No abstract available. / Thesis (M.T.R.P)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

Having been founded on the basis of trade through its port, Durban has progressively evolved and grown. However, as a result of the dependence on the port, a physical and intangible disconnection has developed between the city fabric and *water’s edge. This has manifested itself in the road and rail connection along the Margaret Mncadi Avenue (formerly the Victoria Embankment) creating a barrier between the city and its edge. As a result of this lack of integration, another issue has arisen: ‘lost space’. This space is undesirable and not conducive to a good city image for the central business district. It becomes apparent that with these factors, there is due cause for an investigation for revitalisation and as Richard Marshall suggests in ‘Waterfronts in Post Industrial Cities’, that using the highly visible urban environment of the waterfront as a tool for revitalisation of the area (Waterfront’s in Post Industrial Cities: 2001, 2) and, in the long term - the revitalisation of the city. Studies of Sydney’s Darling Harbour, Baltimore’s Inner Harbour and Seattle’s waterfront provide insight as to how these interventions uplifted and revitalised these respective cities. Key outcomes of these precedent studies include the mixed-use nature at the waterfront, connections to the city fabric, promenade, open space and a pavilion-like architecture. Most integral to the findings are the inclusion of all dynamics of people who inhabit the surrounding areas utilising the waterfront, making it both an attractive urban locality and a safe urban environment. The inclusion of the cross-section of city dwellers amounts in the mixed-use nature of the waterfront. It is therefore apparent that on the micro scale, the urban intervention should be of a mixed-use nature, further to which, the dire need for hotels in the region of the waterfront, as well as Durban as a whole, point to an intervention by virtue of a mixed-use hotel. From the investigation into the case studies, the design parameters further outline where the intervention needs to address the street edge and public realm, creating a precedent for waterfront design with the intention of the urban design linking the city and water’s edge. The end consequence of such design parameters would be to make the waterfront physically accessible for the purposes of leisure, recreation and commerce for tourists and Durbanites alike. *water’s edge specifically refers to the edge along Margaret Mncadi avenue strecthing between Wilson’s Wharf and the Bat centre, including the Yacht Basin. / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

This research set out to investigate the resilience of the Point Waterfront Development in Durban, South Africa, with regards to climate change. Considering that South Africa is a Third World country, the assumption was that Point Waterfront area would fall short of resilience when it comes to climate change. This research made use of primary and secondary data from the Point Waterfront case study. Primary data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders of the Waterfront development. These are The eThekwini Municipality Planning and Economic Development units, Laurusco Developments, Durban Point Development Company and the local Ward Committee and Councilor. Secondary data were obtained through recent publications in the form of municipal reports, newspapers, internet articles, and books had the relevant data on the resilience of Waterfront developments to climate change. Findings suggest that the Point Waterfront is relatively safe unless something of very extreme nature comes along in terms of sea level rise from the Indian Ocean. All the stakeholders are aware of what climate change might do to the development but the municipality is, the findings suggest, the only stakeholder that goes an extra mile as to improve the resilience of the Point Waterfront and of the city of Durban at large. There seems to be some irregularities when it comes to funds as the municipality does not have enough to tackle adaptation on its own. As a recommendation, waterfront developments should be approved only aftermeasures that enable them to be resilient to climate change have been put in place.Developers must ensure efforts to mainstream the issue of climate change adaptation. Policies should be put in place to formalize adaptation among residents. An example would be instituting a policy requiring every property to have a green roof. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.