Spatial reactions to crime: fortressing or emancipation of public urban space? Potchefstroom as a case study

Abstract

In both historical, as well as contemporary cities, it was and still is believed that the built environment can play an essential role in the protection of its inhabitants. Today, one of the major challenges facing urban planners, specially in South Africa, is to offer possible spacial solutions to prevent crime in cities. While the traditional city were enclosed by thick walls and incorporate the public spaces, the contemporary city is following a new kind of fortress mentality where various smaller urban spaces (in most cases residential areas), scattered throughout the city, are enclosed by physical barriers with the result of internal spaces, once public spaces, now being privatised. This concept of fortressing - known as 'gated communities' - is multiplying drastically in both metropolitan as well as small and medium sized South African cities. Apart from the responsibilty to address crime, urban planners are simultaneously faced here with other responsibilities (in the way they design the physical environment): efforts in reviving a dying public realm in cities and addressing the segregation of urban space, created by the previous political dogm, are some of the major challenges. In this regard the notion of 'gated communities' could spell doom to a possible safe and vibrant urban future. This paper questions the long term consequences of a fortress mentality on the well-being of the public realm of our cities and explore, by means of an analysis of 'gated communities' in Potchefstroom, possible compromises to be made.