Trends in South
African Urban Design
By Daniel van der Merwe
Leaf Architects
[email protected]
U
rban design and develop-
ment is a very exciting
and interesting field. The
challenge with South Africa,
especially Johannesburg,
is that the urban areas are already
developed. The prediction is that in the
next 10 to 15 years more than 70% of
this country’s population will be living in
urban environments, in search of better
employment opportunities to support
their families. Globally urbanisation
is fast becoming not only the biggest
unknown experiment to humankind but
12
also the biggest challenge to plan and
manage sustainably.
The UN’s data shows that over 9 million
people are estimated to live in and around
Joburg – and that by 2030, this is projected
to grow to over 11.5 million people,
making it the 34th biggest city in the
world. The boundaries of Joburg cannot
really expand anymore, which implies
that we are looking at developments in
the city from its previously low-density
emphasis to increasingly a medium-high
density conglomeration. Market forces
dictate this as the demand for well-located
home/shop/workspaces increase. The city
is constantly being re-built, encouraged
by new Town Planning Schemes which
allows for suburban densification, urban
reconfigurations and along transport
routes such as the Gautrain and the Rea
Vaya ‘Corridors of Freedom’.
As a result, urban mobility is one of
the toughest challenges that Joburg
faces. Being able to get around built-up
areas quickly, conveniently and with little
environmental impact is critical to any
city’s future. The city transport solutions
being developed in cities worldwide are
Cranes