CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY
4.4 Sampling Technique
68 selected. Journalists such as Mr. Tony Carnie, have written articles regarding the privatisation of public space within the Durban Inner-city Coastal Area.
The Save Vetch‘s Association and the public had attempted to prevent the expansion of the Point Development Project onto Vetch‘s Beach and this had aroused a lot of controversy, especially in the media. Many articles had been accessible regarding the privatisation of public space within the relevant case studies and provide proof of debate, attention and controversy.
Newspapers were an especially valuable source of data as articles are written by journalists reporting on events which are relevant and current. Newspapers are chronological data sources which are very informative. Newspaper articles from The Mercury and The Daily News will be reviewed from 2005 up until late 2014. Important interviews and information were taken from newspaper articles to provide relevant insight for this research.
b) Aerial Photography and Spatial Development Frameworks
Aerial Photographs provided useful data as they show the entire region and where public space is located within the Durban Inner-city coastal Area. Maps were viewed from SDF‘s maps which pinpoint the geographical location of public spaces and the developments within and around them.
69 The stakeholders were identified through meetings with owners or representatives of the Point Development companies that regulate public space at Vetch‘s Beach and a representative of Save Vetch‘s Association was also nominated.
4.4.1 Target Group Key informants are:
i) The Chief Project Manager, Mr Nelson Nair, from the Department of Public Works.
ii) Respondent 1, Land Use Management Planner from eThekwini municipality.
iii) Respondent 2, Representative from the Save Vetch‘s Association.
iv) Users of public space (citizens).
v) Musa Mbhele, the Deputy City Manager for Economic Development and Planning.
vi) Soban Beverah, the Project Director of the Point Development Precinct.
4.4.2 The Interview Process
The researcher chose to use a semi-structured interview process.
Questions were selected prior to the interviews, but these interviews were not be restricted to these questions. Since qualitative interviews seek to understand selected people ―on their own terms and how they make meaning of their own lives, experiences, and cognitive processes‖, (Brenner 2006: 357) Semi-structured interviews were conducted.
4.4.3 Why is there a need for interviews?
A conversation between the interviewer and respondent allowed the interviewee to explain his/her knowledge, insight and experiences in his/her own words. The specified target group for these interviews are users of public space. Therefore the information derived from the users of public space added more depth and meaning to the research (Valentine, 2005).
The aim of the interview process was for the researcher to retrieve information from the users of public space. The interview method that was selected in the research process aids the researcher to retrieve citizens‘ experiences on the ground, and the meanings that they attach to their experiences in public spaces (Cloke et al., 2004).
Interviews were also conversational by nature and each interviewee would have an individual experience to discuss a variety of ways in which people perceive public spaces. This also
70 allowed the researcher to understand an individual‘s view and discover his/her knowledge and opinions in a way which would not affect the credibility of the respondent (Cloke et al., 2004;
Valentine, 2005).
4.4.4. Key Stakeholder Interviews
Information, initially was collected from a newspaper interview with Mr Neels Brink, the project director of the Point Development Company and it was also important to obtain an interview with Respondent 1, a representative member of the Save Vetch‘s Association. It was necessary, in addition, to interview, also a representative from the Land Use Management Department from eThekwini Municipality who had claimed to have some insight in terms of public space within the region. The respondent 2 that was interviewed was from eThekwini Municipality, Respondent 2 is a LUMS manager at the Town Planning Department. Musa Mbhele, the Deputy City Manager for Economic Development and Planning, and Soban Beverah, the Project Developer of the Point Development Precinct were also interviewed.
4.4.5 Random Sampling
A simple random sampling technique was adopted by the researcher. A simple random sample is a sample in which every member of the population has an equal chance of being chosen. People were selected within the case study areas. Thirty people were selected randomly as a sample size, as representatives of general members of the public. These people were also users of public space.
A public space users‘ survey was designed to allow the researcher to ask the users general research-related questions. The survey was used to discover people‘s perceptions and preferences regarding public space. The survey randomly selected thirty candidates to discover what the people identified as public spaces, and to learn the importance and preferences in terms of public spaces of those citizens who had been using them. People from within both case study areas within the Durban Inner-city coastal area were asked questions about their perceptions of public space. People were asked questions about why they used public space or whether they liked uShaka Marine World‘s public spaces or the public space at Vetch‘s Beach. The researcher also wanted to understand from the public how they felt within public spaces. The researcher used this random sample, the public space users‘ survey to understand whether or not people were controlled, excluded from or had restricted access due to privatisation.
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