Ernst Drewes

A SENSE OF PLACE AND SPATIAL PLANNING IN THE VREDEFORT DOME, SOUTH AFRICA

ABSTRACT Because of its recently acquired world heritage status and the anticipated influx of tourists into the area, the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site in South Africa is currently experiencing pressure for development. Sudden and radical changes to the spatial environment may have a detrimental effect on local inhabitants who have a long history with the site and who have developed a strong place identity. Intangible aspects, such as the sense of place of an area, are currently not integrated in spatial planning in South Africa. This paper aims to explore personal and symbolic meanings, as part of the sense of place of local inhabitants in the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site. An interdisciplinary and mixed-method research approach was followed in this study to explore and understand what constitutes a sense of place for local inhabitants in the area. In essence, the qualitative study revealed that inhabitants have a deep and personal relationship with and within the area, which contributes significantly to their sense of emotional security and a strong place identity. The quantitative study indicated how the unique relationship with the environment is concretised into spatial environmental characteristics, areas for development and conservation, and preferences and deficiencies in the built environment. In general, the research found a strong conservation-oriented attitude with regard to the natural rural character of the site, especially in the inner core. Basic guidelines in the form of a spatial planning framework, in which the sense of place is anchored, are proposed in order to strengthen the sense of place of the study area.