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Urban design in black South African settlements

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Abstract

Urban Designers in South Africa play little part in the design of black townships. The author has been involved, to a limited extent, in two such townships: Crossroads, where a feasibility study for informal traders was produced, and Imizamo Yethu, where he is a member of a voluntary professional body which helps residents who wish to build houses.

The experiences gained in these two townships are drawn upon to illustrate the particular problems facing urban designers, on the basis of participant observation supplemented by conventional research.

Tentative conclusions are drawn and suggestions made for a more effective means for urban designers to engage constructively in the process of helping the new black settlements in South Africa achieve higher standards of urban life.

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  1. ARCTOTIS: Architects and Urban Designers,

    Erik Schaug

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  1. Erik Schaug
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Correspondence to Erik Schaug.

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Schaug, E. Urban design in black South African settlements. Urban Des Int 8, 147–159 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.udi.9000101

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