2017 Honours Reports

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/24493

For information on accessing Architecture content please contact Katlego Chiya via email : Katlego.Chiya@wits.ac.za or Tel (W) : 011 717 1978

Browse

Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.Transit oriented development

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The impact of the Gautrain station in Midrand.
    (School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand., 2017) Surti, Naeema
    Transport and the need for mobility in a city is dependent on the development of land uses, social factors and economic sectors. It is largely linked to the development of a country. When development takes place, expansion of road networks and in some cases rail networks take place as well, in order to access the new area. Passenger rail is not a new concept, and has been around for over two centuries. In South Africa however, it has been in existence for over 150 years. Metrorail, PRASA, Transnet and now the Gautrain are the three types of passenger rail available in Gauteng. With the Gautrain gaining popularity by the day, it is only natural to look at the way it has performed over the last six years. From 2010 to now, the Gautrain Rapid Rail has had an impact on the whole province. Its effects can be seen at all stations, especially at Sandton, Rosebank, Centurion and Pretoria. It has spurred all kinds of developments and investments into these areas, allowing them to grow and increase in value. This report seeks to understand the impact the Gautrain has had in Midrand, looking at its effect on development. It also seeks to demonstrate that Transit Oriented Development has a place in South Africa, and the Gautrain Stations are the best place to implement it. Midrand is still developing and because of this, it has the potential to flourish into a fully functional Transit Oriented Development.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Conflicting rationalities in densifying the Corridors of Freedom: the case of the knowledge precinct.
    (University of the Witwatersrand, School of Architecture and Planning, 2017) Tshiashi, Livhuwani Waren
    The City of Johannesburg’s spatial structure still resembles the apartheid spatial configuration. The marginalized are still mostly located at the outskirts of the city without the monetary means to move to well-located areas and closer to economic opportunities. The City has highlighted the daily hardships of the poor as a major problem. Furthermore, the majority of the working class have to spend approximately 20 per cent of their monthly income on transport (City of Johannesburg, 2015). The lack of affordable housing in close proximity to the inner city further adds to the challenges. The City seeks to address these challenges through Corridor and Transit Oriented developments (TOD). According to the City, through the use of cheaper, efficient transportation systems, people will be able to spend less time commuting to and from work (City of Johannesburg, 2015). However, transportation forms only but one part of the plan to try and bring people closer to economic opportunities. The City seeks to accommodate people of different socio-economic stature along the proposed developmental corridors. TOD builds on densification as a tool to increase populations around transport systems in order to maximize public transport use. They create an environment that stimulates the use of alternative transport to private cars. Through mixed land-use, the City seeks to create integrated neighbourhoods where people will ‘live, work and play’ without having to travel long distances (City of Johannesburg, 2015). However, TOD is often associated with rising property prices (Curtis, et al., 2009). In a context where there is a need for affordable housing in well-located areas, there is a risk that TOD will result in higher property prices and pose a threat to the inclusion of low-income residents in the City. People living in cities in Africa have often looked at bottom-up approaches to solving their problems. Despite being regarded as ‘informal’ these practices are a norm and they are an important component of the city fabric (Jenkins, 2013). Backyard housing is an example of these practices and it significantly reduces the housing demand in South Africa (Lemanski, 2009). Furthermore, it is an affordable housing alternative that performs various roles for poor households. The aim of this research is to find out how people in the Corridors of Freedom perceive densification and their position on the proposed densification policy in light of the need for affordable housing in the Knowledge Precinct. It draws on the characteristics of TOD and questions the feasibility of achieving affordable housing through TOD and whether or not ‘unconventional’ or ‘informal’ ways to densification have a place in the Corridors of Freedom. The research concludes by drawing on the possible impacts of TOD on housing affordability and provide recommendations on how affordable housing could be achieved in the Corridors of Freedom.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Urban planning and transport planning rationalities in the city of Johannesburg
    (School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand., 2017) Chiwetu, David
    Schoeman (2015:49) states that “urban and regional planning and transportation planning requires the deliberation of what can and must occur where in spatial systems .It includes the emphasis and collaboration of different policies and practices which comprises tools and instruments and the interaction between professions in a wider context.’’ Transit Orientated Development is a tool, which has received mainstream attention in South African Cities for its potential to contribute to socio spatial restructuring of the Apartheid City. Bickford (2015) states that the TOD concept has been incorporated in both local Integrated Development Plans and Integrated Transport Plans as a tactical overarching objective hence institutionalizing the concept in both the Transport and Planning Departments. Transit Orientated Development is a strategy in both spatial and transport planning practice and thus its implementation in South Africa entails the capability of transport planners and urban planners to develop unified planning practices.