Technology and culture toward the development of tourism in Durban's CBD.

Abstract

The city of Durban, themed in the tourist industry as, "South Africa's Playground', has a vibrant and dense cultural mix. It is a sought after tourist destination both locally and on the global scene. The importance of the Tourist Industry is brought to bear in its use as a tool to stabilise the economy. The role of the CBD within the tourist industry is important as it is able to display culture. Since the CBD is a product of an ongoing evolutionary process it has embedded traces of cultural, social, political and economic fluctuations, which are expressed through the built form of the city. In this light, Durban's CBD is a vital asset as it offers a deepened understanding of culture through experience of place. This resource has not been developed to its full potential at present as is evident in the CBD's limited hours of use. Given the context of a society living within an "information age" this study aims to discover which factors contribute toward this phenomenon. Therefore, the research explores the physical conditions of the CBD as well as the social conditions that have been brought to bear through the introduction and evolution of technology and information access. Further, society's dependence on technology and information access and their relationship with the built environment will be explored. The importance of expressing this dynamic relationship within the built environment wtJI be explored. An appropriate means of architectural expression will be established as informed by the study and applied to the local context-of Durban's CBD.