Browsing by Author "Mac Kay, Johny"

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    An analysis of the urban renewal programme of the City of Cape Town : a study of Mitchell's Plain
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006-12) Mac Kay, Johny; Theron, Francois; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : The local sphere of government in South Africa, whether it be local municipalities, district or metropolitan, has been given a distinct role to fulfil in the reconstruction and development planning for its citizens in its jurisdiction. This developmental task, which requires the establishment of sustainable infrastructure, the promotion of socioeconomic development and the building of a moral society, could be accelerated through the effective implementation of an urban renewal programme. Urban Renewal Programmes (URP) requires successful development planning methods, with inclusivity at its heart. The assumption is that the adoption of a comprehensive strategy of development planning, ecological design for community building, and a strong and committed leadership with a participatory approach, could largely be a contributing factor in ensuring long-term sustainability of the URP. Urban renewal seeks to address social exclusion in order to alleviate poverty, thereby reducing unemployment, and advancing spatial and economic integration in the urban core (City of Cape Town, 2004c; Department of Provincial and Local Government, November 2001, March 2004; Hindson and Associates, 2003; South African Cities Network, 2003a, 2003b). This case study, which analyses urban renewal of the City of Cape Town in Mitchell's Plain, was conducted from October 2004 until October 2005, in order to determine whether the community's living conditions were improved through the introduction of the URP. The empirical method used was participant observation at the Mitchell's Plain Sub-council Meetings, Urban Renewal Steering Committee Meetings, Urban Renewal Plenary Meetings for the Mitchell's Plain communities; Mayoral Listening Campaign Meetings on Integrated Development Planning (IDP) in Mitchell's Plain; Meetings of the Mitchell's Plain Development Forum (MPDF) and semi-structured interviews with officials of the City of Cape Town involved in urban renewal in Mitchell's Plain, as well as Councillors deployed to the Mitchell's Plain Sub-council and community members in Mitchell's Plain including the committee members of the MPDF. The study reveals that the City of Cape Town's urban renewal programme in Mitchell's Plain, since its inception in 2001, has been poorly managed and the prospects for its sustainability are limited. The findings of the research conducted through a SWOT-analysis show that the City has strived in its utmost to improve the living conditions of the poor in Mitchell's Plain although this effort is short-term. This indicates that speedy and urgent measures are needed to achieve the desired goals through an urban renewal programme. This thesis argues that a well-managed and successful implementation of the urban renewal programme can improve the lives of the Mitchell's Plain community.