Ryan Meij

MLArc(Prof)

A regenerative landscape that utilises an informal

settlement’s close relationship with the natural

the environment in upgrading the settlements

facilities and infrastructure. 

Project location: Moreleta Park, Pretoria 
Project focus area: Unit for Urban Citizenship
Supervisor: Dr Carin Combrinck
Co-Supervisor: Dr Calayde Davey 

Project intentions:

In communities stigmatized by economic inequality, citizens who fall within the lower income brackets tend to migrate to the city, seeking the opportunity of gaining financial independence (Njwambe et al. 2019); they are forced to reside in informal settlements which tend to border urban densities due to their oftentimes proximity to work (Njwambe et al. 2019). Situated amidst gated communities are two such settlements, Cemetery View and Plastic View, which starkly contrast the wealth, elegance and sophistication of their surroundings. These settlements share a multi-cultural connection to the landscape and create narratives within these landscapes according to their cultural and ritualistic needs. The settlement of Plastic View sits within a particularly contested area, wrought with political and external involvement that has been the recipient of multiple aggressive interactions that have led to its current condition, shape, and ways of existing. It is within these ways of existing that the architect gives a keen focus. Through studies and investigations, these rituals are indicative of the evolution of space within the settlement. It’s in understanding these rituals and interactions of evolution that leads the aim of this dissertation.

This dissertation seeks to investigate and challenge the role of the architect in such scenarios and take it further into the discipline of landscape architecture. As important as the landscape’s role is in informal settlements, so should the landscape architect’s engagement with the environment. Harnessing the knowledge systems used within the informal settlements should, however, not romanticise the idea of an informal settlement. The architect’s engagement is necessary due to the innovation they bring both spatially and strategically (Dovey 2013). To address the complex urban integration of Plastic View with its surrounding context while upholding the knowledge systems and identity found within the settlements, It’s important to situate oneself within the continuum of informal settlement integration. This proposal seeks to understand the architect’s involvement in informality and how the knowledge gained can contribute to the discourse for future urban integration projects.

 

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