The South African Research Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning

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Transport and Urban Development: Two Studies from Johannesburg
(University of the Witwatersrand and Gauteng City Region Observatory, 2015) Weakley, Dylan; Bickford, Geoffrey
This work seeks to quantitatively investigate the relationship between population density and transport in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (CoJ), South Africa. It does so by comparing data from the Gauteng City Region Observatory’s (GCRO) 2011 Quality of Life Survey (QoL) (Gauteng City Region Observatory, 2011a) to population density data from the South African Census 2011. The work finds a correlation between urban population density and the use of different modes of transport in the City of Johannesburg, with private cars used more in lower-density areas, and higher rates of public transport and non-motorised transport use in higher-density areas. The study also compares density and household income to the use of public transport in the city. Across all of the household income categories in the QoL 2011, those living in higher-density areas are more likely to use public transport than those living in lower-density areas. Lastly the paper examines why those living in higher-density areas are more likely to use public transport than those living in low-density areas. The data suggests that cost and walking time to public transport are major factors. On average, walking times to public transport increase as density decreases. Household incomes in higher-density areas are generally lower than those in lower- density areas, and public and non-motorised transport is generally cheaper (in real values) than private motorised transport.
Resilient Densification: Four Studies from Johannesburg
(South African Research Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning; Gauteng City Region Observatory, 2015) Todes, Alison; Harrison, Philip; Weakley, Dylan
Unlike most cities in the world, over the last 20 years Johannesburg has become more dense and more compact. This reflects the increased rates of rural-urban migration from the late 1980s as urbanisation controls collapsed, but also the relative success of Johannesburg’s economy and democratic-era policies to contain urban sprawl (such as the urban development boundary). The ending of apartheid regulations allowed a release in a pent-up demand for access to large cities with much of the movement directed to the three large metropolitan cities in Gauteng. Densification in the city has occurred in both planned and unplanned ways. In line with directions in planning internationally, post-apartheid planning has placed strong emphasis on urban densification and compaction. At the same time, however, market forces (both formal and informal) have driven densification in the city, in ways that are often unforeseen and sometimes contrary to city policies. In order to plan for further development and to respond effectively to the densification that has happened, and is occurring, research into the processes and effects of densification is clearly needed. In this work we use an “urban resilience lens” to investigate four forms of residential densification in Johannesburg, using four illustrative case-studies. We explore the effects that densification is having in the city, showing how diverse, complex and contingent it often is.
Transport and urban Development: Two Studies from Johannesburg
(2015-04-17) Weakley, Dylan; Bickford, Geoffrey
This booklet contains two research pieces which offer evidence-based perspectives on transport and its relationship to urban form. The first, by Dylan Weakley, explores the relationship between population density and modes of transport in Johannesburg using data from both the Gauteng City Regional Observatory (GCRO) Quality of Life Survey conducted in 2011 and the National Population Census of the same year. The research confirms a clear relationship between density and use of public transport but, mportantly, reveals that this relationship holds across all income groups. The second piece, written by Geoffrey Bickford, helps us understand better the relationship between new transport infrastructure and other urban development processes. It explores the impact that the Diepkloof Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) station in Soweto is having on development in adjoining areas. The research confirms that the BRT is having a positive impact on the access of local residents to the wider city but does indicate that the impact of the BRT on the built form of neighbourhoods may be evolving only gradually, and will have to be analysed over a longer period.
Urban Resilience Thinking for Municipalities
(University of the Witwatersrand, Gauteng City Region Observatory., 2014) Harrison, Philip; Bobbins, Kerry; Culwick, Christina; Humby, Tracy-Lynn; La Mantia, Costanza; Todes, Alison; Weakley, Dylan
Urban resilience is the 'new kid on the block'. Over the past few years the concept has rapidly gained a central place in spatial and urban planning policy in South Africa........(This article)... is not designed as a 'manual' or 'tool box', but rather as a tool to promote urban resilience thinking.

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