A macro analysis and GIS application of urban public space closures in Cape Town, 1975 - 2004

Abstract

Citizens in Cape Town have been claiming urban public space for private use since the 1970s. This article endeavours to trace the extent, identify patterns and investigate the processes utilised by citizens in the claiming of urban public space in the city. This article aims to add to the growing corpus of knowledge on the erosion of urban public space by focussing on the micro, erf-sized level, by seeking to understand the history of the erosion of urban public space as entrenched in legislation and to highlight the impact that indi-vidual citizens, not major real estate developers or large organisations, can have on the shaping of urban public space within the urban landscape.