About the project
This project is a collaboration between The Impact Hub (TIH) and the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) in Johannesburg, South Africa which explores the integration of urban heritage storytelling into digital urban observatories. Urban heritage storytelling is often underrepresented in digital planning tools and urban observatories. This project addresses the gap through international collaboration and knowledge exchange to explore integrating urban heritage data with community storytelling on digital platforms, aiming to influence policy, community engagement, and academic discourse. The initiative builds upon methodologies from the “Named after Nelson” (NaN) project and aligns with UN-Habitat’s Global Urban Observatory Unit’s purpose. The project engages with academics and non-academics, including the UNESCO Chair for Sustainable Storytelling in Education, researchers, policymakers, heritage practitioners and urban residents in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Activities
Knowledge exchange and international collaboration activities include:
1) Continual dialogue, debates and meetings
2) Online workshop in April 2025
3) In-person visit to Loughborough University by the Senior Manager: Partnerships and Operations of the GCRO in July 2025
4) Roundtable panel discussion hosted by the Institute of Advanced Studies in July 2025
5) Webinar series in February 2026 on urban data & governance, storytelling & community, and AI tools & dashboards (forthcoming)
6) Toponymy map of the Gauteng region (forthcoming)
Impact
Key impacts include the appointment of Dr Yolandi Burger as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow (PDRF) in Urban Graphic Heritage with the GCRO, fostering a new collaboration with the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Art at the University of Johannesburg. Her fellowship also promoted a new research direction at the GCRO exploring urban placemaking and the resulting narratives in these spaces.
Project team and roles
Robert Harland (Lead Investigator) -The Impact Hub, Loughborough University
Aline Barata The Impact Hub, Loughborough University
Yolandi Burger School of Design and Creative Arts, Loughborough University
Rashid Seedat Gauteng City-Region Observatory
Thembani Mkhize Gauteng City-Region Observatory
Anna Sango Gauteng City-Region Observatory
Melinda Swift Gauteng City-Region Observatory
Graeme Gotz Gauteng City-Region Observatory