A colision in space and time - urban conservation and regeneration in Johannesburg

Abstract

Johannesburg is by international standards, a young city. Yet in its brief existence, just under 120 years, it has exploded from a mining camp into a metropolis - The economic capitol of both South and Sub Saharan Africa (Johannesburg Development Agency, www.jda.co.za). The rapid, and in most cases, poorly planned development of the city has resulted in the destruction of many of the city's heritage resources. Today historical buildings and historical areas exist side by side with contemporary office and residential tower blocks - juxtaposing the city’s past and present in the constant struggle for new space for development and densification. Past and present exist simultaneously, if not always harmoniously - a collision in space and time.