EXPLORING HIGH STREETS IN SUBURBAN JOHANNESBURG By Tatum Tahnee Kok A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Town and Regional Planning. Johannesburg, 2016 1 DECLARATION I declare that this dissertation is my own unaided work. It is being submitted for the Degree of Master of Science to the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination to any other University. …………………………………………………………………………… (Signature of Candidate) ……….. Day of …………….., …………… (Day) (Month) (Year) 2 ABSTRACT Traditionally the high street serviced residents in the local suburb. The proliferation of entertainment and leisure activities on the high street in suburban Johannesburg has appealed to people in the broader region. These social spaces within the suburb provide a simultaneous interaction of individuals who can carry out their daily activities of shopping, dining and socializing and essentially has contributed to these high streets being successful destination points. Patrons, the foot traffic of the high street, sustain businesses on the high street. Some business owners neglect to implement city by-laws and comply with licensing regulations often perpetuating unfavourable circumstances for residents in the suburb. Noise, petty crime and parking constraints detract from the street's allure. Alternatively, some residents enjoy easy access to the street's activities. Using a mixed method research approach, this research reveals some of the perceptions, regulations and tensions regarding the prominence of entertainment and leisure activities on the high street. Three case studies (7th Street in Melville, 4th Avenue in Parkhurst and Rockey/Raleigh Street in Greater Yeoville) are explored to evaluate the role of entertainment and leisure on the suburban high street. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THANK YOU! To the NRF South African Research Chair in Development Planning and Modelling, University of the Witwatersrand, for the financial support while completing my dissertation. To the SARCHI team, for the coffee breaks, kind words, support, friendship and patience. To my mother and father, thank you for encouraging me to pursue my dreams and believing in me always. Thank you for all the sacrifices you have made to get me to where I am today. To the Rana family, thank you for providing a home away from home in Johannesburg. To Thabo, thank you being my rock. To my friends and family, thank you for all the love, laughs and support. To my supervisors, Yasmeen Dinath for starting with me and Dr Alexandra Parker for seeing me through to the end. Thank you for your guidance and patience. This journey would not have culminated without everyone’s love, prayers, encouragement and support. 4 CONTENTS DECLARATION ..................................................................................................................... 2 ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................ 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................... 4 CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................... 5 LIST OF FIGURES, IMAGES AND GRAPHS ............................................................................ 8 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 9 1.1 Context ...................................................................................................................... 9 1.2 The Main Research Question .................................................................................. 13 1.2.1 Subsidiary Questions ........................................................................................ 13 1.3 Overview of Dissertation ........................................................................................ 14 1.4 The Case Study Streets ............................................................................................ 15 1.5 Research Design ...................................................................................................... 17 1.6 The Research Methods ........................................................................................... 18 1.6.1 High Street Profile (Land Use Survey) .............................................................. 18 1.6.2 Key Informant Interviews ................................................................................. 20 1.6.3 Surveys ............................................................................................................. 24 1.6.4 Participant Observation ................................................................................... 25 1.7 Desired Outcomes ................................................................................................... 26 2 COMPONENTS OF THE HIGH STREET ............................................................................. 27 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 27 2.2 High Street Definitions ............................................................................................ 27 2.3 Challenges Facing the High Street .......................................................................... 33 2.3.1 The Decline of the High Street ......................................................................... 33 2.3.2 Shopping Preferences: High Street versus Shopping Mall ............................... 37 2.4 The Suburban Context of the High Street ............................................................... 41 2.4.1 Suburbs in Johannesburg ................................................................................. 42 2.5 Public Life on High Streets ...................................................................................... 43 2.6 Entertainment and Leisure on the High Street ....................................................... 46 2.7 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 49 3 STREET ACTIVITIES: ENTERTAINMENT AND LEISURE ON THE HIGH STREET.................. 50 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 50 3.2 The Suburbs and their High Streets ........................................................................ 51 5 3.2.1 Melville and 7th Street ...................................................................................... 51 3.2.2 Parkhurst and 4th Avenue ................................................................................. 57 3.2.3 Greater Yeoville and Rockey/Raleigh Street .................................................... 60 3.3 The High Streets’ Activities ..................................................................................... 64 3.3.1 7th Street........................................................................................................... 64 3.3.2 4th Avenue ........................................................................................................ 68 3.3.3 Rockey/Raleigh Street ...................................................................................... 72 3.4 Contextualizing Entertainment and Leisure Activity on the High Street ................ 77 3.4.1 Significance of Shopping Malls ......................................................................... 81 3.5 Recurrent Themes on the High Streets ................................................................... 85 3.6 Concluding with the ‘Balance’ of Activities ............................................................. 88 4 HIGH STREET EXPERIENCES: PERCEPTIONS, REGULATIONS AND TENSIONS ................. 92 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 92 4.2 Social Aspects of the High Street ............................................................................ 93 4.2.1 Patrons ............................................................................................................. 93 4.2.2 Business Owners ............................................................................................ 104 4.2.3 Residents ........................................................................................................ 108 4.2.4 Street Festivals ............................................................................................... 112 4.2.5 Pedestrianization of 7th Street? .................................................................... 115 4.3 By-Laws, Licenses and Regulations ....................................................................... 116 4.3.1 By-Laws and the use of the Pavement ........................................................... 117 4.3.2 Regulations and Rules .................................................................................... 124 4.3.3 Establishments and Licensing ........................................................................ 125 4.3.4 Safety and Crime ............................................................................................ 128 4.3.5 Noise .............................................................................................................