Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references. / Since flooding is worldwide one of the most common natural disasters, a number of flood prediction and monitoring approaches have been used. A lot of research has been conducted on the prediction and monitoring of floods by using hydrological models. The problem is that current hydrological models do not offer Disaster Management officials or township residents with timely data and information. In South Africa, possible flood warnings are usually communicated by Disaster Management officials using traditional approaches such as loudspeakers, radio and Television (TV). Making calls to warn residents about the possible occurrence of floods by using such means are, however, neither sufficient nor effective. As the result of improved communication, sensor, software and computing capabilities, the use of sensor networks and sensor web for predicting and monitoring environment have been considered in recent years. In order for sensor data such as sensor measurements, sensor descriptions and alerts to be integrated, the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) introduced the Sensor Web enablement (SWE) standards and suggested different specifications with respect to the geospatial sensor web. The first implementation of the sensor web framework is available. In this research, the results of using the sensor web technologies for predicting and monitoring floods in the urban areas are presented. The aim of this research project is to illustrate how the sensor web technology can help in the prediction and monitoring of floods in the urban areas, particularly in the Alexandra Township (Greater Johannesburg) which has experienced floods each and every year. The focus of this research is on the incorporation of the sensor data into the sensor web technology. The data used as input to sensor web and the hydrological model was historical rainfall data from the South African Weather Service (SAWS). Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) free data from the internet was also used in this research.

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Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references. / The natural environment is deteriorating and electricity demand is outstripping supply partly due to our growing built environment and economy. In response there is a need for energy efficient office space to accommodate economic growth and help with the conservation of the environment. The inner city is a perfect location to achieve this using already deteriorated land and increasing the inner city density to reduce urban sprawl. There is an urgent need for developers to invest into the idea of energy efficiency however this has been restricted because of our economic environment and the need for just usable space. The creation of energy efficient buildings is typically more expensive mainly due to the introduction of new technologies and materials.

Bibliography: leaves 45-47. / The area around Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape forms the centre of one of the biggest artesian groundwater basins in South Africa. The Table Mountain Group quartzitic sandstones are overlain by a thickness of postPalaeozoic sediments giving rise to artesian groundwater. The most wellknown of this manifestation are the springs at Uitenhage which have been used since pre-historic times and are currently a principal source of water for the municipal supply. At the turn of the 20th century, with the introduction of drilling machines into the area a number of boreholes were constructed. The resultant tapping into the artesian supply resulted in the spring-flow lessening and a decline in groundwater levels on introduction of further boreholes. At the request of the local community this special region was proclaimed a groundwater protection area. Over the years the abstraction within the area has risen and is currently at 3.24 million m³/a. However the licensed, legally abstractable, figure stands at 6.15 million m³/a. Groundwater levels have declined although the flow from the boreholes has not. Using GIS aU the available and pertinent information required for the management of the control area and for the estimation of the groundwater resource has been brought together. Using raster modelling techniques the amount of groundwater available within the system and the viability of sustained abstraction were assessed. A site-specific raster model has been designed to visualise and quantify the expected effects of new boreholes in the area.

Includes bibliographical references. / This dissertation sought to formulate a comprehensive argument that challenges the current ‘status quo’ of waterfront development projects in South African port cities, by proposing a bold new redevelopment plan for the Point waterfront in Durban. The last two decades have experienced a growing number of South Africa’s port cities undertaking major redevelopment projects, in an attempt to capitalise on the development potential that these site offer. However, these projects target-market seem to be focused on attracting an elite minority. The theoretical framework for establishing the argument was informed by the generic problems with the structure of South Africa cities, as well as the global challenges that threaten all growing cities. Once these challenges had been explored, and the required approach for urban growth management had been identified, a systematic analysis of the site, from a variety of scale was done. The key findings from the analysis, in association with the theoretical stand point, provided a point of departure in which to create the redevelopment plan. The redevelopment plan proposed in dissertation has provided a bold alternative for the site. It advocates for a more inclusive urban environment that represents the greater need for the city, in response to the current urban challenges.

Includes bibliographical references. / The Bo-Kaap is my landscape of memories, serving as a platform from which I can direct my story. It is a landscape that gives me a sense of belonging and provides me with spatial reference points to anchor my memories. The Bo-Kaap was my place of childhood encounters and is still my landscape of identity. The approach to the dissertation design is inspired by a keen personal interest In uncovering and creating a narrative of the open public places within the Old Malay Quarter of the Bo-Kaap, Cape Town; specifically the Prayer Quarry. It is the power of this unknown that needs to be augmented and captured. The dissertation design strives to re- create and re-instill a sense of public place within the Prayer Quarry. This idea of re-presencing absence is envisioned through a programme that resists the loss of memory by proposing a cemetery for the local Muslim Bo-Kaap community which serves as an acclamation to the Cape Malay social practices and cultural traditions. The design engages with the historical values of the site and establishes itself as a new gathering place within the Old Malay Quarter that pays tribute to the significance of the Prayer Quarry as one of the previously popular public places within the Bo- Kaap; A Paean to the Prayer Quarry.

Includes bibliographical references. / Urbanisation is occurring most rapidly in the global South, where cities are characterised by increasing levels of poverty, socio-spatial inequality, and informality. Mainstream planning theories have tended to originate from the North, responding to a context that differs greatly from that of cities of the South where theories have been uncritically adopted and imposed. State planning systems in developing countries often reflect traditional technocratic approaches and have become increasingly disengaged from rapidly changing urban conditions. In a context in which neoliberalism is becoming increasingly hegemonic, such planning systems may serve the interests of capital over the needs of the poor. There has therefore been a call to focus on developing descriptive and explanatory theories through case research from which new and more contextually appropriate approaches to planning might emerge. I offer the case of Vrygrond as a contribution to this ongoing endeavour to ‘theorize from the South’, regrounding planning theory and practice in the realities and complexities of global South contexts. The case study explores the nature of development in the densely populated, low-income settlement in Cape Town, from 1997 to 2014. The main research question asks how services, public facilities and amenities have been secured in Vrygrond, and how planning theory and practice might learn from this experience. The dissertation therefore draws on semi-structured interviews to understand the interaction between development processes adopted by key actors and contextual factors which include racial and ethnic diversity, power struggles, oppositional forms of citizenship, mistrust, and pervasive crime. The findings are then interpreted through the application of three contrasting theoretical frameworks of technocratic planning, communicative and collaborative planning, and co-production. I argue that the assumptions underlying technocratic and communicative planning are problematic in the context of Vrygrond, and that co-production might be better placed to respond to a lack of access to public facilities as well as a broader sense of disempowerment and marginalization. Recommendations include institutional rearrangements that might foster a social context that would be more receptive to co-production. I call attention to the nature of citizenship in postapartheid communities, to social difference and power relations, and to the impact of crime and gangsterism on local governance, as important considerations for participatory planning approaches such as co-production.

In the early twentieth century modernism radically changed the world, affecting all aspects of life. Twentieth century modernism incorporated new inventions that changed the modes of travel, it restructured methods of production and the way in which people lived, worked and played. This radical change was to be reflected in all sectors, and was particularly manifested physically in architecture. Modernism demanded a radical shift from an architecture that had been slowly evolving from nineteenth century eclecticism, overlaid with reactionary concerns for the overwhelming impact of industrialisation on society and on the built fabric of cities. It sought to identify new ways of dealing with these issues and finding new methods of spatial production and ultimately creating a new means of architectural aesthetic expression that came to be referred to as the Modern Movement. The response to the radical change implied in modernism resulted in a process of negation and contestation, leading through negotiation to a mediated compromise before an ultimate acceptance.

Includes bibliographical references. / Metropolitan Cape Town is a city that is characterised by immense scenic beauty which has propelled the city to become one of the top tourist destinations in the world. However, if one explores deeper past the intimate streets of the central city and natural beauty of the Table Mountain, one finds a city that is wrought with a lack of functionality and a generally poor urban experience The city is plagued by the shortcomings of modernist planning and Apartheid spatial segregation which translate in a city which is devoid of appropriate located activity and a separation of land uses and people. Therefore, the majority of the Cape Town built from is devoid of character and activity of which the historic centre enjoys. Through a thorough analysis, I identified key limiting factors within the urban form of Cape Town. These were primarily attributed to the overwhelming tendency for car dominant planning and the presence of limitless sprawl. It was also acknowledge that separate development and modernist planning ideals still permeate through the urban form and significantly limits the urban experience. This dissertation identified key interventions which attempted at bringing back a sense of place to soulless communities. The primarily focus was on the emphasis on activity corridor development and the implementation of high density infill development. This afford opportunities to curb urban sprawl and to bring citizens closer to economic and social services which are significantly lacking in the poorer peripheral areas. Lastly, this document highlight efficient precinct design criteria and the effective and efficient division of land. In conclusion, it was identified that it is paramount to undo the misconceptions of developing a city which is simply drivable and focus more on development that create liveable cities.