A recent mapping project led by design researcher Yolandi Burger for the Gauteng City-Region Observatory analyzed nearly 44,000 street names across Gauteng, South Africa's economic heartland. The project aimed to explore how street names tell stories about the region, its people, and cultural heritages. The study found that 57% of streets were classified as names of people, making Gauteng's street network a vast, dispersed memorial landscape. This project connects to Burger's wider research on how ordinary graphic objects communicate heritage in the urban environment.
The mapping project grouped street names into four broad categories: people, geographical places, plants and animals, and other names. By grouping them, patterns emerged that would be difficult to notice from individual street signs. The study found that streets named after people are concentrated in historically black townships like Soweto, Mamelodi, Kagiso, and Atteridgeville. These areas were shaped by South Africa's racial segregation and apartheid policies. The street names reflect different periods of South Africa's history, preserving several layers of public memory.
The study also found that many frequently repeated commemorative names refer to men, raising questions about whose contributions become familiar through street naming and whose are less visible. In contrast, neighborhoods like Cosmo City have street names organized around countries and cities in Africa. This gives the area a distinct identity, connecting it to places beyond its immediate surroundings. Similarly, street names in Etwatwa, a township that emerged during the final years of apartheid, reference places like Arusha, Entebbe, and Victoria Falls.
Other neighborhoods, such as Centurion and Ivory Park, have unique street naming patterns. In Centurion, streets are named after plants and trees, while in Ivory Park, streets are named after fish. These examples demonstrate that street naming is not only about commemorating people but also about giving a neighborhood a particular identity or connecting it to places, landscapes, and ideas beyond its immediate surroundings.
In South Africa, street naming and renaming fall under the authority of municipal councils, although individuals and communities can propose names or changes through local processes that often include public consultation. The study highlights the importance of street names in making histories and identities visible in shared places. By paying attention to these names, residents can ask themselves whether their own histories and those of their communities are reflected in the places they call home.
The study's findings have implications for understanding a sense of belonging in Gauteng. According to the Gauteng City-Region Observatory's Quality of Life Survey, 21% of residents feel they do not belong where they live, while 31% feel that nobody cares about people like them. The study suggests that street names can contribute to a sense of belonging by reflecting the histories and identities of local communities.
Burger encourages people to look differently at the streets around them and to ask questions about the origins of street names. By doing so, residents can gain a deeper understanding of the stories that their streets tell and the histories that are commemorated in public space. The study's findings highlight the importance of ordinary graphic objects, like street names, in communicating heritage and identity in urban environments.
Key points
- The study analyzed 44,000 street names in Gauteng, finding that 57% were named after people.
- Street names in Gauteng reflect different periods of South Africa's history, preserving several layers of public memory.
- The study highlights the importance of street names in making histories and identities visible in shared places.
