Opening the Black Box of Urban Development Cultural Heritage Activism at the Amazon Megaproject in Cape Town

• Published in: Theoria (Pietermaritzburg) Vol. 71; no. 178; pp. 24 - 47
• Main Authors: Robins, Steven, Baumgardt, Laurin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Afrikaans; English
• Published: New York Berghahn Books, Inc 01-03-2024
• Subjects: Activism; Activists; Cultural heritage; Environmentalism; Indigenous peoples; Rivers; Scrutiny; Towns; Urban areas; Urban development
• ISSN: 0040-5817; 1558-5816
• DOI: 10.3167/th.2024.7117802

Abstract
This article focuses on efforts by indigenous activists to oppose a mega-development in the middle of the Two Rivers Urban Park (TRUP) at the River Club site in Observatory, Cape Town. In the article we argue that, even though the mega-development ultimately went ahead, intense contestation surrounding Khoi cultural heritage contributed towards opening up the ‘black box’ of urban development in Cape Town, as well as pressuring the developers to accommodate some of the demands of indigenous activists and environmentalists. We also examine why and on what terms it was even possible for a small group of indigenous activists to temporarily halt a mega-development driven by powerful actors, including Amazon, the City of Cape Town and private developers. Drawing inspiration from Bruno Latour's notion of the black box, we show how these anti-development activists were able to interrupt the construction process and create the conditions for opening up to public and legal scrutiny opaque urban development processes.