Suburban infill : an intervention for Gaborone's pedestrianways

Abstract

The thesis explores the potential benefits and possibilities of infill interventions within Gaborone's existing pedestrianways. The city was designed and laid out by European planners during the time of the Protectorate at the height of the Garden City movement, to become the new administrative capital for the newly independent Botswana. The resultant pedestrianways are an imported urban model that literally got "lost in translation" and as a result, the pedestrianways remain highly underutilized and could rightly be considered as wasted spaces in the city. Through a historical understanding and critical analysis, the thesis identifies why the pedestrianways are not working; how people are using them; and how the city could begin to redevelop them into meaningful and sustainable spaces.