Urban regeneration in South Africa by Kai Den Hollander

URBAN REGENERATION IN SOUTH AFRICA “GATHERING THE RAINBOW NATION”

BREDA MUNICIPALITY - EKURHULENI METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY NHTV UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES AUGUST - DECEMBER 2016

KAI DEN HOLLANDER

0.0

COLOPHON

Graduation Report Period: August 29th - December 22nd 2016 Titel: Urban regeneration in South Africa "Gathering the rainbow nation" Author: Kai den Hollander kaidenhollander@hotmail.com

06 42 41 36 18

University: NHTV University of applied sciences Claudius Prinsenlaan 12 4811 DK Breda The Netherlands Tel. 0031 (0)76 533 26 00

Program: Urban Design Student number: 122609 Mentor: Ed Ravensbergen Graduation location: Breda municipality Claudius Prinsenlaan 10 4811 DK Breda The Netherlands Tel. 0031 14076

Mentor:

Hans Thoolen

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Capelle aan den IJssel (The Netherlands), December 22nd 2016 Currently 1 out of 10 people worldwide live in extreme poverty with an average income of less then 1.70 US dollar a day (United Nations, 2016). Most of these people are found on the Asian, African and South-American continent. "A vast majority of the global poor live in rural areas and are poorly educated, mostly employed in the agricultural sector, and over half are under age of 18 years". (Worldbank) This has resulted in another worldwide phenomenon: Urbanization. In the hope for a better future people move from rural to urban areas, this trend is far from over. Cities can't handle the big amount of new dwellers, which results in a continuous growth of the shantytowns and informal settlements worldwide. Taking these two trends into consideration I began searching for a graduation project. I eventually ended up at the Municipality of Breda, a city in the southern part of the Netherlands, which houses 180.000 inhabitants and is nationwide known for its lovely city center and hospitable residents. Perhaps not the first city you would think of taking these trends into account. Though the City of Breda has played a significant role in guiding the local autorothies to create a masterplan for the regeneration of the Germiston Central Business District (CBD), capital of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa. In 2010 the Gear 2030 masterplan was published. Though 6 years later not a lot has changed or regenerated. Time creates new insights and opportunities, one could say. During my graduation study I created an alternative tactic for the regeneration of the CBD, making major adjustments in both design and phasing compared to the existing plan. In the hope these adjustments would create the wanted regeneration wave. After 17 weeks of hard work I can say this project has really changed my view on Urbanism and showed me how privileged we are here in Holland. Themes as safety, maintained streets, public transport and decent housing for everyone are themes we almost take for granted. Though these subjects turned out to be most important during the creation of my alternative strategy and design. This project was made as final part of the bachelor Urban Design at the NTHV University of Applied sciences in Breda, The Netherlands. I would like to thank my university mentor Ed Ravensbergen for his critical review and guidance in the past weeks as to Hans Thoolen, mentor at the Municipality of Breda, for giving me the opportunity to graduate on this theme and his never ending input and guidance. Besides these two important individuals I would not have been able to realize these results without the help of these individuals and organizations: Breda Municipality Marnix Scholman, Carien van Bijsterveldt, Mike van de Waeter, Merel Mulders, Erik van der Elst, Nina Lenting, Juliun Gelens Urban Dynamics (South Africa) Harmen Oostra Kai den Hollander 5

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS CBD An abbreviation for "Central Business District" The main part of a town or city where there are a lot of shops/stores and offices. Commonly it too is a place where a lot of people live and a place where a lot of business and cultural activity take place.

URP An abbreviation for "Urban Renewal Program" launched after the end of Apartheid in the mid 90s. Drafted to regenerate the country and restore and reunite the segregated communities.

Gap housing A type of affordable housing specifically intended for people in between the lower and middle-income group. Informal settlement A place where people decide or are forced to live and mostly build their own temporary shelters, often followed by more permanent houses. Sometimes informal settlements are supplied with water, electricity, etc. and people can become owners of individual pieces of land. Township A town or a part of a town that black people had to live in and where only black people lived. These areas are commonly known for their wide urban sprawl. Today the term township has a precise legal meaning and is on land titles in all areas, not specifically non-white areas

PRETORIA

Province: "Gauteng" Centurion

Sandton Benoni Randfontein

JOHANNESBURG Soweto

Springs

Municipality: "Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality", "Metro", "Ekurhuleni"

Carletonville

Vereeniging Vanderbijlpark

City: "Germiston" Central business district: "CBD", "inner core"

Figure #003: name interpretations of the province, region, city and CBD Figure #001: (page 1) areal view on the Germiston CBD, source: wikimedia.org

Figure #002: (page 4) photo taken by a drone to show current racial segregation in South Africa, source: busninessinsider.com

INDEX

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1.0

0.0 COLOPHON; 3 0.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT; 5 0.0 GLOSSARY OF TERMS; 6

1.1 INTRODUCTION; 10 1.2 MASTERPLAN CONTENT; 11 1.3 TARGET AND SUMMARY; 13

2.0

3.0

PRIOR

MOTIVE

SOUTH AFRICA 2.1 URBAN HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL; 2.2 IMPORTANCE OF RENEWAL; 2.3 NATIONAL URBAN RENEWAL (URP) PROGRAM;

EKURHULENI 16 18 19

4.0

5.0

GERMISTON 4.1 SPATIAL ANALYSIS; 4.2 CITY DEMOGRAPHICS; 4.3 OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS;

3.1 STATUS QUO & DEMOGRAPHICS; 22 3.2 HISTORY; 24 3.3 AIMS & OBJECTIVES; 26 3.4 THE METROPOLITAN CAPITAL; 27

PRINCIPLES AND VISION 30 37 38

5.1 RENEWAL STRATEGY; 5.2 INNER CORE EFFECT; 5.3 FUNCTIONS AND APPEARANCE; 5.4 DETAILED DESIGN LOCATION;

6.0

7.0

6.1 INGREDIENTS; 54 6.2 FUNCTIONS AND PLAN MAP; 56 6.3 CONNECTING PRECINCTS; 58 6.4 PHASING STRATEGY; 60 6.5 SOCIAL MOBILITY; 62 6.6 POTENTIAL RESULT; 68

7.1 ADDED DESIGN PRINCIPLES; 7.2 VALUE OF APPROACH AND RECOMMENDATIONS;

DESIGN & PHASING

42 45 48 51

CONCLUSION 72 74

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MOTIVE URBAN RENEWAL OF THE GERMISTON CBD 1.1 INTRODUCTION; 1.2 MASTERPLAN CONTENT; 1.3 TARGET AND SUMMARY; The first chapter of this graduation report will discuss the Gear 2030 renewal program, the current renewal program for the Germiston CBD. The first paragraph gives a brief overview on its content and chosen approach. This chapter as well shows the only two developments, which were started after the program was launched back in 2011. Finaly this will lead to my personal target and summary for the following rest of the report.

1.0 1.1 INTRODUCTION

Figure #005: Masterplan on the Urban renewal of the Germiston CBD, source: Gear 2030

In the year 2011, in order to renew the central business district of Germiston, the capital of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, a renewal program was launched named Gear 2030. This program had the aims to further develop Germiston as the Administrative capital of the Metropolitan Municipality. As capital, Germiston has a certain representative function to the rest of the region. The aim is: "to produce a framework to guide renewal and to fully utilize and infill the potential of available land, regenerate and reuse existing buildings, expand the range of housing opportunities, maximize accessibility to the node, improve the extensive green infrastructure and utilize heritage buildings to their full potential." (2011, Introduction Gear 2030) The City of Breda, in the Netherlands, has helped the local authorities during the creation of this ambitious plan. Several workshops were held to exchange knowledge about the approach on renewal. A type of renewal European cities faced right after World War II, problems such as crime, negligence, lack of cultural activity, loss of pride, heritage and history were present. The same problems most South Green industry & education precinct Transport precinct Cultural precinct

Civic & governmental

Fire station precinct

African cities are facing today. The collaboration created a lot of valuable leads for the masterplan. Though five years after the program was launched only two projects have been started, respectfully the renovation of the old library into a theatre and a social housing project close to the art deco fire station in the south of the CBD. After all these years of hard work on the program, one finds it rather disappointing that this has been the result so far. At the Breda Municipality in the Netherlands one came up with the same conclusion. This is why the Breda Municipality has given me the opportunity to create a new vision on the renewal of the Germiston CBD by adding additional design principles that could help get the renewal-ball rolling again. Eventually this will lead to two different approaches on this renewal task, which will be evaluated and criticized at the end of this report.

Germiston Lake

Figure #006: Design back bone of the exisiting masterplan

Figure #004: (page 8-9) view on the Germiston CBD, source: wikimedia.org

CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS GERMISTON THEATRE The renovation of the former central library into the new Germiston theatre is part of the "arts, culture and heritage" sectorial plan. This development is part of the creation of a cultural precinct between two main roads in the city center President Street and Victoria Street. Situated on a big square the renovation could lead to the attraction of other utilities such as restaurants and cafes, which could result in a thriving city square. Figure #007: Germiston theater under construction, source: Hans Thoolen

FIRE STATION SOCIAL HOUSING "The central part of the Project 11 site is occupied by the old Fire Station. It is proposed that a mixture of bonded, rental Gap and social housing is developed on this old Fire Station site. This programme is dependent on private developers who are willing to tender for the redevelopment of these buildings once they have been financially rehabilitated by the Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality. This project can utilize approximately 1200 dwelling units". (2011, Chapter 5; housing, Gear 2030) Figure #008: Germiston fire station will be the center piece for the social housing development in this area, source: Hans Thoolen

1.2 MASTERPLAN CONTENT Based on 6 design principles the masterplan shows a densified CBD. Within the plan clear connections are made between the centers main spots, such as between the Germiston Station and the governmental quarter or between the cultural precinct and the green residential areas in the southeast part of the CBD. A deconstructed Golden Walk shopping center has led to the reestablishment of the grid structure in the center of the development. Besides the inner city connections a good link has been made with the Germiston Lake and the sports grounds in the south. The plan contains 30.000 new houses varying between 30 - 80 m2, of which approximately 12.000 are bonded and credit linked units, and about 18.000 low-level affordable & top-up units. These dwellings will mostly be realized in walkup apartments because of the possible density and cheap construction.

of currently abandoned buildings. With the reinforcement of the CBD, especially with the big number of new houses, a lot of supportive utilities are necessary which will be diffused over the project area. Utilities like 14 primary schools, 9 secondary schools, 6 medical clinics and 4 libraries. In the Gear 2030 document, plans are divided in specific themes in which the current situation is described and the vision, strategic approach and potential project and strategies are defined. This is done for 11 different sectorial plans concerning: Transportation, Sport & recreation, Arts & Culture, Infrastructure, Economic, Community Safety, Communication, Information Technology, Land use / Node development, Sustainability and Housing.

The addition of these new dwellings is seen as the most critical component of the inner node. This renewal program is the first ever program in South Africa whereas renewal is combined with the huge housing backlog. With the addition the CBD will strive towards the developing of a more sustainable urban environment. More inhabitants could lead to less violence on the streets, create more employment and could lead to the infill

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ORIGIN OF NEW RESIDENTS Due to the (relatively) economic progression of South Africa, especially in Gauteng, in comparison to other southern African countries, a lot of immigrants dwell in the country both legally and illegally. The biggest share in numbers originate from the Asian continent whereas China and India alone add at least 1.350.000 immigrants to the national figures. Other immigrant in South Africa mostly originate in countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland. Due to political, social and mainly economic reasons more and more people tend to choose for a new life in South Africa.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES The Gear 2030 has created a clear vision on the future of the Germiston CBD, this vision is based on some important design principles:

Integration: creating regional connections concerning highways, commuter rail and Gautrain extensions. Designing better local connections and visual connectivity to (new) landmarks in the CBD.

The biggest share of new residents originate in the informal settlements. These housing areas are often created in an urban or peripheral location without official approval from local governments. The settlements are generally characterized by a lack of proper infrastructure, access to basic utilities and education, dwellings and often inadequate access to electricity sewage and water.

A balanced movement network: laying more focus on public transport and slow traffic such as better pedestrian walks and introducing cycle paths. Plus re-design the historical city grid that was undermined by the developing of the Golden Walk shopping center.

The groups will arrive from both the surrounding suburbs of Germiston as from the rest of Ekurhuleni. By adding with different social, cultural and econimical backgrounds together aims are to create a more integrated and diverse inner core. Furthermore aims are to create: "A range of housing in the inner node regions that ensures the residents are in close proximity to economic, social, cultural, recreational, transport, etc. opportunities." (Gear 2030)

Promoting a urban character: designing the several quarters of the city by looking to its already existing character. This will create different local identities that will improve the quality of CBD. By integrally connecting these quarters the city becomes more interesting and resilient. Invest in the public open spaces: the lack of open space distracts people currently from the CBD. By using existing open plots to connect the several quarters, a balanced open space system will emerge. This brings more life into the streets.

N Enable a greater variety: enable a greater variety in both housing types, promoting mixed use and create different kinds of densities will eventually create a interesting and better working CBD. Phasing strategy: phasing the plan will enable to look at the important things first. For example to develop the empty plots first to create a safer environment for other developments in the CBD. Figure #009: Housing types in the Germiston area. In red highlighted: the CBD area, in bright yellow all the informal settlements in the area.

1.3 TARGET AND SUMMARY Taken the current situation in South Africa, the potential socio economic shift, the existing renewal program and personal aims and objectives into account. The main targets for this graduation project have become: To create an alternative renewal strategy that gives residents the ability to grow both economically and socially. Whereas the social aspect focuses on reuniting the once segregated country, especially by giving space to a variety of social economic classes. The economic growth should be created by facilitating people to start their own businesses and flexible use of open spaces in both the private and public realm. Most important is to improve the urban conditions in such way people are able to move between at least the important places in a safe way both day and night. This could also help to get the necessary magnification of the currently low financial support from investors and developers. SUMMARY From begin till end this survey will focus on eventually showing a detailed design result of the alternative renewal tactic. This chapter gave an insight in the current Gear 2030 plan and personal aims and objectives. The following chapter will give a brief overview of South Africa's history from the early 20th century till present. Next, the Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality is highlighted describing their current conditions both demographically and spatially and giving insight in the aims and objectives for the future. Right after the focus will be lead on Germiston and its central business district. Showing several analysis and demographic surveys, this will eventually be combined in a opportunities and threats map for the CBD.

Figure #010: Areal view on the Urban renewal plan for the Germiston CBD.

The following chapter will show the renewal tactic on the CBDscale and its consequences on the inner core of the central business district. Thereafter a detailed design focusing on a certain connection in the CBD's inner core will be shown and explained. Finally the last chapter will sum up the additional principles and approach that make up the alternative vision for the CBD's renewal. This will be compared and evaluated to the current plan and from both plans pros and cons will be summed up.

2.0 SOUTH AFRICA THE TURBULENT HISTORY OF A YOUNG NATION 2.1 URBAN HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL; 2.2 IMPORTANCE OF RENEWAL; 2.3 NATIONAL URBAN RENEWAL (URP) PROGRAM; This chapter will show a brief overview of the South African history. Especially the last century has been very influential in the renewal program of today. After the history paragraph the importance of renewal in South Africa will be highlighted followed by the national Urban Renewal Program (URP).

2.0 2.1 URBAN HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL Shortly after the two Anglo-Boer Wars, the United Kingdom set about unifying the four colonies of South Africa, including the former Boer republics, into one self-governed country named the Union of South Africa. The Brits accomplished this after years of negotiation when the South Africa act in 1909 was signed.

Cape Town

burg

Johannes

This unified the former Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal and Orange Free State. The unification of the country made way for the slow implementation of a phenomenon we now call Apartheid. The timeline shown below gives a brief overview of some of the most important historical events, which created this segregation method.

ebenezer howard

Preto

ria

Daniel Malan

1918 1918 After WO I a cry for a new approach on urban planning becomes louder. In this period Howard's garden city principle is first implemented in Pinelands, Cape Town. Beside, focus is laid on housing the coloured population on the outskirts of the cities

1948

1950

1934 1948 The Nasionale Party wins the national elections. Daniel Malan becomes Prime minister. Focus is let on further segregating the population

1934 Local authorities get permission to demolish old settlements and replace them for new ones (this helped with replacing the coloured population of the country)

1950 Implementation of Apartheid in the national urban planning. Population is divided into 4 groups: 1. Bantu's (black Africans) 2. Whites 3. Coloured (Children of mixed families 4. Indians

ZIMBABWE

LIMPOPO POLOKWANE

MOZAMBIQUE

BOTSWANA PRETORIA

NAMIBIA

MAHIKENG

GAUTENG

JOHANNESBURG

NORTH WEST

KIMBERLEY

NORTH CAPE

thabo Mbeki

NELSPRUIT

MPUMA SWAZILAND LANGA

FREE STATE

KWAZULUAL

NAT BLOEMFONTEIN G PIETERMARITZBUR LESOTHO

EAST CAPE

2016

BISHO

WEST CAPE CAPE TOWN

2016 Today South Africa is one of the most powerfull countries on the African continent, yet it still faces mayor problems such as extreme poverty and unemployment. Still a lot of work has to be done.

2001

Nelson Mandela ‘madiba’

2001 President Mbeki announces a new regeneration program 'Urban Renewal program' focussing on 3 main zones: CBD's, townships and informal settlements (Chapter 2.3)

1997 The 'Urban Development Framework' becomes active after Apartheid is ended. Priority is given to rehouse the excluded races back into the city centers

1994 Nelson Mandela, one of the resistent fighters agains apartheid becomes the first black president of South Africa

1997

frederik-willem de klerk

1962 1962 African tribes are forced to live in certain homelands througout the country. Starting with the Xhosa tribe

1994

1990 Apartheid is being ended after almost 50 years. It becomes history as one of the most controversial urban experiments ever

1990

2.0

2.2 IMPORTANCE OF RENEWAL "The spatial geography of urban apartheid and its injustices are internationally known. The most neglected urban spaces during apartheid are still largely the most neglected spaces today." (Dalson, R. November 2011) South Africa, is still recovering from the damage apartheid has wrought to the countries spatial division. With a lot of effort and money governments on all different levels try to reunite the country in a social, economic and spatial way. Though as statistics (figures at the bottom) show the results are opposite of the intended goal and a lot of cities become more segregated then before the end of Apartheid. Beside, the world around is changing and this too effects the countries reconstruction. Themes like immigration (and additional xenophobia among South Africans), internal migration, urbanization and poverty are every day's business. South Africa is seen as one of the fastest growing, newly industrialized, countries in the developing world. Combined with Brazil, Russia, India and China it forms the BRICs economies. The growth and recognition as a influent country in the region leads thousands of fortune seekers to South Africa. But due to neglected city cores and the earlier mentioned segregation a lot of cities cope with a lack of investors and have a lot of poverty and unemployment.

ZAMBIA 30.054 TANZANIA 6.887

ZIMBABWE 672.308

MALAWI 86.606

BOTSWANA 12.316

MOZAMBIQUE 393.231

ANGOLA 10.356

SWAZILAND 36.377

NAMIBIE 40.575 INDIA 1.000.000

LESOTHO 160.806

DRC 25.630

CHINA 350.000

Figure #012: Attraction of South Africa for immigrants from all over the world, mainly the African continent

N Limpopo 256.305

Mpumalanga 100.065

Noordwest 89.845

Vrijstaat 71.668 Kwazulu-Natal 175.860 Noord-Kaap 15.087

Figure #013: Amount of internal migrants that travel to the Gauteng province

Oost-Kaap 128.373

West-Kaap 48.609

Cencus 2001 Figure #014: Racial distribution of the population in Johannesburg, comparing census 2001 with 2011. Every dot represents 50 people. Blue is used for black Africans, purple for white Africans, orange for coloured Africans, Green for Asian and Indian, and grey for other groups. In ten years Johannesburg has become more segregated then ever, source: adrianfrith.com 18

Cencus 2011

Figure #011: (page 14-15) Photo of the Soweto uprising on June 16th 1976. That day almost 20.000 students protested for being forced to learn Afrikaans at school. That day 176 lost their lives due to heavy actions of the army and police. source: rioted.co.za

(page 16-17) sources are shown at the end of this report

2.3 NATIONAL URBAN RENEWAL (URP) PROGRAM In the past years the urban renewal in South Africa has been further developed into a national program which not only has the aim to recover from the former Apartheid era, but also focuses on urgent themes such as, (im)migration, globalization and urbanization of the country. According to the African Center for Cities (ACC) the new urban renewal program has 3 main focus points: redevelopment of the central business districts (CBD's), townships and informal settlements. In 2001 former president of South Africa Thabo Mbeki introduced the National Urban Renewal Program (URP) with the aim to reduce poverty in the urbanized areas and to suffice resources to a big number of South Africans in the secondary economy a better future. The 3 main goals for the Urban Renewal are further highlighted below: 1. Central business districts (CBD) According to the ACC, the importance of the CBD's stresses when said that these areas contribute in bringing the different races back together, which were systematically segregated for a long time. Within the urban renewal program a lot of different interventions are mentioned that can contribute on the improvement of the experience of the urban centers, such as: revalue the urban space, introduce different kinds of transportation possibilities such as the bike or increase the amount of houses in the city centers to improve safety. 2. Townships The huge urban sprawls that arose around the urban centers of the South African cities are called home by at least 40-60 percent of the inhabitants. The tasks in these areas are really urgent. During the apartheid a lot of these townships were built

as exclusion areas were only people from a specific race could get a house. Nowadays these areas are badly connected to the urban centers and are often separated from the rest of the city by physical boundaries such as railroads or rivers. 3. Informal settlements These areas form the base of the secondary economy in South Africa and are often found on the edges of town or in between industrial sites. The areas are known for their poverty, crime, undereducated people and lack of public utilities such as schools, decent infrastructure or medical care. To give these South Africans a better foresight action should be taken on several levels The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality In the most densely populated province of the country lies the metropolitan municipality of Ekurhuleni. An area that is known as the "workshop of Africa" due to its high number of industries. It consists of 8 cities that eventually merged into one sprawl of urbanized land. The Ekurhuleni government launched an integrated municipal spatial development framework to regenerate all three sectors (mentioned in the URP-program) in all 8 cities. Driven by the moto of architect Daniel H. Burnham: "Make not little plans; they have no magic to stir man's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram one recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever growing insistency."

Figure #015 - 017: Pictures of the URP focus points. From left to right: CBD's (Johannesburg), Townships (Alexandra, Johannesburg) and Informal settlements (Katlehong, Spruitview, Ekurhuleni)

3.0 EKURHULENI THE WORKPLACE OF AFRICA 3.1 STATUS QUO & DEMOGRAPHICS; 3.2 HISTORY; 3.3 AIMS & OBJECTIVES; 3.4 THE METROPOLITAN CAPITAL; After the motive and history have been described, the following chapter will focus on the Metropolitan municipality of Ekurhuleni. It discusses the status quo, demographics, aims and objectives and its capital city, which is the target city for this project.

3.0 3.1 STATUS QUO & DEMOGRAPHICS The Gauteng province is situated in the northeast of the country and used to be part of the Transvaal province. 1 in 2 migrants sees this province as their target. This makes Gauteng the most populated yet smallest province of the country. Its name means "Place of gold" in Sotho language. The province houses the biggest city of the country, Johannesburg and the administrative capital, Pretoria. The Gauteng province is divided into 4 areas one of these areas is named the Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality, which stretches over the former East Rand mining belt from the outskirts of Johannesburg in the west till the border with the Mpumalanga province in the east. The name Ekurhuleni finds its background in the Tsonga language where it means "place of peace and prosperity".

and around the airfield. Also some mayor airlines house their headquarters in the metropolitan municipality. Although the big amount of factories and offices which are situated within the municipality, there is still a staggering unemployment rate of almost 30 percent. This is not only a problem in this specific region, but a nationwide problem, as the chart shows. The unemployment comes with an almost even amount of people living in poverty, though these numbers are still very high in comparison to the country Ekurhuleni scores a relatively less problematic.

The Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality, famous for its rich and vast goldmines, was established in 2000 combining 8 smaller municipalities to become a metropolitan region that houses 3.1 million people on a total land area of 1.975 km2. . Because of its small surface, the municipality is more populated in terms of density then the province or country it lays in. The metro proudly houses Johannesburg O.R Tambo airport the biggest international airport on the African continent. This has lead to a big number of aircraft manufacturing facilities in

N NORTH WEST

PRETORIA

GAUTENG

Centurion

Figure #019: The Republic of South Africa contains 9 provinces from which Gauteng is the smallest, though it is too the most densley populated.

Sandton Benoni

JOHANNESBURG

Randfontein

Soweto

Germiston

Springs

MPUMALANGA

Carletonville

Vereeniging

Potchefstroom

Vanderbijlpark

Figure #020: The spatial lay out of the Gauteng province. As seen on the map the vast urban sprawl connecting Pretoria, Johannesburg, Parts of Ekurhuleni all the way to Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark in the south.

Figure #018: (page 8-9) Photo of the Gautrain, a newly build railway system which connects Pretoria and Johannesburg to OR Tambo international airport, source: mg.co.za

AREA EKURHULENI 3.178.470

GAUTENG (2011)

1.975km2

12.272.263

NATIONAL (2011)

18.178km2

51.770.560

(2011)

1.221.037km2

DENSITY

1.602 ppl/km2

675 ppl/km2

42,1 ppl/km2

FAMILIES

1.01MLN

3.90MLN

14.15MLN ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME

R163.676 eq €10.816

R180.843 eq €11.950

R143.599 eq €9.940

UNEMPLOYMENT

28.8%

26.4%

29.8% PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY

28.2%

Figure #021: Infographic on the current demographical situation. The Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality is compared with the Gauteng province and the rest of the country.

26.2%

37.7%

3.0 THE GOLDRUSH

With the growth of the mining industry in South Africa and the discovery of the massive gold reserves in the Witwatersrand region and the thereafter-following gold rush in the late 19th century a lot of settlements were established in the Ekurhuleni area.

1800

1948

SETTLEMENTS

Some of them grew consistently into bigger towns and cities. Others merged into the growing towns or vanished.

Figure #022: Showing the history of the Ekurhuleni region from its uprise in the late 19th century till the present.

EXPANDING Towns grew consistently over time due to its high attraction on labour forces and high number of factories

CURRENTLY

BENONI

SPRINGS

BOKSBURG

GERMISTON

1990

This eventually created a big urban area which stretches from the city edges of Johannesburg in the west untill the border with the Mpumalanga province in the east. On this east-west axis some of the initial 19th century towns can still be identified such as Germiston, Benoni, Boksburg and Springs

2016

DURING APARTHEID Eventually these towns and cities merged due to massive urban sprawls created predominantly during the Apartheid era though growth kept on afterwards.

3.2 HISTORY With the growth of the mining industry in South Africa and the discovery of the massive gold reserves in the Witwatersrand region and the thereafter-following gold rush in the late 19th century a lot of settlements were established in the Ekurhuleni area. Some of them grew consistently into bigger towns and cities. Eventually these towns and cities merged due to massive urban sprawls created predominantly during the Apartheid era though growth kept on afterwards. This eventually created a big urban area which stretches from the city edges of Johannesburg in the west untill the border with the Mpumalanga province in the east. On this east-west axis some of the initial 19th century towns can still be identified such as Germiston, Benoni, Boksburg and Springs

During the period of the South African gold rush and a long period thereafter the economy was flourishing and the region was often called the "Workplace of South Africa". Currently though the Ekurhuleni metropolitan area has some mayor socio-economic problems, such as: high numbers of crime and violence, a lack of economic and social prospects for its citizens and the above mentioned staggering unemployment rates. Thus a lot of young entrepreneurs move to the nearby cities like Johannesburg, Westrand and Pretoria in search for a better future.

3.0 3.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To reassure the position as economic powerful metropolis, the city of Ekurhuleni has come up with the renewal program "A theory of change". Its main goal is to re-urbanize, reindustrialize, re-generate, re-mobilize and re-govern the municipality. This begins with the formulation of a range of planning and urban design initiatives through the metropolitan area. On the metropolitan scale a framework policy has been made to upgrade the metropolis' strengths, such as the presence of the OR Tambo international airport, linear crossing of the the important east-west motorway through the metro which connects Johannesburg with Mpumalanga province and beyond, and to strengthen the current weaknesses such as: neglected CBD's throughout the metropolitan area, huge housing backlog especially for the lower income groups. The Ekurhuleni government aims for a catalytic approach whereas specific projects will generate new investors and will help with the further regeneration of the municipality. This typical South-African regeneration-method has already shown its value with projects in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. Within the Ekurhuleni metro projects such as the construction of new highways, regeneration of the railway network and new public transport and the realization of two new cities named Ekurhuleni city (i.e. Aerotropolis) situated north-east of O.R Tambo international airport and Carnival city just south-west of Brakpan. Besides the metro-wide policy plan, the Ekurhuleni government has also worked on several city-scale sub-projects through the municipality. One notable program concerns the regeneration of the central business district of the Ekurhuleni metro-capital: Germiston. This city, established during the gold rush in the late 19th century became the capital of Ekurhuleni after the unification of the former 8 municipalities.

Figure #023: The re-urbanise scheme, circled in red: the metro core of the metropolis. soucre: ekurhuleni.gov.za

Figure #024: The existing urban structure with the development corridor in yellow stripes through the metro, soucre: ekurhuleni.gov.za

Figure #025: The existing infrastructural layout of the metro. Next to OR Tambo the region has four other airports soucre: ekurhuleni.gov.za

3.4 THE METROPOLITAN CAPITAL Ekurhuleni metro. The city forms the passage to the northsouth Johannesburg-Westrand-Pretoria corridor and it lays within the east-west Germiston-Boksburg-Benoni-BrakpanSprings corridor, cities that are all in Ekurhuleni. This too makes Germiston a location worth regenerate.

Germiston not only houses the governmental offices of the metropolitan council but is also continently known for its railway junction which is the biggest and busiest on the southern hemisphere. In addition to the regeneration the metropolitan municipality created a masterplan to regenerate the CBD and thereby creating 30.000 new houses in that same area. This plan, known as "Gear 2030" was the first ever plan in South Africa, which combined the huge housing challenge in the region with the massive rehabilitation of the CBD. Altogether to create a more peaceful and prosperous city center for all people in Ekurhuleni.

Through Germiston several green routes and corridors can be identified. This network of greenery could become a great potential combined with the introduction of alternative types of movement, such as bikes. This could make traveling times to the CBD shorter and makes great places for recreational functions.

Although plans were made the region still copes with a shortage in investments, retreating middle class to newly build estates in the Johannesburg region and a big number of unemployed inhabitants. The question to be asked is what will be the added value with this regeneration? The city lays in close proximity of the O.R Tambo international airport. People who take the regular commuter trains from the airport to their main destination: Johannesburg, will pass through the Germiston station. This could be seen as chance for the city. Besides this the Germiston CBD lays along the border of the

PRETORIA

WESTRAND

TEMBISA

[JNB] DAVEYTON

KEMPTON PARK EDENVALE D

JOHANNESBURG

BEL

MIN

ING

MIN

BENONI BEDFORDVIEW ING

BEL

BRAKPAN

GERMISTON [QRA]

BOKSBURG SPRINGS

SEBENZA

ALBERTON

JET PARK

BEDFORDVIEW NIGEL

PRIMROSE BEYERS PARK

CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

KENSINGTON

GERMISTON LAKE

Figure #027: The metropolitan context Ekurhuleni with the huge residential sprawl. The urban area is seperated by the Witwatersrand mining beld which gave this region its economic strength

LEGEND Knowledge beld Labour beld Urban area

BOKSBURG

GERMISTON WADEVILLE

LEGEND Figure #026: Cities layout bordering with Johannesburg in the east, right in the middle lays the cities inner core (CBD).

ROODEKOP

Gated communities

Water

Squatters

Nature

Townships

Agricultural

Social housing

Mining areas

Housing sprawls

Industries

Commercial 27

4.0

GERMISTON SPATIAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY 4.1 SPATIAL ANALYSIS; 4.2 CITY DEMOGRAPHICS; 4.3 OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS; The following chapter will deepen the current situation of the CBD based on analyisis and demographic figures. These findings will be used to create an opportunities and threats map, which will be the starting point for the alternative renewal strategy described following chapter

4.0 4.1 SPATIAL ANALYSIS 4.1.1 MORPHOLOGY

Figure #029: Morphology of the CBD retreived from the Gear 2030 vision. Red lines and numbers in the drawing represent the development zones as determined by the local authorities.

Figures on next page are retreived from Google Maps

4.1.2 ZONING Figure #030: Defining the zoning of the Central Business district. The red line represents the boundaries of the Central Business District.

LEGEND Empty plots Residential areas Utilities Governmental ices Mixed-use Industrial Commerical Social housing

4.1.1 MORPHOLOGY The CBD's morphology mainly consists of enclosed building blocks, which make the cities grid structure. One is able to see the imprint of the roads just by looking at the grey colored buildings. Some of the blocks are not fully built and empty parts are often used as parking lots (see analysis: empty plots and open spaces). The often fully build blocks make up only half of the central business districts morphology. The other part, to be found in the southern part of the CBD, characterizes with more open spaces and predominantly detached houses. These houses are part of the big urban sprawl South Africa is so famous about. The analysis on the morphology also showed that 6 different types of blocks could be defined. (Numbers refer to pictures on the next page) 1. Fully build blocks with either mixed use or single use functions. 2. Warehouses, often 1 or 2 stories high 3. Half build-up blocks with a parking lot on the empty half 4. Half build-up blocks with an empty plot on the other half 5. Fenced social housing estates 6. Fenced detached houses. Figure #028: (page 28-29) a view on Plantation Road, one of the only bustling streets in the CBD, at the back the Goldenwalk mall can be seen, source: Hans Thoolen

4.1.2 ZONING Currently the CBD zoning plan is mainly based on a single function on a plot. This has resulted in a city center with specific areas for specific functions. Northwest of the train tracks the former automotive industry zone was situated. Due to economic reasons a lot of these former car based industries left, which has resulted in a desolate area with lot of abandoned buildings. Just across the train tracks back in the central CBD area we find some mixed-use blocks where commercial functions are mixed with some residential functions. Just southeast of the Germiston hospital the almost neverending sprawl of residential housing starts. These areas too are mainly mono-functionally designed. From the station till the Golden Walk shopping center we find retail both private and commercial.

4.0 4.1.3 EMPTY PLOTS AND OPEN SPACES Figure #031: The CBD area has a big shortage on decent public spaces. In the city's urban planning you can find a lot of empty plots, which, eventually, could be transformed, into quality public spaces in all its varieties.

LEGEND Builded area Empty greenery Parking lots Used greenery (Semi) used public space School property Private empty property

4.1.4 PASSIVE BUILDING EDGES Figure #032: Survey on all passive edges of the CBD, which has lead to an increase of desolate, unsafe and neglected streets.

LEGEND Passive edges Residential passive edges

4.1.5 INFORMAL ECONOMY

A large part of the CBD has a desolate and dilapidated appearance. Though in some spots around town we find some thriving streets with merchants and a lot of commercial buildings. Yet this combination between the formal and informal economy has lead to this buslte within the neglected CBD. The two biggest concentrations of this phenomenon are to be found around the train station. This is where the big informal taxi rank, with destinations all over the metropolitan area and Plantation Road, the cities most bustling street comes together.

Figure #033: Picture of Plantation Road, one of the only thriving streets in the CBD today.

Figure #034: Next to the Germiston train station a huge informal taxi rank brings people to every outskirt of the metropolitan area.

GOLDENWALK PASSIVE EDGES The Goldenwalk shopping center was built without noticing its surroundings. Only the 4 or 5 entrances to the mall have some connections with the outside world. The rest of the buildings facade consists of completely blind walls and some cargo platforms.

Figure #035: Northern facade of the Germiston Goldenwalk shopping center, source: Google Maps

RESIDENTIAL PASSIVE EDGES The unsafety of the CBD of Germiston has lead to an increase of walls being build around the houses of the inhabitants. As the picture shows this results in streets without any connection between private and public grounds. Although walls keep unwanted people out, streets do get more unsafe due to this trend.

Figure #036: A street in the residential part of the CBD, high walls tend to keep robbers out, source: Google Maps

4.0 4.1.6 PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE

N Figure #037: Defining the zoning of the Central Business district. The red line represents the boundaries of the Central Business District. GERMISTON STATION

JOHANNESBURG

BOKSBURG

PRESIDENT STATION

DRIEHOEK STATION

INDIA STATION

Highlighted on page 35

LEGEND Station

GERMISTON SOUTH STATION

Goldenwalk mall Unreachable greenery Metrorail Informal taxi rank Obstructed grid

GERMISTON LAKE STATION

WEBBER STATION

The city center is completely surrounded by the Gauteng Metrorail system, which connects the city to almost all places in both the Ekurhuleni metro and several other areas including: Johannesburg, Pretoria and Westrand. The system is convenient

but has aged stock and the lower income groups who cannot afford buying a car mainly using it. The central CBD was built on a Victorian grid, which overtime was disintegrated by the uprising of the Golden Walk shopping center.

Figure #038: The metrorail map showing Germiston as one of the biggest hubs in the network.

4.1.7 STREET DESIGN

Figure #039: Section 1, President Street

INDIA STATION

Figure #040: Section 2, Queen Street

The streets in the Germiston CBD are designed for cars. Wide streets cross the center of the city with mostly 2 sometimes 4 car lanes divided into both directions, with often tight pedestrian ways next to it. Especially when sectioned one can see the big amount of space cars get. The sidewalks are small and unpleasant to walk on. Most buildings along the streets use fences or walls to prevent people from coming in. This leads to less eyes on the streets and makes them ironicaly less safe. The drawing below shows an average street section one could find in the CBD. This has been composed after analyzing many pictures of many different streets. As mentioned earlier, people tend to do a lot to keep other people out, such as use of barbed wire, fences and rolling shutters. After closing hours almost all ground level facades role down their rolling shutters. This results in a desolate image and a very unsafe environment.

GERMISTON SOUTH STATION A lot of blind walls - results in less eyes on the streets

Barbed wire to prevent from theft

Lanterns often used as electricity poles, not consistently placed through the CBD Fences to prevent from theft

Rolling shutters create a desolate streetscape after business hours

Extended facades

Figure #041: Shows the average street in the Germiston CBD with a lot of obstructions against theft and robbery

Mostly single function buildings with often 1 or 2 storeys

2 till 4 lanes either both or one way A lot of sheds along the facades

Greenery is rarely seen through the CBD

GERMISTON LAKE STATION Sidewalks have holes and have no certain role (sometimes used as parking)

4.0 4.1.8 HERITAGE SITES

#1 #3 #4 #5 #2 #1

The CBD features, if you look closely, some interesting historical features. Some sites worth mentioning are several historical churches, a bunch of art deco residential and commercial buildings and perhaps most importantly the historical train station of the city. Besides examples of history, specific architectural principles found in the streetscape, such as: sheds, extended facades and build-to-line and overhanging floors also define the cities history. Germiston's President Street, as shown on the map, could be seen as the cities most preserved street. It shows a variety of architectural highlights varying from art deco to neo classism and examples Victorian architecture. The road layout of the CBD could also be seen as a heritage site. The historical Victorian grid was constructed in the early days. Because of mismanagement in the past a part of the grid and the iconic diagonal street has been blocked and now causes obstructions in movement through the city center.

Figure #042: Overview of the cities historical sites, including the historical victorian street design.

LEGEND Builded areas Missing part of the grid Religious buildings Utilities Residential buildings

Commercial Undefined

Figure #043-#047: Photo's of the cities heritage sites ranging from Victorian and art deco architecture, source Google Maps

4.2 CITY DEMOGRAPHICS The shown data is based on the statistics made available by Statistics South Africa (STATS SA) and are adjusted to the Germiston situation. Whereas no useful "up to date" statistics are available (last survey specified on Germiston was done in 2001). The used figures were published in 2011.

80 70

- R0 - R4800

- R9600

- R19600 - R38.200

- R76.400

- R153.800 - R307.600

Total

- R614.400

R2.457.601

Figure #048: Average monthly income, source Gear 2030

Male

Female

YOUNG

WORKING AGE

ELDERLY

Figure #049: Age distribution, source Gear 2030

It is common known that the distribution of money is not done properly in South Africa. Though Germiston is no exception on this, the city tends to have a bigger middle class then average. "Only" 21.6 percent of the people lives from R0-R4800 a month while on national scale almost 45 percent lives from that same amount of money. There is still a lot to be done to give everyone a better share in the economy, but a lot of good work has been done already.

More then 70 percent of the people currently living in Germiston are considered to be part of the working class of society (between 18-64 years old). A low 24 percent is considered young. Though studies referred to in the Gear 2030 masterplan say that this low number of youngsters suggests that, on average, households are becoming smaller.

Employed

No education

Some primary Finished primary

Some secondary Finished secondary

Not economically active Unemployed

Higher education

Not applicable

Figure #050: Highest education of residents, source Gear 2030

As seen on the chart, a lot of school going people tend to leave their education before they finished it. This could have several reasons, such as: lack of money to fund the program, need to care for brothers and sister at home while the parents are working. This creates a backlog when they grow up and gives a less bright future to get into a better livelihood.

Discouraged

Figure #051: Employment rates, source Gear 2030

A lot of people just have low educational level and the amount of low educated jobs are scares, there is a high number of unemployment in the city. The big amount of industries in the area can't provide enough jobs for the whole workforce of the city. Besides this, a lot of people tend to earn money by working in South African "second economy" by selling vegetables, fruits and other sorts of trades (illegally) on the streets.

LEGEND THREAT: ZONING

THREAT: NOT AFFECTABLE

CHANCE: INFORMAL ECONOMY

Residential

Social housing

Informal public transport

Utilities

Governmental buildings

Informal trade

Commercial

Schools

Main location

Mixed use

Police academy

Industries

OTHER THREATS

OTHER CHANCES Government seat

Moving industries

Germiston station

Empty buildings stay behind

Existing train network

Empty plots

Bad connections

Heritage sites

Unused public space

Functionless greenery

Germiston Lake

Empty school property

Passive building edges

Governmental THREAT: Empty spaces

Empty heritage

Figure #052: Opportunities and threat map for the Germiston CBD

4.3 OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS The analysis gave a lot of insights in the current situation of the CBD. To sum up the observations an opportunities and threats map has been made to give a broad overview of the most important remarks. The single function of most of the plots in the CBD grid gives a lot of areas a neglected aspect. Especially after business hours almost all buildings in the center role down their rolling shutters, leaving a desolate streetscape behind. Beside due to the moving businesses to plots along the mayor highway corridors some areas in the CBD are completely abandoned. The empty and unused spaces of the CBD are now seen as a threat due to their dilapidated and some with lack of functions. Though these plots could play a mayor role in densifing the district. Most of them are to be found on very important places such as at the Goldenwalk shopping center. This too includes the dilapidated greenery below the CBD. This network of green spaces could be from great value but is currently not in use.

The green spaces and Germiston Lake could be a great addition to the current CBD and the position of Germiston in the region, since this lake is the only one clean enough to use for recreation. Though due to bad connections the lake is hardly reachable from the city center. Currently this is a threat but it could easily be transformed into a big potential. In a city center that is mostly abandoned and quiet, some extra clusters with both informal and formal economy could really give a boost to the CBD. The combination attracts a lot of people and makes them spend a lot of their money. This could be really interesting for tourists who already pass by Germiston on their way to Johannesburg. They could invest in the local economy and at the same time enjoy the heritage sites that are left from the time Germiston was a bustling mining town. This could also put Germiston on the map and make investors see the added value of the CBD.

A few mayor utilities in the CBD, such as: schools, Germiston hospital and the police academy, have build walls along their boundaries. As a result there are less eyes on the streets and lets people feel more and more unsafe. Yet these buildings do not suffer from the conditions outside their gates.

4.3.2 WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF...

The opportunities and threats are assisted with a scenario map showing what would happen to the CBD if we would not improve or renew anything. The pink area's, mostly industrial sites, will be completely abandoned in a few years due to massive movements to locations along the east west corridor north of the city. The bright blue spots are the earlier mentioned utilities that are completely blocked from the cities problems and activities. These functions will almost not be affected in the future and keep on going. In orange are the locations that will, unless the harsh conditions thrive. The northern plot is where the formal and informal economy meets each other. This location will stay busy even though the area around will become more dilapidated. The other spot is situated around the current development of the Germiston Theater. Around this catalytic project, the development of some restaurant and cafes are foreseen, that will make this location more attractive. The rest of the CBD will stay in its current slow downgrade.

LEGEND Gradual decay Not affectable

Figure #053: What would happen to the CBD, if we left it this way?

Rapid decay Thriving locations 39

5.0

RENEWAL STRATEGY DEFINE THE CITIES IDENTITY 5.1 RENEWAL STRATEGY; 5.2 INNER CORE EFFECT; 5.3 FUNCTIONS AND APPEARANCE; 5.4 DETAILED DESIGN LOCATION; Taken the chances and threats into consideration a renewal vision has been made to improve the Germiston CBD. This vision consists out of two parts: firstly a renewal tactic will be shown for the complete Germiston CBD. Secondly the consequences of this tactic will make up a lower scale vision on a specific location in the CBD. Eventually the made strategy will lead to the detailed design in the next chapter.

5.0 5.1 RENEWAL STRATEGY To give Germiston the necessary regeneration wave a special renewal strategy, consisting out of 5 interventions, has been drafted to expose existing strengths of the CBD. This approach will start densification and regeneration on specific important location throughout the district. Thereafter connections between these locations should be made as for re-using empty heritage sites and other vacant areas.

Then densification should start in and along these certain locations to increase the desired urban character. This approach should be used throughout the CBD to ensure proper regeneration. These 5 interventions are exposed on the Germiston central business district. This tactic focuses on the regeneration of the CBD's most important locations and connections between them, as part of a catalytic approach. Owners and investors should regenerate the privately owned areas around these developments, as results will show their value right after completion.

1. DEFINE AND STRENGTHEN CBD'S CHARACTERISTICS The Central business district of Germiston is predominantly known for being the seat of the Ekurhuleni government. This character should be enlarged to create a stronger center. Beside, as mentioned earlier the transformation of the Germiston Theater and the presence of the cultural heritage in and around President Street should be transformed into a cultural precinct. Thirdly the presence of the biggest railway hub in the country should be taken into consideration. As mentioned in the analysis everyone who takes the regular train to Johannesburg from OR Tambo airport passes through Germiston. To strengthen these 3 locations additional functions should be added that enhance its presence.

2. LINKING CBD CHARACTERISTICS To enhance movement through the CBD, the defined characteristics (or precinct) should be connected to each other. These connections should give space to various kinds of transportation. This should include: pedestrian sidewalks, bike and car lanes and public transportation. With the addition of proper linkages, the CBD will become more defined.

3. HERITAGE The empty heritage buildings, which are situated throughout the CBD, should get a public function fitting its location. For example an empty site situated within the foreseen cultural precinct should get a cultural implementation. This will strengthen the precincts position and character, prevents further dilapidation of the building and makes people more conscious of their past.

4. DENSIFY AND THE URBAN CHARACTER The CBD is home to approximately 5000 people, combined with lot of empty buildings; this does not contribute to the aims to create an urban character. To create a certain character a lot more people should be housed in and around the CBD. The demand for housing will come together with a demand for more office spaces, utilities and commercial spaces

5. EXTEND APPROACH TO THE REST OF THE CBD With the CBD's main character defined other, smaller precincts can be added to the renewal. These other precincts will serve a more specific target groups. A significant addition to the CBD is the presence of Germiston Lake. This precinct will become a great attraction for both residents of the CBD, Germiston and the rest of the metropolitan area.

.....

Figure #053: (page 40-41) Germiston Court Hotel, built in Art Deco style, is one of the heritage sites left on the corner of President Street and Spilsbury Street source: Hans Thoolen

LEGEND Greenery

Train tracks

Surrounding buildings

Germiston Lake

Conncetions over train tracks

CBD boundary

Roads

Developments around stations

Precincts

Build up area Heritage sites

Green corridor into inner core

Private regeneration

Important connections

Vacant land

Heritage on President street

Empty heritage sites

Retail

Figure #054: Map showing the consequences of the mentioned interventions on the Germiston CBD. Additional precincts are defined, such as: Germiston Lake and the former automotive area in the northwest part of the CBD.

5.0

REUSE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS, EMPTY PLOTS AND MIXED USE Taken the moving industry from the CBD to other locations along the highways into account, a lot of plots in the CBD will become vacant. Within the regeneration priority is been given to these specific areas. Beside current empty plots should be filled up with buildings too. This completes the current unfinished facades. More difficult are locations currently occupied with mixed use or not moving functions. The private owners should be encouraged to join this flow of regeneration. More on phasing will be shown later on in this report.

TARGET GROUPS With the renewal of the CBD the demand for houses in this area will increase significantly. The Germiston middle class, who currently prefers a house in Johannesburg, Pretoria or Westrand over a house in Germiston, are hopefully more interested in staying in their hometown and either commute to one of the above mentioned cities via one of the numerous Metrorail stations or perhaps decide to start their own business. The main group of people, which will be housed in the central business district, are the current inhabitants of the informal settlements in and around Germiston. For several years housing for this particular group is mainly built as detached houses. Decent houses on a plot of land suited for cultivation. These developments should help people forward by at least giving them axes to basic needs, but since houses are added to the already huge scale urban sprawl of the cities, commute times to city centers and other places with commerce become longer and longer. With the lack of decent public transport traveling to these places it becomes almost impossible for these people to even reach them. Although intentions are great, a different method could be desirable This mentioned problem gives the Germiston the ideal opportunity to experiment with implementing these houses into the CBD, since current land prices are low. Although this time houses will not be build in sprawl but will be stacked on top of each other. Forming enclosed spaces, which can be used to implement land cultivation. The ability to live this close to a big concentration of utilities could really improve life for the lower income groups. This will help to improve social mobility

Figure #055: Principle drawing; stacking current urban sprawl developments to implement in the Germiston CBD

5.2 INNER CORE EFFECT MOVEMENT To connect the different precinct together the movement of people should facilitated in a lot of different ways. Cars are currently the most dominant form of transport. To downgrade this dominancy some roads are defined as "important", other roads should be made less important by either transform into one-way street or decreasing the amount of lanes. To improve slow traffic movement bike lanes are introduced to the CBD. Bikes are a quick and cheap way to get around especially for the lower income groups bikes could really have added value. These lanes will always be separated from car to minimize collision risks.

DEVELOPMENTS The leaving industries will produce a big amount of vacant land, especially around the transportation precinct. Buildings, which are occupied but are positioned along one of the CBD's main boulevards or squares, should be demolished or refurbished instead in order to create the necessary urban character. EXISTING BUILDINGS A big amount of buildings will be left alone apart from the heritage sites big numbers of property will be left onto regeneration from private investors. In the hope people glance over the effect the renewal has on these areas.

Movement layer Bike and Car combined Pedestrian route Important pedestrian route Car free route Pedestrian route to suburbs Bike lanes Main routes motorized vehicles Train stations

Development layer Empty plots Forced demolition Park and green corridor

Existing buildings layer Heritage and unique buildings Existing buildings renew by private investment Left alone areas Train tracks

Figure #056: Exploded view of the effect of the CBD vision on the inner core

5.0

Transport precinct The hub for all kinds of transportation to and from the biggest station on the southern hemisphere

Museum In this abandoned heritage site a museum will be opened regarding the history of the Ekurhuleni history

Cultural precinct With the Germiston theater as its center, the cultural precinct will attract cafes and restaurants to become an pleasent place to stay

Social housing area This area is already developed into a social housing estate surrounded by fences

Police academy This area is not accesable for the inhabitants and is strictely focussed on the education and training of the Ekurhuleni police force

Governmental precinct The seat of the Ekurhuleni government, this area will be characterised as business location combined with leisure and housing

LEGEND Empty plots

Heritage and unique buildings

Bike and Car combined

Forced demolition Left alone areas

Train tracks

Park and green corridor

Bike lanes

Important pedestrian route

Private investements

Main routes motorized vehicles

Building edges

Pedestrian route

Car free route Pedestrian route to suburbs

Roofed market Next to the new gold bar market hall this smaller version will sell daily groceries such as fruits, vegetables, clothing, etc.

Park In the middle of the bustling city, this tranquil area will provide the necessary space to enjoy a sunny afternoon

Green corridor From the park a green corridor will lead to the suburbs of Germiston. Through the corridor pedestrians and bikes get priority

Refurbished Goldenwalk The refurbished shopping center will no longer be an obstruction. The new version will be more compact and has attractive and active building edges

Tourist destination This gold bar-shaped building will attract loads of tourist on their way to Johannesburg, it will house a hotel and observatory to overlook the CBD

Market hall On the ground floor local merchants will be able to sell their goods primarily focussed on tourists

N ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS In the hart of the CBD a park is being introduced to offer a tranquil and green area in the middle of the district. It has been realized on the former grounds of the Goldenwalk shopping center. This area became vacant after extending the diagonal street of the Victorian grid. Beside functions have been determined for some empty heritage sites: firstly a museum is added, secondly several are turned into roofed markets. One specific building will be transformed into a tourist destination. The former ABSA-bank office is shaped like a gold bar, referring to the cities origin. The building will be transformed into a domed market hall with an observation platform on top to oversee the rebuild CBD.

5.0 5.3 FUNCTIONS AND APPEARANCE ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS, SYNERGY AND APPEARANCE To the CBD's main precincts additional functions should be added to enhance their appearance. To the 3 main precincts: cultural, transportation and governmental different functions will be added. Although housing and commercial plinths should be added at all costs to create the desired mixed use. Since bikes are introduced in the CBD, all precincts should have at least one bike garage; this will help improve usage of this form of transportation. CULTURAL PRECINCT As mentioned earlier, the presence of the Germiston Theater will attract restaurants and cafĂŠs to this area. Beside the mentioned museum will be situated in an abandoned heritage building. In this precinct pedestrian should be predominant on other types of movement. The cultural precinct should also give space to creative individuals and artists to expose their work. TRANSPORTATION PRECINCT Transit options are most important in and around the Germiston station, various options of transportation will be offered. Beside shops and cafes should provide travellers with quick groceries or food. For tourists, the transportation precinct will be their first introduction with Germiston. Therefore clear routes are required to and from the station. GOVERNMENTAL PRECINCT As the seat of the Ekurhuleni government, this business district will host the major offices in the CBD. Open spaces should be designed to host demonstrations, which are a common feature in African politic. Utilities for conventions and hotels suit perfectly into this area.

Figure #057: Additional functions for precincts to strengthen their appearance

BUSTLE THROUGH DAY AND NIGHT The urban character is formed not only by the shape and size of buildings but the ability to go out, shop and recreate are very important too. The map below shows the bustle on different hotspots throughout the inner core during midday and evening. During the day hotspots like the museum, squares, parks, shopping centers and markets will bustle, the streets will be busy with different kinds of movements. During the night the hotspots shrink in size and certain location fade out. The movement through the park will be stopped for safety reasons. Especially during the night it is very important that routes between the several hotspots maintain safe at all costs. These

so-called safety corridors use both social and spatial approaches to enhance safety. This method has already shown its value in Cape Town. Therefore the city park will be closed overnight; the often thick bushes can be unsafe for passers. CBD ZONING The lower layer refers to the left page and shows the zones of the inner core. Surrounding these areas are the so-called "housing and commerce" zones. These areas are less busy and are primarily focused on housing. Nevertheless to enhance the mixed-use the buildings plinths often host commercial and office facilities.

Evening bustle Busy streets Medium busy streets Tranquil/quiet streets Bustling hotspot

Midday bustle Busy streets Medium busy streets Tranquil/quiet streets Bustling hotspot

Inner core zoning

TRANSPORT PRECINCT

COMMERCE AND HOUSING

COMMERCE AND HOUSING CITY PARK

CULTURAL PRECINCT

GOLDENWALK SHOPPING MALL

GREEN CORRIDOR

COMMERCE AND HOUSING HISTORICAL PRESIDENT STREET

SOCIAL HOUSING AREA GOVERNMENTAL PRECINCT POLICE ACADEMY

Figure #058: Exploded view showing the busy places in the CBD during day and nigth, below the brief zoning of the inner core (derived from the inner core map, page 46-47) 49

5.0

Figure #059:Design location highlighted on an areal map of the CBD

Figure #060: This historical relict will be transformed into a museum about the history of Germiston and the Ekurhuleni metro, source Google Maps

Figure #062: The former policlinic will be transformed into a roofed market, source Google Maps 50

Figure #061: Germiston train station, source Google Maps

Figure #063: The ABSA-Bank office being transformed into a market hall, source Google Maps

5.4 DETAILED DESIGN LOCATION TWO MAYOR PRECINCTS To show the results the renewal tactic will have on the CBD itself a location has been chosen from the inner core to show a more detailed design of the tactic after its completion. Therefore the link between the cultural and transportation precinct has been chosen. The location on the one hand has value on the metropolitan scale, indicating the Germiston train station and on the other hand has a lot of value on the city scale with the presence of the Germiston Theater. This makes these precincts, and the route between them an important area to oversee the consequences of this renewal. OWNERSHIP Since a lot of the industries are moving away. The vacant land can be used to house the foreseen new inhabitants. The movement of these company's results in a minimum of forced demolishing RECOVERY VICTORIAN GRID The route between the two precincts comes along the Goldenwalk shopping center, which was mentioned earlier as being refurbished and concentrated on a smaller plot. This contributes to the recovery of the historical Victorian grid, especially the famous diagonal. HERITAGE SITES The location also has some empty heritage sites, which could be used to strengthen the precincts. Beside the iconic ABSA bank (seen on the left page) will be transformed into an eye-catching icon. Figure #064: Detailed design location highlighted

6.0

DESIGN RESULTS OF THE MADE DECISIONS 6.1 INGREDIENTS; 6.2 FUNCTIONS AND PLAN MAP; 6.3 CONNECTING PRECINCTS; 6.4 PHASING STRATEGY; 6.5 SOCIAL MOBILITY; 6.6 POTENTIAL RESULT; After the creation of the alternative vision on the renewal task of the Germiston CBD, this detailed design will show the consequences of the vision in and around the cultural and transportation precinct. It will focus on 3 major aspects: firstly connecting the cultural and transportation precinct. Secondly redevelop and create safe enclose housing facilities to provide safety and thirdly facilitating social mobility. The chapter is closed off by an image of how the location could look like in couple of years.

6.0 6.1 INGREDIENTS CONNECTING PRECINCTS The route between the transportation and cultural precinct should be designed in a balanced and safe way. Along the route different kinds of utilities should be placed to drag people from one place to the other. Safety throughout day and night is very important and should be seen as a top priority. CAR AND BIKE LANES Within the inner core of the CBD some important roads are situated. In the current situation cars use most of the space in the streets. In the new situation some of the main roads are transformed into one-way streets, which makes room for the introduction of bike lanes. These lanes should always be separated from each other. The bike lanes are aimed to connect all major precincts. PEDESTRIAN ROUTES To improve movement between the various segments of the cities inner core well-defined pedestrian routes are introduced. The route, which runs parallel between the two main roads in the southwestern part, lets cars become subservient to pedestrians. The new park and thereby new linkage with the green corridor give inhabitants easy access to the city center from the southern suburbs. EXISITING BUILDINGS AND NEW PLOTS Due to the demolition of the buildings initially belonging to the moving industries, a lot of empty plots appear in the inner core. The therefore newly build housing blocks should cover a full plot in the cities grid structure and should always be aligned in the same straight line to avoid unwanted corners and blind spots. ENCLOSED BLOCKS WITH COURTYARDS To provide the pioneers of the cities inner core with the necessary safety, housing blocks should be build enclosed. In the inner courtyards should be designed with the help of their residents. This will eventually lead to a diverse infill of these green spaces adjusted to their needs. FACILITATING SOCIAL MOBILITY Taking the foreseen target groups, and relatively low land values into account, the CBD could be an ideal location to improve the social mobility of residents, which are currently part of the lower income groups. Providing small steps upward for those who want to improve their lives, could eventually lead to more diverse population in the CBD.

Figure #065: (page 52-53) A view on Meyer street, the future pedestrian street in het center of Germiston, source: Hans Thoolen

1. EXISITING BUILDINGS AND NEW PLOTS

2. ENCLOSED BLOCKS WITH COURTYARDS

3. CAR AND BIKE LANES

4. PEDESTRIAN ROUTES

Figure #066: Exploded view showing main routes, new and existing developments

6.0 6.2 UTILITIES AND PLAN MAP Figure #067: Map of additional functions in the development

LEGEND Educational institute Roofed market Commercial building Cultural building Transportation facility Park Parking garage

ADDITIONAL UTILITIES The added utilities in the developing area are mainly distracted from the desired appearance of the precincts explained in paragraph 5.3. The most significant operation is the redevelopment of the Golden walk mall, and thereby restoring the once blocked part of the cities grid structure. In the north all transportation facilities are adjusted to each other, combined with the Germiston station bazar (in purple on map above) it will become a comprehensive transportation hub. In the middle of the route between the cultural and transportation precinct an educational institute should provide workshops and courses to facilitate craftsmanship and entrepreneurs (see paragraph 6.5 A on "facilitation of entrepreneurs") PLAN MAP The map on the right page shows the created design focusing on the route between the Germiston station in the north and the cultural precinct in the west. In between these two locations a system of open spaces has been created. Each area serves a different function ranging from transit-oriented spaces to the tranquil surroundings of the new city park. The courtyards in the housing blocks show a potential infill; the spaces are designed with their residents and are adjustable at any time (see paragraph 6.5 D on "use of courtyards")

LEGEND Sidewalks and pavement

Block greenery

Block pavement

Main pedestrian routes (different pavement)

Grasses

Station square

Trees

New buildings

Roads

Block urban farming

Iconic buildings

Bike lanes

Bus platform

Existing buildings

Green divider between bikeand car lanes

Informal market areas

Terraces Figure #068: Plan map of the development area

6.0 6.3 CONNECTING PRECINCTS

MAIN PEDESTRIAN ROUTE Defined with different pavement, this route will provide the linkage between the cultural and transportation precinct

GERMISTON STATION SQUARE The square will be mostly open space to enhance transit. Lines on the ground mark the direction to the other precinct

PARK ROAD A section of this street is shown on the right page.

CITY PARK A tranquil place to escape from the cities bustle. Thick plantation is placed along the main transport corridors to enhance the tranquility

GOLDENWALK MALL Refurbished shopping mall combined with housing has a connection to the precincts via the park

ENCLOSED TERRACES At the back of one of the roofed markets terraces provide a spot to taste food from one of the stands

INFORMAL MARKET ZONE In front of the market hall an informal trade zone gives people an alternative. These zones are placed on busy places throughout the CBD

TERRACE SQUARE In front of the Germiston Theater restaurant and cafes provide the necessary ingredients for a night out.

THEATER SQUARE The small are along President street will feature the main entrance of the Theater, it is designed to host premieres and other special occasions

Figure #069: Highlight of the most important connection between the cultural and transportation precinct 58

The eastern sidewalk will become subservient to the other side. Predominantly to decrease the amount of crossings

Cars lanes should become less dominant in the new situation and more often making use of one-way streets

In the existing situation cars would have been predominant in the streetscape. The new situation though, also cyclists and pedestrians should be added to the streetscape to improve the connection for all sorts of movement. This intervention leads to a decrease in the number of car lanes. Cars, cyclist and pedestrians will share this space; to enhance safety cars should be separated from cyclists and pedestrians, this should help to decrease the risks of collisions. In the section above this separation is designed with greenery, to also give the street a greener appearance. The eastern side of the road (west on section) will be subservient to the western side (east on section)

Seperated from the car lanes by greenery, bike lanes will connect the most important locations of the CBD

The western sidewalk will become the main pedestrian route to and from the cultural precinct, the facade will be filled with shops

It will form the main corridor between the two precincts. The pavement on this side is will be wider. On ground level, shops are situated along the route. After business hours, to prevent streets from becoming how they used to be, streetlights, CCTV and houses should help contribute in maintaining safety in the CBD. During the day the presence of shopping public and additional guards should preserve safety. Hopefully this will prevent shop owners from using barbed wire and rolling shutters to maintain their own safety. Figure #070: Section of Park Road, showing the essential part of the connection between the two precincts

6.0 6.4 PHASING STRATEGY PHASE 1

GOLDENWALK MALL

In the first phase of the renewal the street layout should be adjusted to all future users. The routes will only be developed roughly to prevent potential damage during construction activity. Secondly the Goldenwalk shopping mall should be refurbished and densified on a smaller plot then before, leaving room for the construction of the city park and green corridor. At last at certain points empty plots should be filled up with housing to enclose currently open grid blocks.

LEGEND Exisiting buildings Already transformed/ developed buildings Buildings transformed/ developed in particular phase Greenery Informal trade zones

PHASE 2 STATION BAZAR TAXI RANK

After the demolition of the former industrial zones near the station, development of the first renewal section could start. Near Germiston station, the informal taxi rank should be refurbished. By demolishing a section of the Germiston station Bazar, an additional route to the Goldenwalk mall could be put under construction. In return a parking garage will arise on the demolished location, providing parking spaces for daily commuters and visitors of the city. On several places throughout the developing area, informal trade zones will be appointed to provide construction workers with food and goods. Merchants, at their turn, get the opportunity to start earning money, initially providing goods to a different group of people then calculated.

PHASE 3

ROOFED MARKET ROOFED MARKET MARKET HALL

MUSEUM

In the third phase, private owners should be urged to start the refurbishment of their property that border the main routes and squares, focusing on the desired urban character. The roofed markets are opened on several locations, one in the former policlinic facing the park, another next to the taxi rank. Beside the refurbishment of the ABSA-bank will result in the establishment of an iconic market hall. On the opposite side of the street the museum will open simultaneously creating a new hotspot, which will attract people from all over the metropolitan area and tourists. This will eventually lead to an increase of costumers for local merchants and shop owners.

PHASE 4 Eventually streets and squares can get their final layout and furnishing and additional routes are added to the inner core. Furthermore the privately owned properties, beyond the development boundaries, are next in line for regeneration. The refurbishment of these buildings should be left to the private sector, hopefully the finished renewal work along the major routes will trigger owners and developers to refurbish their property. This will be the final step in the renewal of the inner core and has created a city center that is both safe and pleasant to reside in. The additional housing will facilitate residents in their social mobility, which will be discussed in the following paragraph focusing on 4 themes: encouraging entrepreneurship, mobility, housing and use of courtyards.

6.0 6.5 SOCIAL MOBILITY A. COMMERCE; FACILITATING ENTREPRENEURS Figure #071: Map showing the locations of the several types of commercial spaces through the CBD

LEGEND Informal trade location Roofed markets Small commercial units Average + big commercial units

By encouraging entrepreneurship, residents will be able to shape their own future. The CBD can facilitate this by offering rentable commercial units for several types of socio economic groups. This concept is based on the ideology of people investing money they have earned in their own businesses. To provide residents with the necessary skills and craftsmanship, educational facilities should be opened throughout the CBD to facilitate the benevolent people. The entrepreneurial ladder will consists briefly out of 4 steps. Entrepreneurs can hop in at one of these levels and are given the opportunity to evolve their businesses. A STAND IN AN TRADE ZONE On certain bustling places throughout the CBD, such as: at the Germiston station taxi rank, near the Goldenwalk mall or in front of the market hall. These zones are designated to a slightly regulated form of informal trade. On these locations the local authorities should provide merchants with rent-free market stands. Whenever rents are being prompted, merchants will sprawl through the whole CBD and create unclear public spaces. This method of free-rent market stands has already proven its positive influence in several other cities in South Africa.

ROOFED MARKET Merchants who have gained enough money could make the step in renting a market stand in one of the CBD's indoor markets. These roofed markets will be situated around bustling locations too, but attract a slightly different audience. To avoid a monotone offering markets should be appointed in selling specific types of goods. For instance: the introduced market hall should focus its merchandise on providing tourists and other visitors, as this could potentially become an icon for the city. INDOOR SMALL SIZED UNIT At step 3 merchants move into one of the small commercial units on the ground floor of one of the housing blocks. Again attracting another audience. These units are situated just behind the major pedestrian routes, although still situated right in the center of the city. INDOOR MEDIUM SIZED UNIT Whenever shop owners can or want to make the last step on the entrepreneurial ladder, the move to a medium or big sized commercial unit could be made. These units are located along the major pedestrian routes, at the precincts, along the pedestrian shopping street and in the Goldenwalk mall.

B. MOBILITY Figure #072: Map showing the most important routes and existin and added functions in the transportation theme, such as parking spaces and bus and train stations

LEGEND Main roads Bike lanes Main pedestrain routes Other roads and parking

A lot of the new residents will not be able to afford any expensive form of transportation, such as cars. The renewal task in Germiston should therefore keep this in mind and provide the ability to reach every important location in the CBD with a variety of transportation methods. INFORMAL TAXI'S AND PEDESTRIANS For those who do not have a lot of money to spare, well-defined pedestrian routes should connect the major locations with each other. The city already has the capacity over a big variety of informal taxi routes connecting most of the metropolitan area with the CBD. By refurbishing the taxi rank on the east side of Germiston station, the comfort of traveling could be improved.

3. CARS AND LONG DISTANCE PUBLIC TRANSPORT Residents who can afford a car will also be able to reach every location in the CBD after the regeneration. Though residents should be motivated to use alternative forms of transportation within the CBD. In the shown alternative plan, only several housing blocks will have access to parking spaces in their courtyards. Whenever the demand for more parking spaces appears, courtyard could be transformed. Beside the CBD will also provide the necessary long-distance public transportation options to facilitate commuters to Johannesburg, Westrand and Pretoria.

BIKING AND LOCAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT The predominantly flat areas on which Germiston was built, are perfectly suitable for bike use. Bikes are a relatively cheap form of transportation and are a great method to cover short and medium distances, especially in the CBD. Certain hotspots throughout the CBD should feature bike parking areas to enhance use. Appointing guards that ward the bikes could also contribute to a slight decrease in unemployment. Busses, operated by the Ekurhuleni government, should be used to connect the several precincts with each other. The public transport should work together with the existing informal taxi's.

6.0 C. HOUSING Figure #073: Map showing the locations of the different typologies which will be developed in the CBD

LEGEND Private housing units Social housing units Other buildings Iconic or focal buildings

The aim in this renewal approach is to house people from different socio-economic backgrounds together in the CBD. Beside it is important to give residents the ability to eventually climb on the "housing ladder". Therefore the renewal program should facilitate several housing typologies within the CBD. Along the important routes, such as: main roads, the green corridor and park, more expensive houses should be developed, aiming on the middle-income groups. The residual of the blocks will consist out of smaller housing units aimed on the lower income groups. Although these units are not located along the important routes, they are still situated in the inner core. The only exception on this rule is housing elderly. These housing facilities should only be developed along the main routes, since this group could benefit from bustling streets and safe outdoor spaces. Furthermore the conceived "housing ladder" consists out of 4 steps. SMALL SOCIAL AND RDP HOUSING In this development these small social houses and RDP houses are aimed on housing many former shack-residents. Though new residents are advised to evolve themselves in for example: starting an educational course or establish their own business, making uses of the mentioned facilitation of entrepreneurs. To prevent the system from stagnation, families with a certain monthly income should move to a different house, for example in the private sector. This method lets more and more people get profit from the cities conditions. 64

AVERAGE SIZED SOCIAL HOUSING Depending on family sizes or family planning, larger social houses are present. These houses should obtain the same rules and benefits as the before mentioned small social houses. Relatively cheap houses in these circumstances could lead to bigger investment in personal growth, such as: education. SMALL HOUSE IN PRIVATE SECTOR This type of housing is aimed on those families who moved from the social housing sector. More and more young educated South Africans choose for a rental apartment instead of buying a detached house. This trend should be taken into account during the regeneration development of the CBD. MEDIUM/LARGE HOUSE IN PRIVATE SECTOR Aimed on the middle-income groups, a variety of apartments will be available throughout the CBD. This housing type forms the last step on the facilitated "housing ladder". Speaking of this social mobility: Eventually this could potentially become the house of a merchant who initially started selling good at one of the informal trade zones. Hopefully a lot of these stories can be told in a couple of years.

1. STANDARD BLOCK A four storey-residential block should be seen as standard. With 4 levels, buildings do not need an elevator, as a result building costs and rents can stay relatively low. The ground floors should be appointed to commerce.

2. UPRISE Along the main routes through the CBD, an extra two stories will be added to the standard base. Apartments along these routes will be bigger and more luxuries and are focusing on higher income groups.

3. SET BACK To maintain the human scale throughout the plan buildings that are taller then 12 meters should include "set backs". This released space will be used to integrate balconies.

4. FOCAL POINTS On specific locations, such as: important road crossings or at squares, taller buildings should function as focal points. These residential apartment towers will provide guidance through the CBD.

6.0 D. USE OF COURTYARDS Figure #074: Map showing the several types of courtyards in the development

LEGEND Courtyard fully dedicated to cultivation Multipurpose Courtyards Courtyard fully dedicated to recreative functions

To provide the residents with necessary safety in this CBD, enclose housing blocks could be a solution. Within these blocks, courtyards could fulfill several desires. These areas should be designed together with their future users. During this process of design, whishes of all different socio-economic groups, which will reside in the block, should be taken into account. After realizing the desired infill, residents have the freedom to experiment or change the looks of the area as much as they like. In three steps the potential transformation of a courtyard is explained. The three collages on the right page show this process of transformation.

increase social interaction with fellow residents and could make the available soil more profitable.

AS POTENTIAL REVENUE At first courtyard could be used to grow several kinds of fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc. Aimed on reducing costs for groceries, but could also be sold on the streets of the CBD. Fields could be exploited single-handed or collective. The last option could also

DEDICATED TO LEISURE ACTIVITIES Eventually the complete courtyard could be turned into a recreational area with all sorts of functions. In dialogue with all users the open space could be lifted to the first floor to provide necessary parking spaces on the ground level of the building.

COMBINING LEISURE AND REVENUE Overtime, due to socio-economic growth of the residents, the demand for agricultural field and growing crops could flatten. Together with other residents the infill of a section of the courtyard could be changed into a recreational function, using playgrounds, gardens or sitting areas for example. Other residents could keep the agricultural function to their plot, which results in a mixture of functions.

Figure: ## Potential evolution of housing blocks. In the first stage courtyards are used to provide revenue. Eventually the same areas could be transformed into recreational areas, additional parking spaces could be added 66

Figure #075: In the first stage courtyards will primarily be used for agricultural uses

Figure #076: In the second stage the infill of courtyards will be a combination between crop fields and playgrounds and other recreational functions

Figure #077: The third stage fills the courtyards completely with recreational functions and makes them ideal for gathering within the busy city

3. 67

Figure #078: A view on theater square, at the back the Germiston Theater can be seen. On the square several cafes and restaurants are situated. Along the facades shops will guide you to the pedestrian shopping street crossing the square.

7.0 CONCLUSION REVIEW ON MADE APPROACH AND COMPARE TO GEAR 2030 7.1 ADDED DESIGN PRINCIPLES; 7.2 VALUE OF APPROACH; 7.3 RECOMMENDATIONS; Finally the initial task of this graduation project is discussed, the addition of extra design principles to revive the existing renewal program. This chapter, first of all, shows an overview on the most significant added principles. Secondly the value of the described approach and recommendations to the local authorities are discussed.

7.0 7.1 ADDITIONAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES Seventeen weeks ago I started this graduation task, from the beginning the main goal was to add additional design principles, which should revive the existing regeneration program of the Germiston CBD. I have approached this task, by using my "Dutch perspective" and experiences, which could add a valuable new dimension to the existing plan. I have implemented a large part of the current strategy and adjusted some of them to create my alternative strategy, for example: I have implemented the complete design back bone (figure 006, page 10) into my alternative strategy. It differs by only concentrating on the 3 biggest CBD qualities, which were in my opinion important to

use as a base. Eventually additional segments and precincts could be added. This different prespective has lead to the creation of several new design principles, which could help the existing plan putting a next step forward.

1. FACILITATING SOCIAL MOBILITY Formulated as an aim at the beginning of my graduation period, the implementation of social mobility into the design could add significant value to the CBD. Facilitating this mobility on several themes, lets people build their own future. It gives the regeneration beside a spatial, an extra social dimension, which could trigger investors and corporations to participate in the regeneration.

2. DEFINING AND STRENGTHEN CBD'S CHARACTER Taking the current conditions of the CBD into consideration, it is very important to retrieve which parts of the CBD form its current and futurist character. Appointing the three major precincts was a first step in defining it. Beside it is important to consider which areas are functioning properly, referring to the informal trading zones. Nevertheless its character cannot be built, it should be shaped. After the definition those places, additional utilities should be added to these locations to strengthen their position and to enhance their urban character. Those additional utilities should be defined by thinking from its users perspective. Only then one is able to explore which utilities are necessary or desirable on these certain spots in the CBD.

3. RE-USE OF HERITAGE The presence of the cultural and historical elements in the CBD could play a distinctive role in helping to create and shape its character. The cultural relicts not only have its influence on the character of the CBD, but could also have influence on the residents and tourists.

Figure #078: (page 52-53) Germiston station in its current conditions, photo has been taken on December 2nd 2016, source: Hans Thoolen

4. DEFINING PUBLIC SPACES When public spaces are added to a plan, one should always define its potential function during the design process. Gear 2030 adds a significant amount of new public spaces to the CBD, which do not always have an distinctive function. The alternative strategy and design reduces addition of open spaces to a minimum. Public spaces are only added when a distinct function can be assigned.

5. CONCENTRATED APPROACH The alternative approach starts the regeneration concentrating on three major precincts. This inner core will host the majority of utilities and residents. Thereafter renewal should start expanding to other locations in the CBD. The renewed inner core could potentially become a base for all other renewal plans, this could help in making decisions regarding: expansion of utilities, appointing densities or determining housing typologies.

6. INVOLVE AND ENCOURAGE PRIVATE OWNERS DURING FIRST STEPS Since renewal programs have a lot to cope with privately owned real estate, they should be involved in the renewal project from the very beginning. On the one hand to assure buildings, which border the renewal area, can be adopted into the strategy. On the other hand to ensure their real estate will match the desired character and encouraging them to regenerate their own property too.

7.0 7.2 VALUE OF APPROACH AND RECOMMENDATIONS Each and every additional design principles could contribute to an extending quality of the renewal of the CBD. Beside the already mentioned design principles could also be seen as recommendations to the local authorities. The alternative approach will provide potential new insights for already made and future choices. During the past seventeen weeks of working on the regeneration of the Germiston CBD, I have come up with an alternative approach based on my own opinion and perspective. My personal approach has adopted several segments from the existing plan and applies a number of new concepts and adjustments. Despite the fact that the current renewal program is already in use today, my recommendations could still be useful for the further development of the renewal. BUILDING ON EXISTING APPEARANCE The alternative renewal approach takes, like Gear 2030, existing functions as its starting point (referring to the train station, theater and governmental seat). Like the Gear program does, the mentioned functions are transformed into the CBD's main precincts. What makes the alternative approach different from the Gear program, is adopting this method onto the lower scales too. Whereas certain empty buildings are refurbished or transformed into alternative functions, which contribute to the foreseen urban character and precincts itself. The implementation of this approach onto the lower scales prevents the creation of a sham character and reveals existing qualities. STRATEGY ADDAPTABLE TO OTHER CITIES The alternative strategy is perfectly implantable onto other cities in the metropolitan area and beyond. Since the strategy is based on 5 general steps to create a more livable and defined city (center), it does not only apply on Germiston. These steps could provide the necessary step forward in starting several other renewal plans. Theoretically every single city, village, CBD or neighborhood could use this strategy to define their strengths, weaknesses and identity. In Ekurhuleni this could lead to a number of cities, which have a distinguished identity. NON-ECONOMIC APPROACH The Gear 2030 program is the first South African renewal program that combines the regeneration of the CBD with the implementation of at least 30.000 new houses. This has resulted in an approach, which is primarily focused on creating an economic strategy for the renewal. Looking at this task from this angle resulted in designers who where limited in their choices. In my personal strategy I left those numbers behind and looked at the task from a more social angle. Therefore my approach gives an extra dimension to the task. To improve the existing plan even more, one should approach this task from several other viewpoints by, for example, taking sustainability as the startingpoint. Combining all these potential outcomes a whole new dimension is added to the renewal task, whihc could really contribute in making this an even more successful program. Nevertheless, this city cannot be perfectly designed for each and every one by just approaching it from a single point of view. USING GERMISTON AS A TEST SITE Currently Germiston is losing a lot of industries, utilities and land values are on a low level. Despite those negative events, the strategic location of the city within the region could be a great potential. Taken all these facts into consideration combined with the planned renewal, the city could thrive extremely well on identifying itself as the experimental city of South Africa. With the intended new residents, several experimental forms of housing could be tested. The proposed infill of the courtyards in this report could also be seen as a social experiment. Also other themes, such as: new forms of transportation or different approaches on social security could be tested in the city. Despite the current negative image, these interventions could really put Germiston on the map.

REVALUE EXISTING BUILDINGS Since financial resources are scarce, one should more often consider refurbishing existing buildings rather than demolition. Renewal could sometimes be a great alternative for those buildings that are not yet outdated. Beside, the several dilapidated historic relicts need to become part of the regeneration, in the current plans some sights are disregarded and to be demolished. Historic awareness is very important to adopt during the development. Every single one of these artifacts could contribute to the image of the city. Integrating them into one of the foreseen precincts could change their appearance from unwanted into a public attraction in an eyewink. LOOK BEYOND CURRENT CONDITIONS Instead of primarily focusing on the use of existing open spaces to regenerate the CBD, makes the current approach rather sprawled and creates several new enclaves throughout the area without forming the necessary inner core. Watching future trends, such as the movement of the industries to peripheral zones, which leads to a number of possible development plots. Could lead to new insights and renewal strategies. In the alternative strategy those moving industries have played a crucial role in my choice on designing the linkage between the cultural and transportation precinct (see paragraph 5.4 for support of the chosen location) .

SOURCES - LITERATURE - IMAGES

LITERATURE WEBSITES Ekurhuleni statistics (n.d.). Retreived September 11th 2016 http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=1021&id=ekurhuleni-municipality Park, Y. & Chen, A. (2009) Recent Chinese Migrants in small Towns of Post-apartheid South Africa - Retreived September 14th 2016 http://remi.revues.org/4878?lang=en Indians in South Africa (n.d.). Retreived September 14th 2016 http://www.nriol.com/indiandiaspora/southafrica-indians.asp Frith, A. (n.d.). South african census website. Retreived September 1st 2016 https://census2011.adrianfrith.com Frith, A. (n.d.). Cenus dot-maps. Retreived September 21st 2016 https://adrianfrith.com/dot-maps/ The National Upgrading Support Programme. Retreived October 14th 2016 http://www.upgradingsupport.org/content/page/part-1understanding-your-informal-settlements World Bank - Topics/Overview. Retreived October 31st 2016 http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview

LITERATURE PAPERS, ARTICLES AND BOOKS PAPERS Visagie, J. (April 29th 2013) Who are the middle class in South Africa? Does it matter for policy? - Retreived September 7th 2016 http://www.econ3x3.org/article/who-are-middle-class-southafrica-does-it-matter-policy ARTICLES Wainwright, O. (April 30th 2014) Apartheid ended 20 years ago, so why is Cape Town still 'a paradise for the few'? Retreived September 7th 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/ apr/30/cape-town-apartheid-ended-still-paradise-few-southafrica Author unkown, (December 12th 2013) Making downtown less dodgy. Retreived September 19th 2016 http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-andafrica/21569431-cosmopolitan-clean-up-one-big-citys-worstareas-making-downtown-less Jarret, J. (January 30th 2016) Economic inequality in South Africa; A fact of life as the African National Congress continues to advocate failed economic policies. Retreived September 14th 2016 http://www.inquisitr.com/2752636/economic-inequalityin-south-africa-a-fact-of-life-as-the-african-national-congresscontinues-to-advocate-failed-economic-policies/ RDM staff (May 26th 2015) New figures show staggering rate of urbanisation in SA. Retreived September 14th 2016 http://www. rdm.co.za/politics/2015/05/26/new-figures-show-staggeringrate-of-urbanisation-in-sa BOOKS Kusel, A. (September 17th 2009) The South African Urban Renwal Program (URP): Development of rural/urban nodes in the context of migration. Retreived August 29th 2016 UN-Habitat (2009) Global Report on Human Settlements 2009 Planning Sustainable Cities. Retreived August 29th 2016 NASHO & HDA (2013) Reviving Our Inner Cities: Social Housing and Urban Regeneration in South Africa. Retreived August 29th 2016 Donaldson, R., Plessis, D. du, Spocter, M., Massey, R. (November 15th 2011) The South African area-based urban renewal program: experiences from Cape Town. Retreived August 30th 2016 Lester, N., Menguele, F., Karuri-Sebina, G., Kruger, M. (June 2009) Township transformation timeline. Retreived August 29th 2016

Steenkamp, C. (2004) Urban regeneration in a South African context. Retreived August 29th 2016 Engelbrecht, C. (n.d.). People and Places, an overview of urban renewal. Retreived August 31st 2016 Editorial, C. (2009) Township renewal sourcebook. Retreived September 6th 2016 Lehohla, P. (2015) Migration Dynamics in South Africa. Retreived September 9th 2016 Molapo, M., Silimela, Y., Mbanga, S., Orange, M., Mankind, D., Patel, Y., Buthelezi, S. (n.d.). National Urban Renewal Program, Implementation framework Retreived September 6th 2016 Social housing rental housing and the transformation of South African cities (Report back) (November 2010) Retreived September 23rd 2016 Urban Dynamics, EMM Urban Renewal Gear 2030 (August 2010) Retreived August 29th 2016 YER Urban Design Studio, Ekurhuleni Urban Design Policy Framework (n.d.). Retreived September 16th 2016

IMAGES PICTURES USED FOR TIMELINE; PAGE 16-17

Picture Ebenezer Howard; Page: 16 http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/welwyn_garden_city_centenary_ plans_in_motion_1_4550441

Picture Apartheid stairs; Page: 16 https://www.google.nl/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwit397ik6nQAhXMyRoKHTQaC64QjBwIBA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. nairaland.com%2Fattachments%2F2378682_stairs_jpegd56638604893075eaa6481995d0508bb&bvm=bv.138493631,d. ZGg&psig=AFQjCNGBIKKoz2Y37-_u-xj7Q6jdsqwz2g&ust=1479244035839771&cad=rjt Picture Pamflet apartheid; Page: 16 https://espressostalinist.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/poster.gif

Picture Pinelands; Page: 16 http://www.digitalcollections.lib.uct.ac.za/islandora/object/islandora%3A15792/datastream/MEDIUM_SIZE/view

Picture Homelands; Page: 17 http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/data/13030/rs/ ft158004rs/figures/ft158004rs_00009.gif

Picture Johannesburg old; Page: 16 http://ekalatours.com/wp-content/uploads/ekala-eco-toursJHB-139.jpg

Picture Xhosa tribe; Page: 17 http://www.digitalcollections.lib.uct.ac.za/islandora/object/islandora%3A18268/datastream/MEDIUM_SIZE/view

Picture Pretoria old; Page: 16 http://afrikander.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Kerkplein-1900.jpg

Pictures Anti apartheid posters; Page: 17 https://irishelectionliterature.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/trocaireaparteid.jpg

Picture Cape town old; Page: 16 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Cape_ Town_trams,_Adderley_Street,_ca._1900.jpg

http://africasacountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ acoa0217.jpg

Picture Garden city model; Page: 16 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/ Lorategi-hiriaren_diagrama_1902.jpg/250px-Lorategi-hiriaren_diagrama_1902.jpg

Picture Mandela; Page: 17 http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121212042539-mandela-gallery-01--horizontal-gallery.jpg Picture Malan; Page: 16 https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/DaniĂŤl_Francois_Malan#/media/ File:DFMalanPortret.jpg Picture Volksraad Nasionale party; Page: 16 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/af/thumb/8/87/Volksraad_1950.jpg/1000px-Volksraad_1950.jpg Picture Apartheid city; Page: 16 http://geography.name/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/99999.jpg Picture Blanke gebied bord; Page: 16 https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/da/62/da/da62dad0a351cb77c128c65db3704964.jpg

https://www.google.nl/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwiBkICnmKnQAhULWxoKHfdBCLAQjBwIBA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aamarchives. org%2Fbrowse-the-archive%2Fposters.html%3Fdownload%3D6770%3Apo091-apartheid-kills-look-at-the-labels%26start%3D100&psig=AFQjCNH7mU7L88mjeUq-E_jyCTaYcuO0kg&ust=1479245182319279&cad=rjt Picture Cape town new; Page: 17 http://acceleratecapetown.co.za/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Cape_Town_1-918x400.jpg Picture Joburg new; Page: 17 http://www.sothebysrealty.com/localimagereader.ashx?bypassglobalproxy=true&imageurl=siteresources%2Fmy%20folder%2Fimages%2Farticles%2Fjohannesburg-south-africa%2Fjohannesburg-main.jpg Picture Pretoria new; Page: 17 http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/67301567.jpg Picture Mbeki; Page: 17 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/ SthAfrica.ThaboMbeki.01.jpg/200px-SthAfrica.ThaboMbeki.01.jpg

PICTURES SHOWING URP FOCUS POINTS; PAGE 19 Picture Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD); https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Johannesburg_CBD.jpg Picture Johannesburg township Alexandra; http://wanderingcarol.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ One-day-in-Johannesburg-touring-Soweto.jpg Picture Kathlehong (near Spruitview, Ekurhuleni); http://images.enca.com/enca/styles/overlay_image_1280_ or_1024/s3/katlehong.JPG?itok=LOOXgVuR

PICTURES SHOWING HERITAGE SITES; PAGE 36 #043 Picture Germiston court house Google maps #044 Picture commercial building Google maps #045 Picture Lincoln building Google maps #046 Picture Germiston Theater Google maps #047 Picture St. Andrews church Google maps

NOTE: ALL OTHER PICTURES, USED IN THIS REPORT, ARE JUSTIFIED ON THE DISPLAYED PAGE

KAI DEN HOLLANDER GRADUATION REPORT NHTV UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES AUGUST 29TH - DECEMBER 22ND 2016