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.

Includes bibliographical references. / This dissertation concerns itself with the land question in South Africa. Izwe Lethu is the title of an apartheid struggle song, still sung today in the many social uprisings and moments of civil disobedience. The title translates to ‘Our Land’ in the Nguni languages. My response to the question of land is explained through the design and reconfiguration of three electrical sub-station buildings. The project seeks to uncover alternate understandings of the built environment by exploring it through the fact of blackness. It tries to demonstrate that the problem of coloniality as complex and systemic, and spans many dimensions-psychological, social, and political. Each site is used to explore a different method of unravelling these dimensions, bringing a certain aspect of decoloniality into focus on each site. Addressing these complex questions in architectural discourse is part of a strategy to realise, envision, and inspire actualising decoloniality. The underpinning ideas of the project are that land is central to decolonisation and the Fanonian idea of decolonisation as self-creation or Becoming.

Includes bibliographical references. / The amendment of the Restitution of Land Rights Act (no. 2 of 1996) has reopened the period for lodging a land claim in South Africa until 2019. The previous period for lodging a claim closed in 1998 but claims lodged over 20 years have still not been attended to. There exists a concern that with the re-opening of land restitution within both rural and urban spaces, that previous claims will not be seen to, while new claims will take years to resolve. This is unacceptable. How can the process of land restitution be better managed, conducted and performed so as to fulfil the requirements and goals of land restitution –reconciliation and social justice. The focus of this research turns to the urban space in the Western Cape through a purposefully selected case study of a successful land claim. South African cities and human settlements are growing, with South Africa being the most urbanised country in Africa. The competition for urban space will increase in time. With the demand for land being the contextual reality, urban land restitution needs to position itself in relation to South Africa’s dispossessing past. Through a qualitative research approach, a single case study of urban land restitution was used through which to answer the research questions: what constitutes good enough in relation to land restitution in a competitive urban environment? Findings revealed that urban land restitution is complex, with multiple layers, multiple actors and multiple challenges. It exists in a fine balance of factors influenced by competing agendas. Good enough in this space covers communication, recognition of individuals, respect and action. It entails a three dimensional process and accounts for change in people, place and space over time. Recommendations relating to these findings are themselves pitched at multiple levels from the national to the city space and at more general concerns. Recommendations attempt to promote good enough in a complex urban land restitution environment for the future.

Includes bibliography. / The aim of the research was to develop and explore a practice in architecture that would respond to the shifting nature of everyday contemporary life. The practice of design is examined and ideas about space from philosophy are used to broaden the scope of architecture without moving away from its disciplinary intentions and obligations. A theoretical framework is used to underpin the method proposed for student-collaborators to test. The testing by students took place over a number of iterations, each iteration being used to improve the proposal. This dissertation captures the proposal in a moment of its unfolding.The proposal requires a few more iterations before its conclusion.

This dissertation sets out to discover a new of mode of being for the Pentecostal church which will ensure its survival and continued existence in the contemporary urban environment of the Claremont Central Business District. It is argued that the institution of the church is under threat in the urban context. The church is in decline and urban land is in demand. The dissertation argues cross-programming the church will ensure its survival within this context by introducing new and diverse revenue streams which reduces dependence on dwindling membership contributions, opens up new dialogues between the church and its context, thus justifying its place within the context by filling gaps within and building on the existing contextual programmatic mix. Central to this programmatic problem the space of the church still needs to hold onto and express the essence of what it is that makes it a sacred space. The initial data gathering was done by site, programmatic and statistical analysis; this data was gathered on site and through various publications. In addition, theoretical and technical research was gathered through various peer reviewed texts and publications. In the process of gathering information, common themes, patterns and connections between the different analyses were made which in turn led to further research or conclusions which assisted the argument and informed the design development of the project. In conclusion, it was found that the central idea of cross-programming the urban church was workable. Here there would undoubtedly have to be some compromise as each programme presents different requirements, but ultimately the application of the key theoretical theme of verticality brought unity to the scheme. Additionally, there was also need for some unconventional construction techniques to achieve comfortable internal environments. Finally, the result of the incorporation of diverse programming proved to yield greater and more diverse interactions between the church and its context which ultimately ensures its place, role and survival in the contemporary urban context.