ABSTRACT
Focussing on the micro-politics of state-led spatial transformation, this chapter explores the dynamics, themes and silences of the Municipal Tribunal on Paterson Park. It is based on participant observation in the Tribunal, coupled with eighteen months of study of the ongoing Paterson Park contestation, including a range of key stakeholder interviews. One of the major issues cited in Norwood and Orchards Residents' Association's appeal to the Tribunal verdict was the dismissal of the suggestion around trees. The appeal states: 'Mature vegetation provides a privacy screen for Norwood properties bordering Paterson Park. In the absence of such a screen, the quality of life of residents and property values of properties bordering the new development will be negatively impacted'. The vision of the Corridors of Freedom may still be realised in Paterson Park—restitching the city; moving the poor to well-located areas and creating a dense, transit-oriented environment.
