Beyond function: Pretoria station interchange and civic space

Abstract

South Africa is faced with a situation where-by the general public has a negative perception of public transport. It is a fact that generally the lower income employees use public transport to get to work and back, whether it is buses, taxis, or trains. In the past, the combination of users and misinformed planning philosophies led to interchanges/ranks that were un-user friendly, and uninviting. However, the South African government has embarked upon a campaign to make public transport the heartbeat of the South African economy, and to improve the general public perception. Along with the hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the country finds itself under pressure to implement a safe, efficient, and user-friendly public transport system. This dissertation investigates means and principles of designing functional interchanges that incorporate civic activity and participation. Beyond Function seeks to recapture the social dimension of transport interchanges since; these are the converging or meeting spaces and gateways into the cities, there exists a need to be celebrated. The philosophical orientation is towards commuter convenient facilities, thus heightening the spirit of travel.