TECHNOLOGY
leaving practitioners to react to safety concerns instead of planning for safety from the outset . As part of its learning interventions , SACN runs the Urban Safety Reference Group , which brings together professionals from different disciplines to share experiences and to produce research that shapes better policy and implementation across government . In November , the Reference Group is launching its 2018 State of Urban Safety Report .
Although engineering firms are looking at what an ‘ African city ’ looks like , Bickford shares that South Africa has a problem of dual cities . For instance , Sandton versus Alexandra , or Johannesburg ’ s central business district ( CBD ). Residents of areas like Sandton question how tech savvy the city can be , “ while at the other end of the spectrum , you can ’ t . ‘ Smart ’ does not always mean tech — it ’ s more about thinking innovatively in dealing with basic issues . How do you deal with the social inequality and special economic inequality we see ?” he asks .
Judging from the differences found from country to country , continent to continent , and region to region , it is clear that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to urban development . “ The aim is to allow controlled densification in such a manner that it is more cost effective to service developments in the long term . The other goal is to provide attractive , liveable spaces .
While many countries have built tall buildings to house people , if this is not linked to access to public spaces for recreation and socialising , the environment becomes sterile and unattractive to live in . Building thousands of tall glass boxes is not the answer , even though us engineers love the challenges that come with these buildings . We need to build dense suburbs with fiveto six-storey buildings surrounded with a hierarchy of access roads and walkways to make transport efficient and safe ,” advises Du Plessis .
Complexities of urban development
With any project , there will always be challenges . The one major challenge that professionals frequently experience , is to become involved only after the project has commenced . Kyra Rautenbach , environmentally sustainable design ( ESD ) consultant at Aurecon , says , “ Our impact is limited when we ’ re not included in the development early . We want to drive thinking and set a standard of sustainability into all of the designs ; then it becomes easier to achieve the end goal .”
“ We can offer advice and our own best-practice ideas , but it is up to the client whether or not to implement suggestions and / or
recommendations ,” Rutherford says .
Du Plessis laments that housing cannot be built at the current rate of urbanisation . “ We cannot deliver quick enough . There is so much pressure and it is unlikely that we will get ahead of it . What we could do is to provide serviced land where people have the land with reserves for transport and services , and people can thereafter build their own houses . Then areas will have a framework for connecting a hierarchy of roads and service . We have to think of innovative ways to relieve the pressure ,” he shares .
Ngobese outlines disparities that the SACN has found in governance . “ To what extent do we respond to the needs of the people ? Systems are challenged by listening in , giving people what they want and what they say they need .” She mentions the bicycle lanes seen in parts of Johannesburg that have now doubled as parking for cars . It raises questions on whether the communities were consulted prior to implementation . “ It ’ s counter-intuitive to put lanes where people do not pass or never use . This leads to wasteful and fruitless expenditure ,” she adds .
According to Ngobese , it is important for engineers to be empathetic — because the user is a person . Engineering designs need to work around the people it is meant to service . Bickford agrees , saying
Aurecon
Kyra Rautenbach , environmentally sustainable design ( ESD ) consultant at Aurecon .
Aurecon
Abbas Jamie , director for innovation and transformation at Aurecon .
Aurecon
Martin Smith , Aurecon technical director : buildings , Gauteng .
28 - CEC October 2018