Towards the integration of housing with a mass transport system in the greater Johannesburg area

Abstract

Paper presented at the XXXIII IAHS World Congress on Housing, 27-30 September 2005,"Transforming Housing Environments through Design", University of Pretoria.

ABSTRACT: The current low-cost housing and residential development scenario unfolding in the Greater Johannesburg conurbation does not contribute to a more amenable and less spatially incongruous utilisation of space in the city by its residents. Sprawling, fragmented places of residence and far-removed work destinations cause severe frustration. This represents a major physical obstacle in commuters’ daily lives, in particular those without a car. A survey was undertaken at Park Station in Johannesburg to ascertain the most severe problems that confront commuters and residents daily. Problems such as dominant single-function land uses and the overall reliance on either public transport or minibus taxis are very difficult to overcome. Commuting times do not directly diminish as a result of improved mobility, but actually increase, especially as a result of urban sprawl and the increased demand on limited supplies of transportation infrastructure. Thus, increased mobility brought about by sophisticated transport and automotive engineering causes a trade-off between time and space. It is, however, the successful management and integration of these two components in relation to each other that will bring about a more cohesive and well-functioning city. The article examines how it might be theoretically possible to integrate the various components of the city by means of more co-ordinated urban planning and creative engineering solutions. The research indicated that at an urban level enhanced integration of land use planning with transportation can consolidate the urban structure.