas around self-worth) and, in this study, it is explored at two levels. The one, empowerment is looked at more as a visual practice that takes place within the public realm whilst the other, inward-looking, self-discovery and meditative practice is looked at more as an experiential practice that takes place in the private realm. The chosen area of study is Nyanga (located in Cape Town, South Africa) which has been known to be the murder capital of South Africa. This area has also been identified as one of the top 30 GBV hotspots in South Africa with abuse and murder of women and children queer people in South Africa amongst the highest in the world. Zooming in on the Nyanga taxi Interchange precinct as the area that local women in Nyanga occupy most and unpacking the conditions of these used spaces and the key activities within this area which will inform the project and; majority-female informal trade taking place, the day clinic, the vegetable garden, and the under-utilized private land; to properly understand how these could be strategically integrated to create healing spaces for everyday use.

Due to our rapidly urbanising population, the number of children that have little or no access to nature is increasing. Interactions with nature not only improve the mental and physical development but also foster a consciousness and enchantment with the natural world. As naturalness, proximity, scale, and modifiability of spaces are key aspects that determine the pleasure that children experience in public spaces, neighbourhood parks will become increasingly important part of the urban fabric. The funding model for public open space provisions in South Africa preferences initial capital outlay over maintenance over time. This leads to the creation of parks that decline over time and become unappealing and dangerous to residents of the area. Small-scale neighbourhood parks are the first to feel the effects when there is a reduction in public spending. This project intends to create a new model that requires a paradigm shift from the current funding model to one that assigns funding primarily to a management strategy that allows for continued management and design intervention over the lifetime of the park. There is great potential for these parks to become resilient and heuristic spaces where children can immerse themselves in natural processes and learn to appreciate urban ecology through interaction and play. By acknowledging that landscapes are open systems and by utilising the processes and life forms that thrive in the city, such as weeds, the designer can work with the energy of nature and society to create adaptive spaces that are appealing to children. The benefits of this method are two-fold. Firstly, using plants that are free and prolific allows children to have unprescribed and tactile interactions with nature, and secondly, it will increase the biodiversity of the city by valuing novel ecosystems and harnessing ecological processes. The design is dynamic and flexible made up of primarily catalytic interventions that both expose and accelerate natural processes on site, as well as proposed design responses to the predicted outcomes of these processes. In this way, the designers input acts as a scaffold for natural systems to develop rather than any predetermined outcome. The process of design is never complete, there is no maintaining of a single state. It is a design that is on-going and that adapts to social and environmental change so that it evolves with the guiding hand of the designer. By utilising this method in the design of a public open space in Woodstock, this dissertation tests a new model for designing small scale urban parks that could be replicated throughout the Cape Town Metropolitan Area. Neighbourhood parks and other undervalued public spaces can become places where humans and nature can come together and have meaningful interactions

This thesis confronts beliefs and perceptions, enforced over time, about the relationship Xhosa people have to water. Unpacking these assists in reclaiming the narrative origins of assumed myths about indigenous cultural beliefs and associations with nature and allows undocumented cultural narratives that are slowly vanishing to be recorded. The fragmented and vanishing narratives impact on the loss of cultural identity of black people. This fragmentation is felt acutely on the Cape Flats where postcolonial migration from the rural Eastern Cape to urban centres has severed the spiritual and emotional relationships with nature, particularly water. Khayelitsha is used as a case study site to reconnect people to their cultural narratives. The site has a highly polluted storm water attenuation pond in the middle of an informal settlement. The site selection was mostly informed by its direct link to the Xhosa people who have migrated from the Eastern Cape, accessibility for the people that the study is about and its inclusion of the environmental issues that exist on the site that further shift water associations and perceptions of the relationship Xhosa people have with water. This dissertation aims to uncover and examine the indigenous cultural systems that functioned in the rural spaces in Eastern Cape settlements, namely eNgcobo. Studying the landforms of water bodies, especially active water spaces and the systemic activities and human roles that occurred within the landforms, seeks to reconcile a urban language that allows for a healthy cultural connection to this natural system. Additionally, by understanding true cultural relationships that exist between people and natural systems within the traditional rural context it will provide design cues to apply in urban areas that allows urban populations to reconnect with their cultural identity and heal the negative perceptions towards water.