Dissecting the political economy of space : the role of public parks in the City of Johannesburg

Abstract

Using Lefebvre's theory of the production of space as a framework, this study examines the production of public spaces in the City of Johannesburg by ascertaining how the management of space has evolved throughout South Africa's three historical eras and how post-apartheid local governments reshaped public spaces to serve the interests of businesses, the state, and urban inhabitants. The transformation of Johannesburg from the conceived segregation of space that accompanied colonialism and apartheid has been slow; many of the dynamics are ossified in the form and spatial practice of the city. Parks, especially as they were developed for white areas before democracy, are a means to redress the fragmentation associated with the past and to offer communities, many of which have very little space, the numerous benefits of parks. These developments need to balance the needs of capital, government, and urban inhabitants. The research issues posed in the study were addressed by the mixed-methods research (MMR) approach, which utilised both qualitative and quantitative data. The research employed the convergent parallel type of the MMR design, wherein simultaneous collection, and separate analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. Information for the study was acquired through document analysis, in-person interviews, questionnaires, observations, and field notes. One hundred participants were randomly selected in each park and filled out open-ended and closed-ended surveys that addressed the issues of contextually perceived and lived settings to evaluate how these conflicts and inconsistencies appeared in the chosen parks. One or two parks from each region were included in the purposive sample. Ten parks that were chosen based on their history, usage, and governance. Depending on when they were built, the chosen public parks were divided into three distinct eras: colonial (Joubert, Zoo Lake, and Rhodes Parks), apartheid (Golden Harvest and Lone Hill Parks), and post-apartheid (Diepsloot, Thokoza, Orange Farm, Westbury, and Rose Parks). The spatial triad that Lefebvre outlined in his book on the production of space may be seen in action in the three political eras that saw parks built in Johannesburg. The most significant factors during the colonisation that inspired the creation of Joubert Park, Zoo Lake Park, and Rhodes Park were the dominance of capital, wealth extraction and the establishment of imperialist cultural norms. These factors greatly influenced how towns grew and who had access to public open spaces in South Africa. Apartheid presented a deepening of these dynamics, and the conceived space of parks was imbricated in draconian segregationist laws. While the conceived and perceived spaces of parks were dominated by the logic of white supremacy, in the lived aspect of parks, black people continued to use parks despite laws prohibiting them from doing so. The post-apartheid era has focused on measures to remedy historical injustices brought by the colonial and apartheid regimes since South Africa made the transition to democracy in 1994. Building public spaces in the post-apartheid era was intended to involve local populations in the process of constructing open spaces, which democratises the used area. This is a means to build a collective right to the city. Very few studies have assessed the development and governance of these spaces, and this study contributes to filling this gap. Even though studies on public space have been conducted, none of them have specifically examined how administrative changes over the colonial, apartheid, and post-apartheid periods affected policy. Since this study is the first to examine that particular area, it will be able to add to the body of knowledge. It also examines how the spatial practices of parks have evolved to reflect the cultures of their local communities. This understanding of the importance of parks and their functioning is a step towards ensuring the ongoing transformation of the City of Johannesburg.