Conceptualizing a nurturing inner city environment informed by the needs of street living : towards a multipurpose dream centre for the pavement dwellers of the Durban CBD.

Abstract

Within the context of a rapidly urbanizing population, both globally and nationally, this

dissertation investigates how street living strategies can assist in conceptualizing a nurturing

inner city environment. Responding to the dearth of implementable social policies in South

Africa, this research sets out to explore methods for architects to enhance the life opportunities

and choices of pavement dwellers by incorporating their livelihoods and aspirations in the design

of the built environment.

The research was carried out by way of reviewing existing literature on the subject, relevant

case studies and precedent studies. The theories and literature discussed guide the focus of this

dissertation highlighting the importance of taking people's needs, interests, livelihood strategies

and their circumstances into account. The discussion illustrates how the inner city environment,

underpinned by theoretical analysis of Theory of Living, Complexity Theory and Critical

Regionalism, can be nurturing to life. Quantitative and qualitative methods are used to gather

social and architectural data, outlining the interaction between street living strategies and the

built environment, illustrating how an inner city can cater to the needs and well being (positive

orientation) of the community, or in other cases, fail to do so. This will be further understood

through an examination of the pavement dwellers' complex and difficult life in the Durban CBD,

and how this creatively assists the design of a nurturing multipurpose dream centre, as a solution

to the needs of street living and a conceptualization of a nurturing inner city environment.

The outcome is the conceptualization of an inner city environment from which a set of principles

and guidelines are established to inform the design of a new multipurpose dream centre in the

inner city - the Durban CBD. A dream centre is possible because of the ability of "The architect

[to] confront human needs and desires [and] mould the environment closer to the human dream"

(Mumford, 1938: 403).