Projet de recherche BL/07/SA8 (Action de recherche BL)
1) Project objectives:
The limited gentrification scholarship in South Africa largely focuses on issues of displacement and change in social and urban character of neighbourhoods. The country is however far behind in terms of policy and regulations to manage and/or control gentrification. Development‐led gentrification poses the risk for traditional villages as well as historic small towns to completely lose their tangible and intangible heritage in the near future. In the absence of examples of managing gentrification through bylaws, legislation and policy in South Africa this project will draw on experience from Belgium and make suggestions for the respective case study municipalities on how they can manage gentrification to the benefit of conserving cultural heritage.
2) Specific R&D cooperation topic(s) :
- Exploring methodologies to map the existing tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the case study sites, which will include investigating the extent of change of the historic built environment in the case study sites (this will be done within the theoretical context of gentrification)
‐ Unpack how we would investigate the traditional authorities’ role in transforming the cultural heritage landscapes in rural villages in South Africa, by exploring the process of allocating land to non‐community/tribal members.
‐ Discuss and workshop the fieldwork methodology for the future research project (e.g. to conduct a survey among residents in the case study sites to investigate the effects of spatial transitions on the village in terms of their changing social structures, and the way they experience and perceive these transitions.)
‐ In a seminar deliberate on the topic of contested heritage as experience in the case study sites: 1) What characterizes contested heritage? 2) What are the factors that lead to heritage contestation? 3) What are the challenges and strategies in dealing with contested heritage?
‐ Together explore insight into heritage governance and policymaking for the case study sites
3) Added value of the network:
The project which will investigate the impact that residential development may have on the living heritage in selected small towns and rural villages case studies in South Africa and Belgium. All project partners are in some way or another involved /interested in research on the above topic. ‐ Professor Oswald Devisch, Hasselt University: expertise in participatory planning in rural villages;
‐ Professor Koenraad Van Cleempoel, Hasselt University: expertise in adaptive reuse;
‐ Professor Ronnie Donaldson, Stellenbosch University: expertise in urban and tourism developmental studies;
‐ Drs Nothile Prudence Ndimande, University of Zululand: currently finishing up her PhD on the studentification in rural areas;
‐ Ms Musfiqah Majiet, Stellenbosch University: currently finishing her masters study on gated development housing in low income areas.
4) Expected results:
‐ Exchange of methodologies to map the existing tangible and intangible cultural heritage;
‐ A collaborative research proposal to submit for funding;
‐ A joint lecture series;
‐ Insight into heritage governance and policy‐making for the case study sites;
‐ Training of emerging and future generation scholars;
‐ A mini conference.
