ABSTRACT
Walls have become part of the South African suburban landscape, with a huge investment in these structures following the transition to democracy. Walls, as central components of an urban security apparatus, have a strong physical presence, and are often meant to be defensive structures against crime. However, not only is the effectiveness of walls as crime deterrents highly debatable, physical walls have the effect of generating metaphysical walls. The arguably unintended consequences of home boundary walls are indicative of the lack of consciousness of human actions on the physical environment and on social relations. Walls create a rupture in the natural and human-built environment, and as objects carrying meaning, they are exclusionary and offensive. Walls challenge the democratic nature of public space, negatively impacting the social fabric and connections to and within urban space, and ultimately lead to the alienation of humans from one another and their environment. This chapter argues that it is imperative to break down walls, both physical and metaphysical, in order to foster consciousness and interconnectedness in the Age of the Anthropocene.
