Finding space for Durban's subsistence fishing community: towards the design of a fishing centre in Durban Harbour.

Abstract

In postmodern urban theory there is a contemporary movement that undertakes to explore the social complexities of space in modern cities. This postmodern theoretical approach in urban thinking juxtaposes the dehumanising emphasis on metropolitan conformity of modernist urbanism. It is an approach that investigates urban spatiality as a physical product of the human social condition. The global phenomenon of rapid urbanisation has resulted in modern cities that have become increasingly complex in the way that they enable and organise the living together of people. By its very nature, a city’s most valuable and fundamental commodity is space. The increasing demand for access to the finite amount of urban space within cities has, in many instances, resulted in a spatial conflict between people and urban communities, all of whom compete to gain access to the resources and opportunities that a city offers. One of the marginalising results of the phenomenon of escalating competition over urban space is the inevitable disruption or displacement of traditional communities who once occupied a space. This dissertation explores the case of Durban’s subsistence fishing community as an example of a traditional urban community that has been subject to urban displacement. Issues such as racially biased apartheid urban planning, urban gentrification, privatisation of urban public spaces and the growth of large fishing enterprises have all had a negative impact on the success of both on-shore and off-shore subsistence fisherfolk alike. The inability to find adequate space prevents the once thriving community of fishers from practising their trade. A qualitative research study explores the case of Durban’s subsistence fishing community through the lens of spatial justice theory. An adaption of an existing spatial justice research model is developed as an investigative framework that examines the three Spatial Justice components (spatial claim, spatial power and spatial links) regarding the subsistence fishing community’s occupation of urban space in Durban. The three components of Spatial Justice evaluate: the historical and cultural significance of the subsistence fishing community in Durban, how the community negotiates urban space, and what can be implemented to enhance subsistence fishing practices. The research investigation established three broad based findings: Firstly, Durban’s subsistence fishing community has a rich cultural heritage that is currently not fully embraced by the city. Secondly, it is found that some of the spaces that are used by the subsistence fishers are the residual, ‘unwanted’ urban public spaces that are left over and cut-off from the surrounding urban framework. Finally, it is established that there is little provision, in the form of infrastructure or management systems, that seeks to enhance the practices of the subsistence fishing community in Durban. The research findings are used to inform a proposed architectural response that aims to reintegrate subsistence fishers as part of Durban’s urban community. Ultimately the building aims to provide a platform for Durban’s subsistence fishing community’s future development within the current physical and social context of the city.