Investigating the characteristics and functions of public space in gated communities: Learning from Irene farm villages estate gated community

Abstract: “Few studies have investigated the extent to which the association between public space and sense of community is also influenced by the frequency of public space use” (Francis et al., 2012:402). Gated communities have been witnessed in cities around the world in developed, developing, and transitional countries. Moreover, gated communities have emerged due to the growth in the level of crime in cities in general, including cities in South Africa. Thus, this has been largely motivated by people‘s long for safety and security, especially when in public spaces. Human presence and activities give significance to urban public open spaces, and they are crucial for fostering social connections among inhabitants in addition to their physical function. "Space" should not be seen as a separate component of a settlement program, such as "public open space", but rather as part of the whole picture. For this research, the following definition of ‗public space‘ has been adopted: ―The term public space is generally accepted to refer to the streets, sidewalks, parks, and plazas that are accessible and open to all people in a particular area‖ (Lemanski et al., 2008:5). The aim of this research was to investigate the characteristics and functions of public spaces in gated communities, learning from Irene Farm Villages Estate gated community. The purpose of this research was to investigate the key factors influencing the characteristics and functions of these spaces in context, thus enabling the report to conclude with the implications the findings will have on future planning of public open spaces in Tshwane. This is an explanatory research study, and it provides documentary information on how the concept of public space has been applied to the City of Tshwane‘s Irene Emerging Node Precinct area – Irene Farm Villages Estate gated community. This study was conducted in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. The objectives of this study were as follows: to review policy and legislative frameworks on public spaces within gated communities in South Africa; to assess the physical characteristics of public spaces in Irene Farm Villages Estate gated community of Tshwane; to examine the functions of public spaces and users‘ perceptions in Irene Farm Villages Estate gated community of Tshwane; and to formulate a framework or model on designing, functions, and usage of public spaces within Irene Farm Villages Estate gated community. For this research, a mixed-method methodology was used, which implies the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather information. A field investigation was conducted in a form of an online survey that was shared in the platforms of Irene Farm Villages Estate gated community, situated in the City of Tshwane, Pretoria. The data was collected from a total sample of 25 participants during the months of September and October. The intention of the data collection using the abovementioned methods of data collecting was to gather information on the perceptions of the users of public spaces in the gated community of Irene Farm Villages Estate. The xi | P a g e users‘ perceptions together with those identified in the literature review were used to determine the characteristics and functions of public spaces in gated communities. The results of the study reveal that Irene Farm Villages has unique characteristics and functions of public spaces that distinguish the estate. Despite this, research reveals that further research is imperative to gain more users‘ perceptions regarding public spaces in gated communities in general. This, therefore, raises research questions as to whether there is enough research done to understand the different users‘ perceptions of public spaces in gated communities. There needs to be more research conducted, specifically by the local government agencies to enable a review of the long-term implications of gated communities, particularly on the integrated development aspect.M.Phil. (Urban Planning and Development