A community in trouble? The impact of gentrification on the Bo-Kaap, Cape Town

The Bo-Kaap is an older inner-city, working-class neighbourhood in Cape Town, South Africa. By the 1930s, the area had degenerated into an overcrowded and run-down neighbourhood, consisting largely of dilapidated houses, but by 1941 about 150 housing units had been expropriated by the local authority for redevelopment in a comprehensive renewal scheme for the area. However, the process was halted with the formation of the so-called “Group for the Preservation of the Malay Quarter”, which fought against the demolition of the houses. At present, the area with its colourful housing units and 11 mosques is part of Cape Town’s cultural heritage and a very important tourist attraction. As in the case of De Waterkant, a gentrified neighbourhood adjacent to it, the area has seen a large number of housing units renovated and upgraded. Property prices have increased dramatically, although they are still relatively low, while the number of properties sold is also on the rise – so much so that the community leaders and especially the Muslim residents are in a constant battle to preserve the neighbourhood’s cultural identity

Changing economic bases: Orania as a case study of small-town development in South Africa

The economic base is the most fundamental factor controlling the growth of a town. Orania’s economic base has changed three times. The town came into existence as a result of the development of the Orange River Project. After completing the project, the Department of Water Affairs withdrew from the town in 1989, with the result that it lost its economic base. The town was sold to the Afrikanervryheidstigting (AVSTIG), which saw it as the first town in an envisaged Afrikaner homeland. This provided the impetus for the second, political economic base. The farm Vluytjeskraal, adjacent to Orania, was bought in 1991 and subdivided into smallholdings, which provided the stimulus for the third, agricultural economic base

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIBS AND NATURE TOURISM: A SOUTH AFRICA CASE STUDY

Almost seven percent of the total population of South Africa are disabled, according toStatistics South Africa. Of this group, 21% are physically disabled. A lack of recreationalopportunities is listed as one of the major sources of stress for this group. The accessibility ofparks and reserves in the Limpopo Province for wheelchair-bound people is investigated inthis case study. The province has a rich natural heritage as well as an abundance of wildernessareas, and although ecotourism already plays an important role in the economic developmentof the province, it is still under-utilised. Given the absence of rain and the moderatetemperature in winter, the Limpopo Province is one of the most suitable in South Africa foroutdoor recreational activities during the winter months. To evaluate parks and reserves in theprovince in terms of their accessibility to people with disabilities, especially those confined towheelchairs, a model was developed with a set of criteria against which tourism venues couldbe tested. Values ranging from 3 for full accessibility to O for total inaccessibility wereallocated and used to evaluate the parks and reserves in the study area. An average value wascalculated for each venue. These averages were finally tested against the accessibility index todetermine the extent to which the park or reserve is accessible to people with disabilities

Zadovoljstvo s stanovanji v naselju Braamfischerville v Sowetu in kakovost življenja v njih: Študija primera iz Južnoafriške republike

Vlada afriškega nacionalnega kongresa (ang. African National Congress ali ANC) se je v okviru programa rekonstrukcije in razvoja odločila za gradnjo, da bi zagotovila stanovanja nekdanjim socialno šibkejšim skupinam in rešila vprašanje velikih zaostankov v stanovanjski gradnji, ki so zadnja leta značilni za Južnoafriško republiko. Kljub dobrim namenom pa so ta stanovanja tarče ostrih kritik zaradi nizkih gradbenih standardov in slabe kakovosti ter tudi pomanjkanja osnovnih storitev in javnih dobrin na območju novogradenj. Raziskava, na podlagi katere je nastal ta članek, je bila opravljena leta 2008, v njej pa so sodelovali prebivalci območja Braamfischerville v Sowetu. S pomočjo vprašalnika smo za vsako gospodinjstvo med drugim zbrali demografske podatke ter podatke o mesečnih dohodkih in stroških. Stopnjo zadovoljstva s posameznimi prvinami stanovanja, kot so okna, vrata in streha, in tudi s samim stanovanjem na splošno, smo določili s pomočjo petstopenjske Likertove lestvice in intervjujev. Pri določanju dejavnikov, ki prispevajo k večjemu zadovoljstvu, smo ugotovili, da je bližina osnovnih storitev in javnih dobrin za stanovalce enako pomembna kot videz stanovanja. V bližini novozgrajenih naselij je zato treba zagotoviti osnovne javne dobrine. Stanovalci so se pritoževali nad kakovostjo stanovanj in dostopom do osnovnih storitev in javnih dobrin; te znižujejo stopnjo zadovoljstva s stanovanji in tako negativno vplivajo na kakovost življenja prebivalcev naselja Braamfisherville

Living in a changing Chinese urban landscape: The Dalian case study

Dalian is the second–most important city in the southern part of Liaoning Province in northeast China. The city can trace its history back to the Qingniwa settlement. This settlement was occupied from 1858 until 1950 in succession by the British, Japanese and Russian Empires, with each imposing its own building styles on the city. However, from 1950, when the city was finally returned to China by the Russians, who had captured it from the Japanese during the Second World War, most of the imperial buildings and sites were lost to redevelopment within the city. The most dramatic changes have taken place since 1984, when the city was declared a Special Economic Zone, and particularly during the 1990s, when Bo Xilai became the mayor and introduced parks, extensive motorways and many traffic circles. At present, having lost most of its traditional built environment, Dalian is a modern city marked by dramatic housing developments and dominated by multi-family high-rise buildings to accommodate its population of 5.72 million. In 2011, a survey was conducted among 400 inhabitants of the city to ascertain their perceptions concerning life in Dalian and the Dalian Development Zone, their living conditions and their level of satisfaction with their housing. From the survey, it was clear that the majority of the interviewees were uncertain about the variables concerning the structural quality of their housing units and the nature, quality and accessibility of the services provided. However, most of them indicated that public transport, open spaces, parks and recreational facilities were within easy reach of their housing units

Changing economic bases: Orania as a case study of small-town development in South Africa

The economic base is the most fundamental factor controlling the growth of a town. Orania’s economic base has changed three times. The town came into existence as a result of the development of the Orange River Project. After completing the project, the Department of Water Affairs withdrew from the town in 1989, with the result that it lost its economic base. The town was sold to the Afrikanervryheidstigting (AVSTIG), which saw it as the first town in an envisaged Afrikaner homeland. This provided the impetus for the second, political economic base. The farm Vluytjeskraal, adjacent to Orania, was bought in 1991 and subdivided into smallholdings, which provided the stimulus for the third, agricultural economic base

Post-apartheid local sustainable development through tourism:an analysis of policy perceptions among ‘responsible’ tourism stakeholders around Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa

Many developing countries aim at balancing macro-level, growth-oriented economic policies with local community-based development strategies under the auspices of global governance organizations. South Africa adopts such a strategy to be competitive in the global market and, simultaneously, to alleviate domestic socio-spatial inequalities inherited from the apartheid period. Based on a qualitative case study in and around Pilanesberg National Park, this paper assesses whether this seemingly contradictory policy combination elicits the empowerment of traditionally marginalized actors. We use an institutional approach to evaluating sustainable development policy. Results of a policy perception analysis indicate that the substantive aspects of South Africa’s policies are widely acknowledged in the Pilanesberg area. The problem rests with the procedural aspects of how to deal with the shared responsibility of stakeholders with different interests and levels of authority. The paper concludes that power can be meaningfully shifted to community stakeholders only when the investments of global and national-level players are redirected towards establishing a system of procedures to solve local-level disparities in skills and power between the “jointly responsible” actors. These disparities currently result in deadlocks regarding local sustainable development in the Pilanesberg area, despite promising multi-level policies implemented in the post-apartheid era to avoid such situations

Leisure cycling entrepreneurialism in Johannesburg, South Africa

It is estimated that by 2050 as many as five billion bicycles could be in use globally. Reasons for this growth vary, with utility cycling strong in Europe and Asia; while in the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand cycling is a sport and leisure activity, with cycling deemed the ‘new golf’. Within this context, there is a rise in community or local bike shops (or LBS) which sell bicycles, related equipment and services. This qualitative study explored LBSs in greater Johannesburg, focusing on who the entrepreneurs are, how they service their clients, and what links the sector has to serious leisure. It was found that the owners demonstrated high levels of serious leisure cycling engagement and passion for the sport. A sense of being part of a bigger cycling community strongly influenced their entrepreneurial practices. This included how they ran their businesses, the employees they hired, as well as how they viewed cycling in general. The research also yielded insights into operational and sectoral realities, trends and challenges. Generally, it was found that the local bike shops in greater Johannesburg are key players in the supply, growth and development of sport and leisure cycling, thereby making a positive contribution to the cycling community. This is important in the light of the COVID-19 challenges experienced by the sport and leisure sector, as a loss of these shops will likely have a negative impact on cycling in Johannesburg.http://www.ajhtl.comam2022Geography, Geoinformatics and MeteorologyGordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS

'n Kritiese evaluering van prestasiedruk in die opvoedingsituasie

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology)Pressure on children implies external forces making a compelling demand on their time and strength to comply with higher standards of excellence in the classroom and on the sports field. Modern society greatly admires competence and efficiency and places special emphasis on achievement, success and winning. As a result children I s education also reflects a tendency towards intense competition inside and outside the classroom. Several underlying causes are given for the pressure on children. Conflicting values and the expectations of parents and teachers are the most important causes which create a feeling of uncertainty inside the child. It is, therefore, essential for educators to reconsider their attitudes towards children. Pressure as a result of external forces often cause feelings of anxiety in children, affecting their learning abilities, creativity and personality development. In this regard the value of intrinsic motivation must be emphasized. This will enable a child to cope with failure and respond in a positive manner to the challenges of life. The role of competition in the lives of children must be appreciated and educators need to justify their actions on moral grounds. If competition helps the child towards self-fulfilment, promotes cooperation among people, creates equal opportunities for all, recognizes human dignity, sets realistic expectations and protects the individual's health, it can be regarded as healthy competition which can be instrumental in the upliftment of a child's self-image and self-confidence. A modular curriculum is often suggested as a solution for the problem of overloaded curricula which result in over structured lives where children have very little time for themselves. It is the intention of this study to create a greater understanding for the problem of increasing pressures on children in modern society