Spatial (in) justice and street spaces of selected small rural towns in Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Street spaces of small rural towns of Thohoyandou, Musina and Louis Trichardt in South Africa are characterised by spatial (in)justices as urban space is produced and reproduced every day through planning and design and management imperatives. In some cases, the spatial (in)justices are also inherited from the towns’ historical past and geographical location. These are perpetuated unwillingly over time to date. This study, therefore, seeks to interrogate the spatial (in)justices flowing from the streets themselves as distributors of (in)justices as street space users interact on street spaces in their everyday activities; and through processes of street planning, design and management. The study developed a framework of analysis that can be used by other researchers, planners and policy makers to redress spatial injustices on streets as important everyday spaces. The study employed a street space spatial justice case study survey design, which utilises the mixed methods approach. The primary data collection methods used include a street space design qualities inventory of forty-three street spaces in the towns' Central Business Districts; street intercept surveys with five hundred non-vehicular users; and structured interviews with eight spatial planners and city planning professionals knowledgeable about street design and management. Secondary data collection was done through reviewing literature sources from books, journals, municipal records, and internet sources. Analysis of data was done both qualitatively and quantitatively. Variables of safety, security, permeability, accessibility, legibility, robustness, and maintenance, and management were interrogated to measure spatial (in)justice on street spaces. The research findings show that thirty- six out of forty-three street spaces had low to least performing spatial justice qualities. Significant differences (p<0.05) exist between the different categories of users' perceptions of each spatial justice attribute, and also between users' satisfaction and expectations on street spaces. The local municipalities in the selected small rural towns provide packaged and controlled forms of justice which are often not context-specific. A significant output from this research is an improved street space spatial (in)justice analytical framework that can ensure spatial justice on street spaces of small rural towns. Multiple-lensed spatial (in)justice analyses and multi-stakeholder collaboration remain imperative for municipalities to ensure just street spaces.