An assessment of the quality of shared outdoor spaces in three South African social housing complexes

Abstract

English: This article presents a study that assessed the extent to which the quality of shared outdoor spaces in social housing complexes in the City of Tshwane conformed to specifications of the Social Housing Policy. To conduct this assessment, criteria and indicators were identified from a literature review. Specifications for guiding this assessment were also identified from the Policy. These criteria, indicators and specifications were used to develop an assessment framework. The study found that the quality of the shared outdoor spaces in three case studies only conformed to some extent to the specifications in the Policy. The study concludes that, despite good intentions, the Policy does not contain sufficient detail to guide this assessment and is too ambiguous to have a noteworthy impact on the development of goodquality shared outdoor spaces in future and existing social housing complexes. Recommendations are made related to further research that could possibly address this shortcoming.

Afrikaans: Hierdie artikel bied ‘n studie wat die mate waarin die kwaliteit van gedeelde buiteruimtes in sosiale behuisingskomplekse in die Stad van Tshwane voldoen aan spesifikasies soos vervat in die Maatskaplike Behuising Beleid. Ter ondersteuning hiervan is kriteria en aanwysers deur middel van ‘n literatuuroorsig geïdentifiseer. Vervolgens is spesifikasies uit die Beleid geïdentifiseer. Hierdie kriteria, aanwysers en spesifikasies is gebruik om ‘n assesseringsraamwerk te ontwikkel. Die studie het bevind dat die kwaliteit van buiteruimtes in die drie gevallestudies slegs tot ‘n mate voldoen aan spesifikasies in die Beleid. Die studie kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat, ten spyte van goeie bedoelings, die Beleid nie voldoende besonderhede bevat om rigting te gee aan hierdie assessering nie. Dit is te dubbelsinnig om ‘n noemenswaardige impak te hê op die ontwikkeling van gedeelde buiteruimtes van goeie gehalte in sosiale behuisingskomplekse. Aanbevelings word gemaak betreffende verdere navorsing wat moontlik hierdie tekortkoming kan aanspreek.