Abstract
Researchers use urban renewal as a study subject to address concerns about the deterioration
of urban living conditions and urban decay among decision-makers globally. Urban renewal offers opportunities to resolve societal inequality, urban decay, and sustainable development.
Urban renewal efforts are implemented through various processes, some of which could lead
to the emergence of processes like gentrification. This study aims to investigate the urban
renewal processes in South African townships using Kliptown as a case study.
To collect data for this study, a mixed-method strategy is used which uses questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews. Residents of Kliptown are surveyed using
questionnaires. Semi-structured interviews are to survey relocated residents, property owners,
street vendors, and stakeholders. The participants are identified using random sampling and
snowball sampling procedures.
The study findings indicate that Urban Renewal Programmes (URPs) in Kliptown did not consult with residents, did not benefit most residents, and most of the developments that took
place were vandalised. Moreover, some residents, shops, and informal traders have been
displaced. Findings indicated that the Kliptown community underwent a top-down, mandated
urban renewal procedure. The displacement of some residents, shops, and informal traders,
uneven development, as well as the indication of the top-down urban renewal process, reveals that there had been a possible emergence of gentrification in Kliptown. The study's results advance knowledge by providing information on how townships in South Africa are undergoing urban renewal. Several strategies are advised for urban developers and the tourism industry to include in their development strategies to meet the community's requirements and
achieve sustainable development. Recommendations for additional study provided.
Keywords: Displacement, Gentrification, Kliptown, Urban Renewal, Walter Sisulu Square of
Dedication (WSSD).