Regenerative Public Space as a game-changing option for Thriving Communities

Abstract

The world is witnessing many volatile situations. Wars are raging, populations are fighting for political justice, and in cities and towns, people are facing desperate conditions in a struggle for survival. These events give rise to growing insecurity and the re-negotiation of territoriality at many scales. Re-territorialisation concerns more than just countries and regions but also spaces within cities. Public spaces are often reconsidered or re-negotiated through appropriation, either by those without space for survival or those who want to reserve the space for a select few through fortification. Hence, public space has become a place of selection based on the various needs contained within the survival or fortified city, and more often than not, creating a maze of juxtaposed entities varying between these two opposites. These trends raise many questions for the future of public space as a common collector and facilitator of inclusion, spatial justice and transformation in many contemporary cities.

Regenerative development and design extend the work of sustainability and resilience. The emphasis is shifted from existence to potential and recognises the interdependent web of multileveled structures of complex living systems. Regeneration acknowledges the unrealised potential inherent in a given system and its broader system. Its exploration enables the residing systems to evolve by expressing their latent potential (Hes & Du Plessis, 2015; Mang et al., 2016; Du Plessis, 2022). Finding the potential paves the way for a trajectory of responsible design, moving from conventional and green practices to restorative and reconciliatory practices toward regenerative development and design (Reed, 2007). Such an approach is relevant to address the challenges facing public space and urban transformation (Landman, 2019).

This paper focuses on regenerative public space in South Africa and its ability to contribute to thriving communities. Drawing from lessons from four case studies in the City of Tshwane (municipal area including Pretoria), South Africa, it unpacks an alternative paradigm for public space, proposes a different process for (re)development and design and offers examples of a few regenerative public spaces. By exploring the paradigm, process, and product, the presentation shares critical challenges facing public space development in the Global South while offering pathways for regenerative development and design applicable everywhere globally. The paper argues that regenerative public space can become a game-changer for peace construction and inclusion in diverse societies and contribute to healthy and thriving communities.