Conceptualising social placemaking in spatial planning: a South African case study

Purpose Placemaking, a multidisciplinary field in spatial planning, focuses on creating inclusive public spaces that promote community well-being and belonging, incorporating social, cultural and historical aspects to shape a place’s identity. This study aims to explore the theoretical evolution of social placemaking globally and within South Africa, focusing on its potential to restore and empower communities affected by Apartheid’s socio-spatial legacies. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was adopted, using case study research in Marabastad, Kroonstad, Free State Province (SA). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations, participatory sessions and unstructured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse these diverse data sets. Findings The findings reveal a dialectical process of unmaking and re-making in Marabastad. Apartheid-era forced removals disrupted collective identity and dismantled social and cultural infrastructures, leaving a landscape marked by trauma and fragmented memory. Unknowingly, residents actively engage in everyday placemaking practices rooted in care, ritual and shared memory, illustrating efforts to reclaim space and rebuild belonging. Despite ongoing challenges related to social tensions and democratic transformation, community-driven proposals demonstrate the potential of placemaking to move from disintegration towards restoration, positioning social placemaking as a vehicle for cultural resilience, inclusion and spatial justice. Social implications The study highlights the need for planning approaches that centre lived experience, cultural continuity and local agency. It advocates for socially responsive placemaking strategies that acknowledge historical injustices while enabling communities to co-create inclusive, resilient and future-oriented spatial identities. Originality/value This study contributes to the debate on social placemaking in SA by focusing on a historically marginalised and lesser-studied community. Through the integration of theoretical insights with grounded local experiences, it reframes placemaking as a socially and historically situated process – emphasising the interconnections between memory, identity and community-led spatial restoration in post-Apartheid contexts.