Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (ETDs)
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Item A bottom-up smart city approach to solid waste management: the case of ICT-enabled waste reclaimers system in two South African cities(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Siwawa, VincentThis study delves into the realm of waste management in the context of bottom-up smart cities, focusing on the implementation of an innovative ICT-enabled waste reclaimer system in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. The central inquiry pertains to the pivotal role played by the bottom-up smart city paradigm in addressing waste management challenges and fostering the inclusion of waste reclaimers within the framework of smart cities. The inadequacies inherent in prevailing top-down smart city approaches and techno-centric solutions extends to the lack of mechanisms within the conventional informal recycling system to furnish reliable, immutable, and transparent waste-related data, thereby compromising security. To address these challenges, a novel approach emerges, fusing the capabilities of the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technology into the informal recycling sector. This ICT-enabled waste reclaimer system introduces a comprehensive framework encompassing training initiatives, the provisioning of protective equipment, smartphones to facilitate communication between households and waste reclaimers, measuring instruments, tricycles, and dedicated spaces for sorting and storing recyclable materials. Employing a qualitative research methodology, this study incorporates a blend of document analysis, integrative literature review, and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. The selection of case studies, namely BanQu, Kudoti, and Regenize, is underpinned by purposive sampling. An array of research instruments including webinars, photography, participant observations, and transect walks contribute to the rich data collection process. The study draws upon the socio-technical transition theory to sustainability and the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) as conceptual frameworks to dissect the digital transformation of the informal waste sector through the lens of the ICT-enabled waste reclaimer system. Findings underscore the potential of this innovative system to foster symbiotic connections between waste reclaimers and stakeholders embedded within the recycling value chain. This, in turn, culminates in enhanced working conditions and augmented income for waste reclaimers. Crucially, the ICT-enabled waste reclaimer system offers mechanisms for waste monitoring and tracking, while concurrently introducing incentives and rewards. By generating precise, secure, and reliable data, this system engenders a paradigm shift from a conventional cash- based payment structure to a virtual and electronic payment mechanism. Preliminary evidence showcases a notable threefold increase in recyclable collection by waste reclaimers compared to municipal efforts. In culmination, this study delivers both theoretical and empirical contributions by shedding light on the integration of waste reclaimers and waste management within the context of a bottom-up smart city approach. The study posits a promising trajectory for future research and ushers in new avenues for the development of bottom-up smart cities within the ambit of developing nations.Item Determinants of Professional Service Output Quality in the South African Construction Industry(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Govender, Neil; Laryea, Samuel; Watermeyer, RonThe debate regarding the relationship between fees and the quality of professional services in the construction industry has persisted since the 1980s. In the South African context, members of professional industry bodies have strongly suggested that the declining quality of professional service outputs (PSOs) in the construction industry is due to low fees. While various studies in the construction literature have asserted that low or “discounted” fees are one of the main factors influencing the quality of PSOs, other studies have rejected this assertion. However, a comprehensive investigation into the major built environment professions, aimed at identifying and evaluating various factors influencing PSO quality, as well as understanding how and to what extent quality is specifically influenced by fees, is notably absent from the construction literature. To address this gap, a three-stage research design was employed. This design included an industry-wide survey with 604 participants, a survey of nine industry experts averaging 38 years of experience, and case studies conducted with seven built environment consulting companies. The data analysis involved a combination of content analysis, descriptive analysis, and thematic analysis. The study revealed nuances in the key factors influencing PSO quality across various built environment professions. While fees were identified as a key factor influencing PSO quality, other key factors, such as the time required to produce PSOs, experience, available information, and project briefs, were also identified. This highlights the need for project stakeholders to effectively manage professional fees in conjunction with these other key factors to ensure the quality of PSOs is not diminished. The findings of this study provide both clients and professionals with the knowledge to navigate the complex interplay between fees and PSO quality, ultimately fostering more successful and efficient projects.Item Investigating aspects of rapid urbanisation and densification in Sub-Saharan Africa and the effect on the physical morphology of selected suburbs in Johannesburg(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Dörmann, Kirsten; Jenkins, PaulThis study examines the transformation of the South African version of the bungalow from a free-standing house into a courtyard form of building – seen as a bungalow ‘compound’– due to the significant change in occupancy. It focuses on two lower-income inner-city neighbourhoods of Johannesburg, Yeoville and Rosettenville. Both were created at the beginning of the 20th century, on either side of the city’s mining belt. After the political changes in 1990, these neighbourhoods have been almost completely re-populated with immense socio- cultural changes – and intensely densified. This radical change has, however, been kept hidden behind the boundary walls of the private properties. There has been little attention and very limited evidence concerning the alterations to the properties despite them being widespread. The research brings a new understanding of the ‘transformed house on the plot’ and its life forms as part of wider city-making processes. Although based on a typological approach to reading the change of the domestic spaces over time, this is analysed in-depth vis-à-vis social, economic, juridical, and political entanglements and highlights the need for transdisciplinary knowledge transfers. The study examines the bungalow compounds through innovative design research, applied via a Case Study approach, to a particularly complex category of ‘as built’ documentation. It investigates the outcome as a form of re-description of a part of the transforming African city – rather than the standard sterile service instrument of spatial administration. In this context, the pattern book and the notion of type are revisited to develop an alternate catalogue of properties based on more than thirty detailed case studies. Methodologically, the research considers the bungalow compound as an epistemic object that can manifest as a problem space across multiple themes, scales, and contexts. In doing so, the study addresses the misconception of architecture as a finished product and appropriates essential incompleteness as a device to locate relevant knowledge(s). It considers the inevitable lack of complete evidence as an opportunity to understand the documentation of these emerging dynamic ‘house worlds’ as readings of what is and what could be.Item Investigating Community Involvement and Public Interests in the Alexandra Renewal Programme (ARP) Implementation and Management(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Koenaite, Mokgaetsi; Malaza, NqobileThe promise of revitalisation and restoration of rural and urban areas came with the advent of democracy in most South African cities in the 1990s. This was accomplished through the implementation of urban renewal programmes that prioritised housing-a critical issue in the country. The Alexandra Renewal Programme (ARP) is used as a case study in the paper. The topic is about investigating a public involvement process, assessing public participation as a governance tool, and analyzing housing delivery decision-making procedures. The purpose to discover more information and find new ways in which we can enhance public engagement in urban renewal programmes to establish sustainable humane settlements. The fundamental concern in the report is that there appears to be a disconnect between how policies, rules, and regulations are developed at the national level and how they are formed at the local level- which is the sphere that interacts with the people. The following methodological approaches are used in the report: structured interviews, participant observation, archival materials, and desktop research. The research concludes that decision making in Alexandra must be intimately tied to spatial dynamics in terms of housing location, density, and material used, and that participatory governance must be practiced to ensure that citizens have a say in decisions that affect them.Item Revival Through Empo[women]t: Designing Safer Public Spaces in Post-Apartheid Communities that Promote Community Cohesion(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Kanjee, Sanam D.This study investigates how architecture can transform and renew existing public realms in Downshops, Laudium. The space contains strong patriarchal culture, along with poor maintenance, dilapitated infrastructure, dark thresholds and polluted spaces. These factors have made the space very unwelcoming, uncomfortable and unsafe for women. Despite this, it contains multi-layered complexities of Post-Apartheid narratives regarding socio-economic status, religion, culture, race, gender, and languages that de昀椀ne the space. This study aims to revive underutilized infrastructure and increase female participation through environments that facilitate skills, knowledge, and economic opportunities for women. Architectural theories and themes guide the study by challenging conventional design norms, through inclusive design, safety methods, and materiality seen through the lens of women, that enhance women’s spatial experiences. Proposed design interventions celebrate women’s role in public spheres by including clean facilities, spaces of activity, a tea garden, daycare facilities, learning rooms, skills and craft markets, and a women’s market. A drop-o昀昀/pick-up zone and waiting area for taxis is also proposed. By re-imagining Downshops through a gender-sensitive approach, the study envisions clean, safe and welcoming environments that encourage women to be active participants in public spaces to promote empowerment and cohesive community living.Item Bridging the gap: public space as an anchor for social-infrastructure and community integration in Braamfontein(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Kistan, Nicole; Bahmann, DirkBridging the Gap is about creating a new shared space within Braamfontein, that seeks to provide a space that alleviates the interpreted apprehension felt towards shared spaces in the city. This tension that stems from the inaccessibility of space, infrastructure and amenities are due to the exclusionary nature of socio-economic hierarchies. The approach redefines the perceptions and physical role public space holds by investigating its history. Shared space, which is becoming increasingly scarce, is placed as a new gateway to the city to create a new and improved way of life. The design intervention combines architectural, urban, and social concerns by reinterpreting shared spaces as a social platform, which introduces a pedestrian street on ground level on which the architecture manifests as a flexible modular typology. The proposal aims to create an integrated and sustainable future in Braamfontein by engaging users, space and the city to create an urban fabricItem Looking through the activation lens :Exploring urban renewal in Lenasia through an activism centre(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Bawa, Mariam; Francis, LialeSouth Africa’s history of trauma has created traumatic spaces. As we search for a post-apartheid identity, South Africa finds itself in a healing place. This research project looks at addressing traumas of the past while understanding the healing of the present. Lenasia has undergone traumas of segregation and forced removals of diasporic groups. What is trauma? How does it affect people and places? Life comes with a lot of challenges, some greater than others. Exposure to events beyond our everyday human experience can create trauma within us. It is beyond human experience to have one’s home bulldozed and torn down by an oppressive government. Being segregated is not an ordinary human experience. Being dislocated from a community, jobs, and so much more are all traits that cause trauma. All of these factors have deeply affected communities in South Africa, especially those that are marginalised. Poverty, inequality, healthcare, unemployment, racism, and childcare create layers of extraordinary experiences resulting in trauma. The increase in unemployment and decay of government-provided amenities continue to affect us today. My thesis addresses these traumas through understanding the history of Lenasia and activism around the apartheid system. It also addresses urban decay using urban theory, phenomenology, placemaking, identity, and activism theories of change. The research will lead to an architectural intervention that addresses trauma and provides a platform for people to voice their stories. The intervention will take the form of a Youth Activist Centre that enriches the community by mobilising youth to participate in the community while allowing for a space of leisureItem An evaluation of city improvement districts in promoting positive social- spatial structures and management processes: a case study of Hillbrow Ekhaya Improvement District, Johannesburg(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Tepkeny, Gloria; Klug, NeilThis study aims to assess the effectiveness of City Improvement Districts (CIDs) in fostering positive social-spatial structures and management processes within urban areas. Specifically, the study focuses on the Hillbrow eKhaya Improvement District in Johannesburg, South Africa, as a case study. The research utilizes a qualitative research design method approach, combining semi-structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, observation, photography, reconnaissance visits, and qualitative data analysis assessments and transcriptions to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of city improvement districts on the local community and urban management. By analysing the Hillbrow eKhaya Improvement District’s initiatives, successes, challenges, and stakeholders' perceptions, the study seeks to contribute valuable insights into the role of city improvement districts in enhancing urban living conditions and social cohesion. Understanding the intricate relationship between physical urban spaces and social interactions is crucial for urban planners, policymakers, and researchers seeking to create vibrant, inclusive, and liveable cities. By evaluating the Hillbrow eKhaya Improvement District, this study intends to provide insights into the potential of improvement districts to promote positive social- spatial structures and effective management processes in urban areas. The findings of this research could inform urban planners, policymakers, and local communities about the benefits and challenges associated with improvement districts, contributing to more sustainable and liveable cities.Item Determining the parameters for the sizing of sediment traps in the city of Johannesburg(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Raliengoane, Mankoe Francis; Fitchett, AnneUrban land practices usually involve soil compaction and vegetation removal as cities expand and grow. This has led to increased flood peak flows and high stormwater runoff volumes associated with sediments, nutrients and other pollutants that load downstream water resources. To address these issues, there has been a growth of practices involving Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) for managing stormwater runoff quantity and quality from urban areas. For example, this involves the application of attenuation ponds, and wetlands which temporarily store urban stormwater runoff, thereby reducing the sediment loads, pollutants, and release of peak flows to the downstream water resources at flow rates that mimic the pre-development flow patterns. This practice is gaining momentum in South African urban areas, which are supported by the policies and legislation set up by local authorities to address stormwater management. However, these stormwater application practices often do not perform according to their design capacities because they get filled with sediments and their effectiveness in attenuating peak flows is reduced. Therefore, it is important to reduce sediments coming into these structures by applying sediment traps and basins located at the head of such structures. The sediment trap’s main function is to slow down the stormwater runoff and help in the reduction of sediments before stormwater runoff is discharged out of the construction site and other disturbed areas. The City of Johannesburg Stormwater Management By-laws and Stormwater Design Manual have limited information for the management of sediment using sediment traps and basins and which parameters need to be considered when sizing sediment traps. Therefore, the main aim of the current research was to determine the parameters that should be considered when sizing sediment traps specifically for the city of Johannesburg. The following parameters: design rainfall, daily rainfall, catchment area, evaporation, land cover and land use, percentage of permeable and impermeable areas, topographical data, peak flow, runoff volume, catchment topography, soil types and infiltration characteristics, sediment particle size distribution, sediment settling velocity, sediment loading rate/yield were modelled through Personal Computer Stormwater Management Model (PCSWMM), ArcSWAT ArcGIS, and Excel Spreadsheet Models. Further, the sensitivity analysis was undertaken using different values of imperviousness and infiltration rates while observing peak flow and runoff volume changes in PCSWMM outputs. Modelling in PCSWMM showed that peak flows and runoff volumes increased due to an increase in the values of the imperviousness used. However, the range of infiltration rates for the soils in both sub- catchments S22 and S23 did not change the peak flows and runoff volumes. Though it was not the scope of the current study, it was observed that higher infiltration rates than the ones that were determined from the sub-catchments S22 and S23 indeed reduced peak flows and runoff volumes. On the other hand, particle settling velocity showed that gravel particles took a short time to settle and required a smaller sediment trap iii storage capacity. In comparison, silt particles took longer to settle and required a larger sediment trap storage capacity. Lastly, sediment yield from both sub-catchments S22 and S23 showed that sediment yield is driven by rainfall, whereby months with high rainfall had higher sediment yield than the months with low rainfall. It is therefore, concluded that the following parameters: design rainfall, daily rainfall, evaporation, land cover and land use, percentage of permeable and impermeable areas, topographical data, contributing catchment area, peak flow, runoff volume, catchment topography, soil types and infiltration characteristics, sediment particle size distribution, sediment settling velocity, sediment loading yield should be considered by the engineers, designers and planners when sizing sediment traps in the City of Johannesburg and possibly in other places as well.Item The Impact of South Africa’s Response to Informal Settlements and Affordable Housing Development when compared to the responses adopted in Brazil and India(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mlotsa, Cebile; Biyela, PreciousIn South Africa, informal settlements are prevalent in all the major urban centers, including some long-established informal settlements, such as ones within Alexandria township in the City of Johannesburg, Nyanga in the City of Cape Town and Kennedy Road in the City of eThekwini. New informal settlements are continuing to develop across South Africa’s urban centers. Various policies and interventions have been implemented to address this phenomena. This study aimed to investigate the impact and effectiveness of South Africa’s policies and interventions on informal settlements and compared them to policies and interventions of India Brazil. The study begins with a literature review of the policies and strategies of the three countries alongside best practices recommended by international organizations such as UN-Habitat and the World Bank. The effectiveness of the policies was assessed, and the general issues that affect informal settlements globally were identified. Research questions were formulated based on the literature review to gain further insights into South Africa's response strategies. Semi-structured Interviews were conducted with three professionals working in organizations addressing informal settlements across different provinces, focusing on current strategies, their impact and effectiveness, and potential improvements. A field visit to Mahlakong informal settlement in Limpopo was also carried out which included interviews with two residents to understand challenges and interventions underway to address them. The study found some progressive policies and strategies underway in South Africa, such as the strong emphasis on participation and approval by residents of informal settlements when interventions are carried out, and incremental construction of infrastructure in informal settlements. The study also identified areas that if addressed can improve South Africa’s response to informal settlements, such as recognizing multi-storey inner city buildings as informal settlements, encouraging private developers to invest in affordable housing development, and diversifying tenure legalization option.