This thesis focuses on problems that have resulted from the increasing pressure facing urban and suburban land use in South Africa, brought on by a number of different factors including the political and historical background of the country, as well as by rapid urbanization. The objective of this thesis is to present the perspectives applied in the analysis of the built environment in selected case studies, in which different theoretical and methodological approaches have been developed to address the research questions. The empirical part of this thesis consists of four case studies, in which selected low-income housing projects are analyzed from a perspective of how to facilitate higher densities. A central question addressed is whether the provision of housing structures built at higher densities, maintain, improve, or aggravate spatial qualities; and whether the application of these types of projects can be considered as possible alternatives to address the problem of urban sprawl in South Africa. The study finds that the house types analyzed address the density dimension of urban sprawl, thus reducing the amount of land consumed. There is room for increasing densities and overall urban land use efficiency, to which the housing types analyzed in this study may contribute. This implies that cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg, which suffer from urban sprawl, have the possibility to grow in terms of population without having to expand further in terms of land use. The analysis of spatial qualities shows the studied types maintain positive spatial qualities, and have the possibility of increasing living standards. Nevertheless, a number of other dimensions need to be included when addressing urban sprawl conditions, in order to consider the possibility of replicating these housing types. Furthermore, this study advances approaches in terms of methodologies and concepts applied, which aim to contribute to an increased understanding of the current knowledge in the housing and urban planning fields focusing on questions of urban sprawl in general / <p>QC 20100909</p>

M.Tech. Construction Management / The delivery of low income housing in South African Public Subsidized Schemes is plagued with quality issues, inevitably leading to poor levels of client and more importantly, end-user satisfaction. The characteristics of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) contractors who operate in this sector, together with external factors in the operating environment, all contribute to poor quality. Quality Management (QM) practices among the contractors are not widely documented hence, this study aimed to explore these practices in the Gauteng low income residential sector. Therefore, the objectives of the study aimed to establish the following: current QM practices; adequacy of such practices; barriers to effective QM practices and the presence of critical success factors for effective QM practices...

Thesis (M.B.A.)-Business Studies Unit, Durban University of Technology, 2006 v, 96 leaves, Annexures A-F / The marginal and low-income groups face a number of obstacles in their quest to secure housing finance to improve their living conditions. South Africa has a sophisticated and effective finance system. However, it appears that the only beneficiaries from it are the middle and upper income groups of the housing market. The whole system of accessing housing finance has proven to be problematic for the marginal and lower income groups for various reasons, among others: it is not user friendly and is not easily understood by an illiterate or poorly educated person. The key challenge for the South African housing finance system is to find ways of bridging the gap between those who have a regular income and those who do not. The credit gap exists because of the relationship between risk and cost which is a standard lending issue across the globe. The study has unpacked the obstacles by looking at the literature and role players in the housing finance. / M

Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Science in Development Planning to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Architecture and Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017 / Throughout the 21st century, floods have caused major disasters in urban areas worldwide and especially in Africa. Several factors influence the ability of government to manage flood disasters through the phases of, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery at a local level. The vulnerability of poor communities to flood disasters exacerbates the impact of the flooding on their livelihoods. The inability of governments to communicate effectively with communities about preparedness strategies for flood mitigation has resulted in much damage in urban areas. The study used semi-structured interviews with Disaster Management officials and community members involved in flooding to evaluate the Disaster Risk Management in Bramfischerville. The fieldwork took place in Bramfischerville that was affected by the 2009 floods. The research revealed that the 2009 Bramfischerville floods were caused by heavy rains, the building of RDP housing on a floodplain and ineffective implementation of Disaster Management strategies by the CoJ. This research argues that in order to understand flood disasters, cooperation between all stakeholders involved in Disaster Management is vital in knowledge accumulation. The 2009 floods had negatively impacted the livelihoods of people in Bramfischerville. Their houses were damaged and they had difficulty traveling to work and school. In this view, the costs associated with floods are continuously being a debt for the people living in Bramfischerville. This research found that the disjuncture between the community and the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) officials exacerbates the negative impacts floods have on people’s livelihoods in Bramfischerville. / MT2018

Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of the Built Environment in Housing to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Architecture and Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017 / The research report is based on the complex nature of land registration within a township establishment process in South Africa. Post 1994 democratic government have placed a great emphasis on land tenure security. Therefore it becomes crucial for government departments to identify, acquire and expropriate land for the provision of affordable integrated human settlements. The political drive for low income housing developments results in community pressured projects, disregarding the opening of a township register which enables individual title transfers. Several townships established on municipal owned land are incomplete wherein the General Plan is approved but not registered at the deeds office, hampering deed of transfers to allocated beneficiaries. Land exchanges, employer housing allowance, family inheritance and insurance contracts necessitate land ownership declaration. The various land tenure security approaches are explored and argued for formal recognition since they have been proven to be working successfully in other parts of the world. / XL2018

This thesis presents owners, developers, and preservationists with models for the rehabilitation of motels and motor courts. The introductory section gives readers an overview of the evolution of the motor court and motel. It then focuses on the fates of motels and motor courts in the city of Austin, Texas, as an example of how owners and developers have dealt with the program type. The second section of this thesis discusses the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, a federal initiative to document and conserve the road itself as well as the “significant features associated with the highway” such as roadside stands, gas stations, and motels (“Route 66 Study Act,” 1990). This section also explores two examples of owner-led efforts to preserve motels along Route 66: Boots Court in Carthage, Missouri, and the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri. The remaining sections of this thesis focus on four models for the rehabilitation of motels and motor courts. Case studies include Hotel San José, a motor court that was redeveloped into a boutique hotel in Austin, Texas; the Park Motel, a cottage court transformed into rentable business space in San Antonio, Texas; Arbor Terrace, an extended-stay hotel converted into supportive housing in Austin owned by Foundation Communities; and Costa Mesa Village, an SRO community in Costa Mesa, California, housed in a former Travelodge. For each case study, I discuss the site’s history, the original and current configurations and appearance, what makes the project successful, and whether aspects of the project are sympathetic with the goals of preservation. When considering rehabilitation of an historic motel or motor court, developers should consider the configuration of the building and what model would best serve the existing program. Motels in tourist districts with space to provide both private and public functions may be well served to consider the boutique hotel model exemplified by Hotel San José. A motel in a business district with flexible interior spaces able to cater to a variety of tenants might look to the Park Motel and create rentable spaces for small businesses. Those interested in pursuing a nonprofit model for rehabilitating their extant building stock could consider how they could benefit their communities by becoming SRO housing like Arbor Terrace or workforce housing complexes like Costa Mesa Village. Regardless of the project, it is clear that access to private donations, bank loans, or local and federal assistance is integral to the success of a rehabilitation project. Lambert required a sizeable loan before beginning work on Hotel San José that could only be secured when the lender was confident in the return on investment; Neighborhood Revitalization Program funds have allowed Foundation Communities to continue adding SROs in Austin. Though the Perezes didn’t divulge the amount of money spent on their adaptive reuse project, Allison Perez Johnson said that return on investment displayed by property owned by the Perez Family Trust along Broadway Street in San Antonio helped them get approved for loans for their rehabilitation project. As for properties like Harvey’s Boots Motel on Route 66, rehabilitation becomes an ongoing process that only occurs as money permits, and their ability to remain sustainable is supported by heritage tourists who patronize roadside businesses looking to find or recreate their own Route 66 adventures. / text

M. Tech. Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

Thesis (M.B.A.)-Business Studies Unit, Durban University of Technology, 2006 v, 96 leaves, Annexures A-F / The marginal and low-income groups face a number of obstacles in their quest to secure housing finance to improve their living conditions. South Africa has a sophisticated and effective finance system. However, it appears that the only beneficiaries from it are the middle and upper income groups of the housing market. The whole system of accessing housing finance has proven to be problematic for the marginal and lower income groups for various reasons, among others: it is not user friendly and is not easily understood by an illiterate or poorly educated person. The key challenge for the South African housing finance system is to find ways of bridging the gap between those who have a regular income and those who do not. The credit gap exists because of the relationship between risk and cost which is a standard lending issue across the globe. The study has unpacked the obstacles by looking at the literature and role players in the housing finance.

Millions of Black South Africans still lack access to adequate housing, mainly as a result of apartheid era development policies. The delivery of low income, state subsidised, housing includes the provision of water, sewer drainage and electricity supply services. These services are provided via individual connections to the bulk infrastructure, or grid, supply network. Whilst this delivery mechanism meets community aspirations, it masks the environmental impact of this access to natural resources. This research investigates the low income housing delivery mechanism in South Africa, both past and present, and considers the associated infrastructural service delivery in the context of what is understood as sustainable development. In order to identify a more environmentally sustainable format of service delivery, the notion of autonomous housing is investigated. This investigative research establishes the body of knowledge in respect of rainwater harvesting and renewable energy sources capable of being harvested at a domestic level and uses this knowledge to inductively derive theoretical models for the provision of water and electricity supply as well as sewer drainage to low income housing in the Ethekwini Municipal area. The objective of the research is therefore to propose a more autonomous, or self reliant, system of service delivery that constitutes sustainable development. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal, Durban, 2004.