Urban developments the world over face a myriad of challenges. In South Africa, urban design is exacerbated by the recent implementation of democracy, which demands the dismantling of the brutal markings imprinted by apartheid planning on the South African built environment. This article investigates and compares recent developments in this changing urban fabric. The study finds its genesis in this context of transformation, which provides urban design with a unique challenge to interpret and respond to pressing urban issues peculiar to South Africa.
keywords: African City, fragmented city, transformation, urban (re)development, urban migration/exodus, decentralisation, fortified enclaves, legible public realm, economic apartheid, fragmentation re, created