South Africa boasts such intrinsic beauty in its social and physical geography and at the heart of this beauty lie its people. For each culture that has fought for their beliefs and systems, wars have been fought and lives have been lost. One thing which remains constant however is the belief that we the people can work together to live in peace and harmony and leave a better place to those who come after. Apartheid South Africa was divisive in many ways and its results have left many wounds on the country’s architectural geography. Social inequality is manifest in the tapestry of everyday life and the Peri-Urban scars of our past have become vivid thresholds of crosscultural debate. The Apartheid planning model of disconnection through race and class has seen a massive effort to refocus on Durban’s urban core, whereas the rich tapestry of the Peri-Urban townships is often neglected. In order to reconnect the outer city geographies back into the urban whole an investigation into the theory of connection between people and their physical environment needs to be undertaken. This dissertation looks at how the theory of connection might enable a unified Durban and rehabilitate the tenderness of past planning processes. Public Transport is one such mechanism which can connect communities, no matter the distance nor socio-economic status and it is within this context that the dissertation offers new insight into the critical and exciting reconnection process. / M. Arch. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1996.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1998.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Sc.U.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1995.

Abstract not available. / Thesis (M.Sc.U.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

Public space is a fundamental component of the urban condition. Throughout the history of settlement planning, its inclusion has represented the role and identity of the citizen in society. By definition, it encapsulates concepts of freedom, justice and social inclusion. The apartheid spatial experience however, has woven persistent spatial distortions into the urban landscape. Public space was imbued with apartheid ideology, promoting sinister nationalist agendas whilst defining spatial experience by race. It is the premise of this paper that South African public space must be re‐conceptualized in order to embody the aspirations of a new democracy and to maintain its relevance in a post‐apartheid landscape. The Durban City Hall Precinct should represent the symbolic heart of the city. The City Hall and its primary public square, Francis Farewell Square, should capture both the city’s history and the direction of its developmental potential. As the most central and prominent public space, its re‐conceptualisation has the capacity to re‐inspire civic identity and turn the tide of a thirty year decline of the inner city. The process used to achieve such aspirations requires an approach broader than a single built environment discipline. Contemporary approaches to complex urban challenges call for greater integration between disciplines, in particular, the fields of town planning, urban design and architecture. The modernist paradigm has seen the divergence of interests and agendas between built environment disciplines at the ultimate expense of place making and identity. As cities grow, we are faced with the expanding monotony of an urban landscape which surrenders the upliftment of the human spirit for infrastructural demand. This study serves to highlight the potential of the City Hall Precinct and the process and depth of approach required to inform relevant public space. The study explores integrative approaches to planning challenges and the role of design in the redevelopment of public space in city centres. Using the City Hall precinct as a case study, the study pursues this holistic approach as a replicable methodology which should underpin the development of all public space initiatives. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

This dissertation deals, firstly, with the nature of zoning and development controls, and their relationship to the planning process. From this broad overview the emphasis changes to deal more specifically with how these regulations affect flat development; and to look at the Durban Town Planning Scheme area of Berea North in particular. The zoning and dimensional regulations are examined in detail, along with the flat development that has taken place in Berea North as a result of the implementation of these regulations. An evaluation of the Berea North regulations follows, which covers four aspects, namely, evaluation of the planning process, the goals, the regulations, and the resultant development. This leads into an examination of some alternative systems of Development Control, with the suggestion that these be considered for implementation in Durban. The conclusions arrived at in this study are that zoning and development controls are essential elements of planning; that they are both part of the Development Control system; that there is strong justification for controlling flat development; that the methods for controlling flat development in Berea North are neither efficient nor sufficient; and that there are alternative and more successful ways of controlling flat development. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1978.

In today’s globalised world, countries including South Africa, are pursuing neoliberal economic policies which have many negative effects on ordinary citizens. One such effect is the privatisation of public space which is an important resource for all citizens. This thesis sets out to examine the privatisation of public space along the Durban coast and the subsequent loss of fishing sites for local subsistence fishers. The thesis draws on literature that is critical of contemporary processes of neoliberal governance. The research approach is a qualitative approach where data collection is predominantly through oral evidence. In-depth interviews were conducted with fishers and other stakeholders. Participatory observation was also used to gather data through the attendance of meetings, protests and workshops that pertain to the fishers. The thesis shows how these fishers are being excluded from using public resources along the coast and thereby prevented from making a living. Most of the spaces that have been privatised are being transformed into upmarket developments or used to further trade through the expansion of the Durban Harbour. In addition, the thesis reveals that the fishers are losing a way of life, and experiencing a loss of identity and a communal subsistence economy. The fishers have become ‘invisible’ to the state, and to the authorities. Current marine legislation does not recognise this group of fishers as subsistence fishers. In response, the fishers have established the KwaZulu-Natal Subsistence Fishermen’s Forum in order to mobilise against the broader processes of exclusion and marginalisation resulting from neoliberal pro-growth development policies. Their strategies include protest, deliberation with the state, and striking alliances with other social movements in a broader process of anti-globalisation struggle. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

This study examines public participation in post-apartheid planning projects, using the KwaMashu Urban Renewal Project as a Case Study. A qualitative approach was adopted in the investigation. This study made the use of unstructured open ended interviews and observation to obtain primary data, which was thereafter analysed though the use of the thematic method. The study revealed that the process of Public Participation within the planning field has evolved substantially within the context of South Africa. There is adequate legislation and the necessary structures for public participation are present within the community. However, there is insufficient depth in legislation to ensure that public participation has an impact on final decision making. The extent of participation in the KwaMashu Renewal Project as a whole was minimal. This is mainly due to the nature of the participatory methods that were used which did not allow the community to fully engage with the planning processes within the different sub projects. It was evident that these [participatory methods] were mainly applied to fulfil the regulatory obligation for public participation in spatial development projects. The challenges of public participation that were noted within the case study include internal politics, land ownership and illegal occupation in state owned buildings. The study recommends early inclusion of the community in such projects and allowing for the community to be part of the creative process in projects. Secondly, this study also recommends that there needs to be a diffusion of power and diminishing limits of public participation within planning projects. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)--University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

This thesis provides an overview of the public open space policy for Durban and surroundings. The focus of the research is the sustainability of the open space policy with special emphasis on the integration of the natural environment, social aspects and economic factors within the open space system itself. Through this dissertation an attempt was made to ascertain to what extent the Open Space Policy of the Durban Metropolitan Area is sustainable. In order to achieve this it was necessary to specifically consider the status quo of the current open space policies internationally and locally with emphasis on the ecologically orientated Durban Metropolitan Open Space System. More appropriate public open space within the natural environment and urban context was considered, especially in respect of social needs and the aspirations and perceptions of communities with regards parks, sports fields, play areas, community areas, urban agriculture and natural areas. Social aspects, such as public participation and education, and economic implications were also investigated and considered. In order to locate this work theoretically and contextually, current planning theory and sustainable development was analysed. In addition existing policies, initiatives and strategies responsible for shaping development and consequently the local public open space policy in the Durban Metropolitan area were investigated. The dissertation argues that the success of a 'sustainable' policy is ultimately based in collaborative planning and implementation as well as appropriate management of the system. Current theory pertaining to sustainable management in the form of private / public partnerships was investigated and tested through selected case studies in Westville and Clermont. This dissertation concludes that sustainability is a process and that the public open space policy of the Durban Metropolitan Area, although attempting to achieve overall sustainability requires to address specifically, social needs and more appropriate collaborative planning and management strategies. Broad strategies to achieve this were considered and guidelines for a more sustainable public open space were proposed. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1998.