(University of the Witwatersrand, School of Architecture and Planning, 2017) Crankshaw, Beth Pulane
The concept of sustainability has been thrown around the fields of the built environment for decades, however, its emphasis is ever-changing as interpretations and urban challenges are in a constant dynamic state, requiring shifts in town planning approaches and development trends. This research considers the various interpretations of sustainability and applies this to a Johannesburg context where the City of Johannesburg is attempting to densify certain corridors and nodes, compacting the space in which people live, work, and play. This means increased access to opportunities that have thus far been exclusive to those who can afford to live in ideal locations around the city, due to South Africa’s apartheid legacy of inequality.
The concept of sustainable densification has then been used to assess the degree to which private developers are attempting to contribute to the goals of the City to densify in a way that is socially, economically, and environmentally not detrimental to present and future generations. Three case studies have been chosen along the Perth-Empire Corridor of Freedom as representatives of the private sector; demonstrating various dynamics within the current property market, and dynamics between stakeholders involved.