Rethinking Public Space in the Global South: A Secondary Analysis of Spatial Justice in South African Cities

Public spaces are critical sites through which spatial justice is enacted and experienced in everyday urban life. In South African cities, however, public space provision and governance continue to reflect deep socio- spatial inequalities shaped by colonial and apartheid planning legacies, despite progressive post-apartheid reforms. This paper examines how spatial justice principles embedded in the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) are realised in practice through a comparative case study of two public parks in Johannesburg: Joubert Park in the inner city and Zoo Lake in an affluent suburban area. Using a qualitative research design that combines secondary policy analysis with non-participant field observation, the study evaluates each case against SPLUMA’s spatial justice mandate and established principles of good public space. The findings reveal pronounced class-based differences in access, safety, diversity of use, maintenance, investment and governance. While Joubert Park performs well in terms of proximity and intensity of use, it underperforms in experiential access maintenance, and participatory governance. In contrast, Zoo Lake delivers high-quality public space outcomes for its primary users, largely due to sustained investment and aligned civic influence. The paper argues that spatial justice in public space planning cannot be assessed through proximity or formal access alone, but must be understood as a lived condition shaped by care, safety, recognition and power. It concludes by calling for differentiated, redistributive and participatory public space strategies to realise SPLUMA’s transformative intent.