Practicing within and beyond planning: narratives of practitioners from South Africa

ABSTRACT

There is limited scholarship on planning practice that foregrounds narratives of practitioners, especially those based in the post-colonial contexts. Juxtaposing biographical narratives of 12 practitioners from South Africa, this paper highlights the diversity and plurality that exist amongst planners and their practice in these contexts. Having trained in planning to enable socio-spatial change, these practitioners curate their practice within and beyond planning, following their passion, interests, personality, and personal circumstances. It is argued that central to this curation are the considerations of ‘where’ and ‘with whom’ to practice. The place of practice and the people they practice with become expressions of what practitioners value.

KEYWORDS:

• Planning practice
• practice biographies
• urban practitioners

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank all the practitioners who participated whole-heartedly in this research and made this work possible. The paper draws from the doctoral research carried out by the author at the University of Cape Town, supervised by Professor Sophie Oldfield and Associate Professor Zarina Patel. Her research was supported by the University of Cape Town-University of Basel PhD Fellowship.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. https://sacplan.org.za/planning-education/

2. Interview with Jens Kuhn, 11 May 2022.

3. Interview with Robyn Park-Ross, 01 December 2021.

4. Interview with Fanisa (pseudonym), 15 June 2022.

5. Interview with Sarah (pseudonym), 20 May 2022.

6. Interview with Mark (pseudonym), 21 October 2022.

7. Interview with Peter Khaled Ahmad, 01 November 2021.

8. Interview with Dare David Alli, 27 September 2021.

9. Interview with Jens Kuhn, 11 May 2022.

10. Interview with Fanisa (pseudonym), 15 June 2022.

11. Interview with Geci Karuri-Sebina, 30 May 2022.

12. Interview with Lina (pseudonym), 26 April 2022.

13. Interview with Cecil Madell, 18 May 2022.

14. Interview with Dare David Alli, 27 September 2021.

15. Interview with Sarah (pseudonym), 03 November 2022.

16. Interview with Jens Kuhn, 11 May 2022.

17. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-transformation-po. Last accessed − 22 April 2023.

18. Interview with Fanisa (pseudonym), 15 June 2022.

19. Interview with Eric (pseudonym), 21 September 2021.

20. Interview with Geci Karuri-Sebina, 13 June 2022.