Forms of Regeneration in Woodstock, Cape Town?
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University of Cape Town School of Architecture Planning and Geomatics Enabling ‘Just’ forms Of Regeneration in Woodstock, Cape Town Dissertation submitted in part fulfilment of the degree of University offor Cape Town Master of City and Regional Planning 4 November 2016 By Lewin Rolls Supervisor: Associate Prof Tanja Winkler i The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University of Cape Town Declaration of Free Licence The candidate is required to sign a declaration stating: " I hereby: (a) grant the University free license to reproduce the above thesis in whole or in part, for the purpose of research; (b) declare that: (i) the above thesis is my own unaided work, both in conception and execution, and that apart from the normal guidance of my supervisor, I have received no assistance apart from that stated below; (ii) except as stated below, neither the substance or any part of the thesis has been submitted in the past, or is being, or is to be submitted for a degree in the University or any other University. (iii) I am now presenting the thesis for examination the thesis for examination for the Degree of Master of City and Regional Planning.” Plagiarism Declaration form 1. I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is to use another’s work and pretend that it is one’s own. 2. I have used the Harvard convention for citation and referencing. Each contribution to, and quotation in, this report from the work(s) of other people has been attributed, and has been cited and referenced. 3. This dissertation is my own work. 4. I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of passing it off as his or her own work. Name: Lewin Rolls Signature: Signature removed ii Acknowledgements I would like to thank all of my research participants who were kind enough to give me their time I would also like to thank my supervisor Associate Prof Tanja Winkler, for your guidance and support particularly through the political climate has been commendable I thank Nobukhosi Ngwenya for your advice, UCT funding, MLH scholarship and Hugh&Win Walker scholarship Last but not least, I thank all my family and friends for always being there for me during certain challenges I was faced with during my studies iii Abstract The dominance of market-led regeneration has the ability to incapacitate the working class individuals’ ability to remain in central inner-city neighbourhoods. The inner-city neighbourhood of Woodstock in Cape Town appears to reflect this problem through private sector development that results in the increase of property prices to the detriment of low-income residents. Research indicates that a large proportion of Woodstock residents cannot afford the resulting increase in cost of living, and resort to living in temporary relocated areas remote from economic opportunities and social amenities. Municipal planners are unable to solve proceeding issues from this type of ‘unjust’ regeneration, however, it is integral for them to enable more ‘just’ forms of regeneration which mitigates the impact on lower-income residents. In order to respond to this problem, the present study draws largely from Fainstein’s (2010) concept of the ‘Just City’ which reflect the principles of equity, diversity and democracy. In turn, a theoretical framework was established which assessed the extent to which Woodstock performs as a ‘Just City’. The case study and oral history data collection method were used. Research techniques included semi- structured in-depth interviews, non-participant-observations, mapping techniques of the current situation, document analysis, and an oral history interview. In addition, informal conversations and personal communication, also played a role in this study. Key findings reveal how Woodstock lacks in a number of requirements to indicate a strong presence of urban justice. Regarding equity; there are minimal affordable housing units and a high demand for social housing. Non-Governmental Organisations take the lead in finding bottom-up strategies to benefit marginalised residents. Furthermore, the Urban Development Zone Tax-incentive does not benefit a wide range of individuals beyond long-time property holders. Regarding diversity; although varied public spaces exist, their ‘gated’ character reveals an inherent social fragmentation. Despite this, zoning, and land-uses speak towards mixed-used and inclusionary potential. Regarding democracy; residents have representation through activist organisations, yet are still not on an equal footing when it comes to decision-making. In order for planners to enable ‘just’ forms of regeneration, recommendations are made to create a social housing stock, recast the current urban development tax incentive, and prioritize bottom-up strategies. Further recommendations include the establishment of a ‘Woodstock Local Area Overlay Zone’, promote Amin’s (1999) concept of ‘institutional thickness’, and to enable community activities through working alongside urban designers. iv Contents Page Acknowledgements..................................................................................................................... iii Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... iv Contents Page .............................................................................................................................. v List of Figures ............................................................................................................................ viii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ x Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background to study ..................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Identifying the Problem under study .............................................................................. 4 1.4 Establishing the aim of the study ................................................................................... 7 1.5 Establishing the Main Research Question and Assessment Criteria for this Study ............ 7 1.6 The Structure of this Dissertation ........................................................................................ 8 Chapter 2: Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................... 9 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 The Just City ....................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 Unpacking the principles of the ‘Just City’: ......................................................................... 11 2.3.1 Equity ............................................................................................................................ 11 2.3.2 Diversity ........................................................................................................................ 19 2.3.3 Democracy .................................................................................................................... 24 Chapter 3: Research Methods..................................................................................................... 29 3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 29 3.2 Research Methods ............................................................................................................ 29 3.2.1 Case study method ........................................................................................................ 29 3.2.2 Oral History Method .................................................................................................. 32 3.3 Research Techniques ........................................................................................................ 33 v 3.3.1 Semi-structured Interviews (SSI) ................................................................................. 36 3.3.2 Oral History interview .................................................................................................... 37 3.3.3 Focus Group .................................................................................................................. 38 3.3.4 Informal Conversations .................................................................................................. 39 3.3.5 Personal Communication ............................................................................................... 40 3.3.4 Non-participant observation .......................................................................................... 40 3.3.5 Aerial photography and mapping ..................................................................................