**5. Freedom Park**

Freedom Park is located in one of South Africa's capital cities Pretoria. Situated on the top of a hill overlooking the city of Salvokop, the park was mandated by President Nelson Mandela to communicate a narrative of South Africa's journey to freedom following the end of the apartheid. It is a part of the rebuild seeking to address social fragmentation between races and significant disparities in access to education, health care and employment [35]. Freedom Park is a therapeutic landscape in the form of an urban park that tells a narrative of South Africa's journey to freedom and celebrates the 3.6 billion years of physical change in environment as well as those who fought for its freedom [36].

Freedom Park addresses the physical, mental, spiritual, societal and environmental elements of the landscapes of South Africa and embodies them into one space for all. The park supports South Africa's newfound identity, attempts to create new social networks, and supports the once fractured society. It acknowledges the holistic approach of traditional African culture focusing on the collective and bringing community interests to the forefront of any decisions [37]. One African principle that was not lost with colonialism was 'ubuntu', meaning that 'I am what I am because of who we all are', which follows on from the Zulu saying 'umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu', which means 'a person is a person through other persons' [37]. This principle values people first and foremost with a view of the collective whole [38].

One of the most vital features of the park is its engagement to a sense of place. The development of a sense of place is a social and cultural process that depends upon the user's response and cannot be derived from location alone [39]. Creating a sense of place is affirmed in Freedom Park by the inclusion of the historical narrative and the use of traditional practices. When entering through the //Hapo external space the users make their way through traditional and native medicinal plants. The journey educates the user about traditional practices and sparks conversation (**Figure 4**). Sense of place is not only an embedded relationship with the natural

**Figure 4.** *Use of traditional materials.*

#### *Therapeutic Landscapes: A Natural Weaving of Culture, Health and Land DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99272*

environment but directly links to the people within the place [39]. The inclusion of the eleven languages around the park aids in establishing place identity. For example, the //Hapo is from the Khoisan language, S'Khumbuto (the memorial) is Swati, Uitspanplek (A picnic area on the northern side of the hill) is an Afrikaans word, and Isivivane is a Zulu word meaning 'to throw your stone upon the pile' [36].

//Hapo is the first point of arrival to the park. This space is an interactive exhibition telling the story of South Africa over the course of 3.6 billion years. The name //Hapo has been drawn from the phrase '//hapo ge//hapo tama/haohasib dis tamas ka i bo', which means 'a dream is not a dream until it is shared by the entire community'. Within //Hapo there are three external spaces. The first space is the Garden of Indigenous Knowledge/the Healing Garden. In this garden, water channels lead visitors into a quiet and contemplative space where they are immersed in medicinal plants and gain knowledge of Indigenous healing methods. The second space is Sentihaga, the children's area. The landscape has been terraced with a series of cascading walls. Children and others are able to play with water features and plant material. Totems, an amphitheatre and small passageways are features of the garden to spark imagination. The third space is called the Boulders. They are metamorphosed layers of rock composed in a circular formation and surrounded by savannah vegetation to tell the story of South Africa's creation. Indigenous vegetation surrounds //Hapo blending the building into the landscape and preserving the natural terrain of the hillside (**Figure 5**) [36].

Exiting the //Hapo, visitors continue on a contemplative journey up the Salvokop hill along a pathway named the Vhuwaelo. Along the Vhuwaelo there are a series of small gardens that you can weave in and out of, exploring the small private spaces comprised mainly of natural materials and plants. Dramatic views overlook the city of Pretoria and the Union Buildings. At the final moment before you descend down the hill is a space named the Mveledzo. It is made from heavy stones and concrete, providing a final resting spot. Then the visitor descends the hill to arrive at the S'khumbuto, a Swati word for remembering or memorial. The memorial is for those who fought for freedom and showed great leadership. Water has

**Figure 5.** *Layers of rock surrounded by the savannah vegetation.*

been used throughout the memorial because of its importance to African culture and its relation to healing and purification [36].
