Return to search

An analysis of Cape Town Municipality's approach to urban regeneration in the central business district and other business nodes

Thesis (MS en S)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: According to certain writers urban regeneration as an idea encapsulates both the perception of city
decline (in local economies, in the use of land and buildings, in the equality of the environment and
social life) and the hope of renewal, reversing trends in order to find a new basis for economic
growth and social wellbeing. Rebuilding the city, clearing away obsolete buildings and vacant
sites, and producing new building forms and designs symbolised the renewal in action. But urban
regeneration also has different components or evolution criteria like, the major strategy (the focus
of the renewal project), an economic focus, a social content, a physical emphasis or an
environmental approach. The economic change that occurred in cities throughout the world in the
past decade, has been paralleled not only by the physical reshaping of the city, but it has been
accompanied by institutional restructuring (the rise of new firms, new working practices and
relationships designed to exploit new market opportunities).
The physical, economic, social and cultural projects launched through the process of urban
regeneration, reconstruct the economic, socio-cultural, political-institutional and physicalenvironmental
fabric of cities. It battles urban decay and redevelop the city to such a extend that it
brings back the original appeal of the city, which lured people to the central city for decades. But
not all urban renewal projects are aimed at the inner city; some are launched in a much wider
context and would focus on blighted or previously disadvantaged and marginalised areas. Renewal
projects in Cape Town and elsewhere in South Africa in cities like Durban and Johannesburg are
still ongoing and form an important part of rebuilding cities of modem South Africa. It is however
important to remember that not all urban renewal projects proved to be a success, some do fail. In
the Cape Town Metropole and the Central City local government has neglected many areas for
much too long. Recent efforts to restore the beauty of Cape Town and really address the urban
challenges that arose from the Apartheid legacy shows a commitment from the Cape Town
Municipality to create a much more liveable and economic viable urban environment.
This study investigated the City of Cape Town Municipality's approach towards urban regeneration
in the Central Business District and other specific business nodes. A literature review gave an
intellectual background to the study and helped to build a logical framework. Secondary analysis
helped define the goal of the study and qualitative field research assisted the investigation through
direct observation and semi-structured interviewing. The study did not aim to prove that every urban renewal project that was launched was aimed at eradicating the problems associated with the
Apartheid City. An important factor to take in account is that different business areas (The Victoria
and Alfred Waterfront) and nodes (The Wetton-Landsdowne Phillipi Corridor), the focus of this
study, make use of different redevelopment strategies. This study focused on how and why some
work and must be built upon, and delivered critique on why some failed and should convert to a
more successful renewal approach. The study concluded that the City of Cape Town's approach
towards urban regeneration do compare positively with redevelopment strategies followed in other
parts of the world such as America and Britain. The study tried to show the direction urban
regeneration could take for the future, based on an evaluation of urban regeneration evolution
criteria namely:
• The major strategy and orientation and key actors and stakeholders.
• The economic focus.
• The social content.
• The physical emphasis. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Stedelike vernuwmg omvat beide die konsep stedelike verval (met betrekking tot plaaslike
ekonomieë, die fisiese gebruik van grond en gebou en wat betref die kwaliteit van die omgewing)
en die hoop van vernuwing of herontwikkeling, met die idee om die rigting van strategie te verander
sodat 'n nuwe basis vir ekonomiese groei en sosiale welstand gevind kan word. Die
herontwikkeling of opbou van die stad beteken nie net die verwydering van nuttelose en
ongebruikte geboue en vakante grond nie. Stedelike hernuwing het verskeie komponenete of
evolusie kriteria, soos die hoof strategie (die fokus van die hernuwingsprogram), 'n ekonomiese
fokus, 'n sosiale inhoud, 'n fisiese klem of 'n omgewingsbenadering. Die ekonomiese verandering
wat oor die laaste dekade in die wêreld plaasgevind het is vergesel nie net deur 'n fisiese
herstrukturering van die wêreld se hoof stede nie, maar ook institusionele hervorming (die opkoms
van nuwe firmas en venootskappe en nuwe ekonomiese en mark geleenthede)
Die fisiese, ekonomiese sosiale en kulturele komponente wat deel vorm van stedelike
hernuwingstrategieë dra by tot die heropbou en herontwikkeling van die ekonomiese, sosiokulturele,
polities-institusioneel en fisiese-omgewingsfabrikaat van stede. Stedelike verval word
beveg en die stad word tot so 'n mate herontwikkel dat dit die oorspronklike aantrekkingskrag van
die stad herstel. Maar nie alle hernuwingstrategieë is gemik op die Sentrale Sakekern nie, sommige
word in 'n wyer konteks geloods, en fokus op areas van verval, vorige benadeelde en
gemarginaliseerde areas met as doelwit 'n meer interkonnektiewe stad. Hernuwingsprojekte word
steeds op 'n konstante basis geloods in stede soos Kaapstad, Durban en Johannesburg met die oog
op die belangrike herontwikkeling van kern areas in die stede. Dit is egter belangrik om in ag te
neem dat nie elke stedelike hernuwingsprojek 'n seker sukses is nie, soos die Wetton-Landsdowne
Phillipi Korridor Program. Binne die Kaapse Metropool en in die Sentrale Sakekern is kern areas
vir lang tye verontagsaam en toegelaat om te verval. Die onlangse pogings (1999 - 2002) wat
aangewend word deur die Kaapstad Munisipaliteit dui op 'n verbintenis van die organisasie se kant
aftot stedelike hernuwing. Die organisasie, deur middel van die Stedelike Hernuwingsprogram van
2002, is ook verbind tot areas wat voorheen deur Apartheidsbeleid benadeel en gemarginaliseer is.
Hierdie studie fokus op Kaapstad se benadering tot stedelike hernuwing in die Sentrale Sakekern en
ander spesifieke besigheidsnodusse. 'n Literêre oorsig het gehelp om die intellektuele
agtergrondmateriaal en logiese raamwerk van die studie te vorm. Sekondêre analise het die doel
Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
van die studie bepaal en kwalitatiewe veldwerk het die ondersoek aangehelp deur observasie en
semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude. Die studie sal nie probeer bewys dat elke hernuwingsprojek wat
deur die Kaapstad Munisipaliteit geloods word gemik is op die uitwis van stedelike probleme
geassosieer met die Apartheidsbeleid nie. Die evaluasie aan die einde van die studie poog om dit
uit te wys. Dit is belangrik om te beklemtoon dat elke verskillende area wat die potensiaal toon vir
herontwikkeling soos die Victoria en Alfred Waterfront of die Wetton-Landsdowne Phillipi
Korridor (die fokus van die studie) volg verskillende strategieë ten einde hul hernuwingsdoelwit te
bereik (ekonomiese ontwikkeling, sosiale fokus of omgewingsbeklemtoning). Die studie het wel
die gevolgtrekking gemaak dat van Kaapstad se stedelike hernuwingstrategieë tog ooreenstem met
herontwikkelingstrategieë in die res van die wêreld soos in Amerika en Brittanje. Die studie fokus
en poog ook om die rigting aan te dui vir toekomstige stedelike hernuwingstrategieë op grond van
'n evaluering van stedelike hernuwingsevolusie kriteria naamlik:
• Die hoofstrategie en rolspelers.
• Die ekonomiese fokus.
• Die sosiale inhoud en
• Die fisiese beklemtoning van hernuwingselemente.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52656
Date12 1900
CreatorsLiebenberg, Christiaan Rudolf
ContributorsMuller, J. I., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format100 pages : illustrations
RightsStellenbosch University

Page generated in 0.003 seconds