Project Location: Pretoria

Project Focus Area: Urban Psychological Accessibility 

Supervisor(s): Dr Nico Botes

Project Description

Despite numerous post-apartheid policies aiming to get rid of social exclusion and spatial
separation, the capital city of South Africa remains deeply divided. The city's public spaces
have evolved over the last three decades, witnessing a rise in gated communities that restrict
access to communal and recreational areas. However, what has remained unchanged is the
persistence of inequality in South African cities like Tshwane, with spatial barriers and
exclusionary elements from the past still existing as remnants.

Public spaces are integral to the vitality and identity of urban communities, serving as
gathering spots where people from diverse backgrounds converge, connect, and create
shared experiences. These spaces play a vital role in promoting social cohesion, fostering a
sense of belonging, and enhancing the overall well-being of city dwellers. However, beneath
the apparent openness of public spaces lies a complex interplay of exclusionary spatial
measures that can significantly impact their utilisation and psychological accessibility.
In the context of Prinshof, Melgisedek is a good example of how political shifts and a change
in social dynamics can have a negative impact on existing infrastructure and organisations. It
was during the shift away from the apartheid regime when the management, ownership and
use of the Melgisedek site were thrown around. Where the site was seen as a formal refugee
centre before poor management and corruption, the result after the ownership of the
property shifted towards the municipality was a forgotten wasteland with residents that had
no access to basic services or hope for change. Even though the Melgisedek was never a
site that produced an income for the City of Tshwane, it is sad to see how the property,
heritage buildings and community of Melgisedek were supported and maintained through the
years compared to how the university grounds and students are treated across the road. My
perception of Melgisedek is that over the years it became the dirty corner of Prinshof that the
municipality and broader community of Pretoria try to ignore by rather driving past it very fast
than recognising that the poverty, lack of basic services and drug use issue seen within the
community is part of a larger systemic issue.