Adaptive Reuse Strategies in Durban Inner City Using Hybrid Mapping Tools

In Durban, South Africa, the apartheid planning legacy led to the creation of various development nodes within the city. Nevertheless, such nodes are most often developer-driven and do not cater to the needs of existing communities. The resultant effect is the lost and insurgent space created between urban nodes within the city. Insurgency can be seen in the form of informal settlements, self-help housing and urban homesteaders (squatters and homeless, using private property or government land). Sociocultural segregation, urban despair, insurgency and lost space now exist between these nodes. In response to these challenges, adaptive reuse of buildings and urban space represents a sustainable solution by extending buildings’ life and reducing the overall carbon footprint. Low-carbon emissions are a key component of sustainable urban environments and in turn contribute to mitigate the consequences of climate change. Such approach forms part of sustainable urban regeneration, with social and economic benefits to society. To develop sustainable urban neighbourhoods all stakeholders and inhabitants need to be meaning fully involved, towards more resilient cities. This paper applied a set of hybrid mapping tools—drone mapping, transect walks, sketches and observations—to capture lost and insurgent space. This helped defining lost and abandoned space within the study area, to understand how it is currently being used and evaluate its potential for adaptive reuse. By mapping spaces between development nodes in three case studies in Durban inner city, this paper seeks to analyse characteristics and factors that should be considered to determine the adaptive reuse potential of buildings, towards developing more inclusive and resilient cities.