Synthesizing a transport infrastructure in Randburg and challenging its role in society

Abstract

I intend to investigate the interactions between different public transport sectors, namely: mini-bus taxis, the varying bus systems, Metro Rail and Gautrain, and lastly private taxis and ride-sharing services. My proposal is to present the existing transport system as a single entity with a particular focus on buses and bus infrastructure as an architectural manifestation of those ideas. The research aim is to challenge what we typically expect of transport infrastructure, from a train station to a bus stop, providing services such as information, security, connectivity or commercial potential in a previously single use architecture. The report intends to investigate a multivalent architecture that replaces the transport interchange, with tools, services, and varying uses that all speak of the identity of its location. The research process will be aided by going through various prototype iterations and culminating in a design that incorporates these various elements. The main goal is to demonstrate the ability of architecture, big and small, to be a vehicle of change. In this case, the aim will be to highlight the existing transit system and show, at a glance, its strengths and its defi ciencies through the use of physical architecture. Most of the time, in order to fi x a problem we must fi rst establish what existing solutions are already in place rather than merely implementing something new. This research aims to be a demonstration of understanding existing solutions as opposed to simply proposing new ones. The preferred outcome is to heighten citizens’ awareness of the opportunities afforded them and create a standard to which we can hold the public transport industry to account. In order to hold something to account we must fi rst know what its responsibilities are. The target demographic consists of three main groups, namely: the bus users, the car drivers and the taxi users, with a particular focus on the car drivers as they comprise the single biggest cause of congestion in Johannesburg. (eNatis, 2018) The primary objective is to lower the barriers of entry that are presented when using public transit. This requires consolidated information, presenting an attractive alternative for car users, and thereby encouraging them to use the system. The secondary objective is to give the current bus users the ability to reliably and extensively make use of the existing system. This will be proposed as empowering the users to not only rely on public transport as a commute tool, but also adapt it to their benefi t. The last objective is to create an easier transition between using buses and taxis, to facilitate an environment where a user does not need to defer to any one particular kind of transport but makes use of the full existing transit service. The desired result is an architecture that will help anyone from an illiterate child to an elderly person to use public transport with ease and demonstrate the viability of architecture as a vehicle for that change.