Boksburg’s landscape is home to many left-over, forgotten, and wasteful spaces which offer no return. This dissertation will explore these elusive landscapes, and through design, breach one of these thresholds. Humans long for refuge. Nature should return. This dissertation explores the theory of ‘liminality’. This theory was used to understand the notions related to event. The application of the ‘liminal’ occur in a transient and a material manner. The three narratives, within this dissertation, that marry this theory are: the ‘cloud’, the ‘wetland’ and the ‘landscape’. The youth culture of Johannesburg seeks release from the quotidian. Can an understated city on the East Rand of Gauteng host a public space that caters for different user groups? Can this public space be appropriated for events? Can this public space supply Johannesburg with a definition for a ‘beach’ in a landlocked city? The architecture is to conjure a sense of liberty and choice within the users and the role of architecture is to create a platform for diversity. The design aims to construct a place where society can re-create itself; where nature can reconcile the damaged environment; and where event can serve to produce ephemeral architecture to make [other\younger\ better\greener] worlds.

Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Urban Design to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Architecture and Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2015 / This research report demonstrates how an enabling framework can be applied as a means to address morphological issues in a manner that also fulfils certain existing urban policy objectives. The aim of the research is to assess the extent to which an enabling framework applied in this way can create environments that are in line with the core values of the urban design profession. The morphological issues in question are primarily due to the continued existence of the railway lines in the middle of the Johannesburg CBD. The policies in question, presented in the form of spatial development frameworks (SDFs), are those of the City of Johannesburg (COJ) and the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG). The enabling framework is an approach to settlement making that is characterised by three aspects. The first is its end product, a movement-oriented spatial framework known as the organising concept. The second aspect is the enabling framework’s open ended approach, which holds that the city is an act of will: that a city can be shaped proactively by a single idea and that the idea need not be detailed in order for it to be applied. Lastly, the enabling framework is distinct in its understanding of participation, which is described as democratic feedback: an infinite number of responses to the organising concept that includes even the production of alternate plans. It is argued in this report that these three aspects of the enabling framework align well with the existing policy context in Johannesburg, where there is emphasis on spatial planning (with a strong transport component), on an open ended approach, and on participatory approaches to planning. The report assesses the extent to which the application of the enabling framework in this context can create an environment that espouses urban design principles. This is done in three steps: demonstrating how an enabling framework is constituted and how it may be applied; demonstrating possible responses to it; and then evaluating these responses on the basis of imageability (Lynch, 1975) and responsiveness (Bentley et al, 1985). In general, the findings from this assessment indicate that enabling frameworks may be more effective at addressing imageability than they are at creating responsiveness.

Abstract: Access (the modern paradox): Borders, much like Architecture, can be described in one of two ways. The one is the simple way, and the other a more complex – but unsettling – way that is open to contradiction. On the surface, a border is a threshold or boundary that constrains the separation of two or more entities. Yet, the more complex understanding is harder to define and because of that it requires limitations, or a different point of view to be able to comprehend. In the case of defining architecture, it can be seen that Architecture is: the art and science of building. Although, this isn’t actually the case, if it was the case practicing Architecture and designing buildings would be easy. There is a complex, more pluralistic way of interrogating Borders and Architecture. Put simply, borders define themselves in the eye of their user. This means that a border to a sociologist, or anthropologist, will be read in a completely different way to an engineer, or will be read differently by a geographer to an immigrant. It becomes obvious that there can never be a complete, all encompassing understanding of what a border is, or can be. A border will always be limited in one way or another, and will always be contested once it has been mapped on to paper. Could there possibly be a way to subvert, dilute or transgress a border or the notion of a border though architecture? Is there an architectural intervention, either physical or metaphysical, that could take on the role of the subversive, dilutor or transgressor? Can a border become actionable and create a place of ACCESS? / MN (2016)

A Masters dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of the Master of Commerce (Marketing) in The School of Economic and Business Sciences, at the University of the Witwatersrand. DECEMBER 2015 / Tourism has become one of the most significant export sectors in many developing countries and is purported to be the most viable and sustainable economic option, and in some of these (developing) nations, the main source of foreign exchange returns. It is therefore incumbent on destinations to effectively differentiate themselves especially when considering the increasingly competitive nature of tourism markets and an environment where many places that present similar features are becoming substitutionable. Contemporary urban development literature stresses the significance of place branding as an asset in the effective differentiation and positioning of places. It is noted that while many sources viewed the three main target markets for place branding as companies, visitors and residents, the role of the resident was limited to passive beneficiary as opposed to one of active engagement. Given the pervasion of the “staycation” and the concurrent rise in popularity of the Braamfontein Precinct, this paper will investigate the influence that place branding has had on the region’s perceived image by those within the precinct. Self-administered structured surveys were distributed electronically and using the street-intercept method to individuals aged 18 – 35, who were in the Braamfontein Precinct. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were examined. Path Modeling, Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were also carried out in order to further analyse the data. The findings with regard to presented city brand, city brand equity and city brand meaning having a positive relationship with city brand image were both supported and significant at a 5% level of confidence. The findings with regard to city brand awareness having a positive relationship with city brand image were insignificant and consequently rejected. The study presents that investment in the presented city brand that goes beyond marketing communications to include city brand properties such as facilities, scenery, heritage and transport (amongst other amenities) will result in a favourable city brand image. It is also important that regional managers do not take a unilateral approach on deciding on a brand meaning but rather a consultative one that will result in involvement and ultimately investment from the various stakeholders. Additionally, the generation of curiosity and interest in the city brand is vital to encouraging customer involvement with the precinct. Digital marketing tools can be employed in this regard; online and search advertising can be used to raise awareness. Finally, social media can be used for customer generated content, allowing for both participation on the consumers’ part and insights on the part of the regional management. This allows for engagement with consumers and provides branding opportunities for the region. / MT2017

Traditionally the high street serviced residents in the local suburb. The proliferation of entertainment and leisure activities on the high street in suburban Johannesburg has appealed to people in the broader region. These social spaces within the suburb provide a simultaneous interaction of individuals who can carry out their daily activities of shopping, dining and socializing and essentially has contributed to these high streets being successful destination points. Patrons, the foot traffic of the high street, sustain businesses on the high street. Some business owners neglect to implement city by-laws and comply with licensing regulations often perpetuating unfavourable circumstances for residents in the suburb. Noise, petty crime and parking constraints detract from the street's allure. Alternatively, some residents enjoy easy access to the street's activities. Using a mixed method research approach, this research reveals some of the perceptions, regulations and tensions regarding the prominence of entertainment and leisure activities on the high street. Three case studies (7th Street in Melville, 4th Avenue in Parkhurst and Rockey/Raleigh Street in Greater Yeoville) are explored to evaluate the role of entertainment and leisure on the suburban high street.

A Master’s research project submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in GIS and Remote Sensing. Johannesburg, 2017. / Recent initiatives by the city of Johannesburg to increase non-motorised transport through the installation of bicycle infrastructure were conducted without consulting the cycling preferences of the public. This study distributed a cycling preference survey, achieving fair reliability using the weighted Kappa statistic, in which potential users indicated the most important spatial factors for ideal cycling routes through Likert-scale answers. Importance rankings derived by Likert sums were combined with variability-explaining rankings derived by modified principal component analysis using polychoric correlation coefficients to produce a final list of retained spatial variables. These variables were quantified using secondary spatial data sets which were dichotomized into Boolean operators for network attributes in ArcGIS Network Analyst. The solved routes using the spatial factors derived by survey respondents were significantly different from the simple shortest-path routes between pre-defined origin and destination nodes. Shortcomings in the directness of the solved routes qualify their use as an initial step for non-motorised transport planning rather than a strict, unmodifiable route for bicycle lanes. Further experimentation with higher quality spatial data, custom routing algorithms, and a larger survey population may yield improved results in the future. The incorporation of local cyclists and future cyclists are a key factor in bicycle route design that should be included in non-motorised transport planning. / LG2018

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Science Faculty (Geology), 1965 / The geology of the Johannesburg area is extremely diverse in its engineering aspects. A geological and soil map can therefore be of great assistance in planning detailed site investigations that must be carried out before the foundations of a building can be designed. [No abstract provided. Information taken from introduction] / WS2017

Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Architecture (Professional) to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Architecture and Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017 / Every society must accommodate death. For this reason, the mortuary provides a vital service in the twenty-first century city, as it caters for the effects of unexpected death on individuals and society. In Johannesburg, South Africa, the city’s main mortuary currently functions in outdated and insufficient facilities, even though this urban centre has one of the highest death rates on the continent. An exploration of the Johannesburg Mortuary’s physical context and urban history reveals that this area remains fundamental to Johannesburg City’s health infrastructure and understanding of unnatural death. In addition, a theory study explores the influential ideas surrounding the mortuary typology at large. Here, three aspects are considered: the institutional role, the emotional role, and the spiritual role of the mortuary. Although the important medical and legal needs of state are acknowledged, this paper argues that the mortuary must also cater for the emotions of mourners and mortuary employees. In addition, the mortuary must seek to address death’s spiritual significance through an architectural expression of “liminality,” a concept that represents the transitional moment of death. Equipped with an understanding of the Johannesburg Mortuary’s physical, historic and theoretical contexts, this paper pursues an architectural response. The project’s final design represents the findings of this paper’s theory investigation, as applied to the chosen study site in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. Instead of perceiving the mortuary as an institutional barrier, the mortuary is designed as a bridge; the living are linked to the dead while they are held in a state of transition. / GR2017

M. Tech. Architectural Technology / This research project focuses on determining the costs involved in applying energy efficient green technologies and sustainable principles to Johannesburg's existing commercial building stock. Although South Africa is committed to contributing toward greenhouse gas reduction in terms of the Kyoto Protocol, such contribution unfortunately occurs at a slow pace. Although the current built environment is identified as a key element in the mitigation of climate change, developers and building owners argue that the associated costs remain the largest drawback. Retrofitting existing buildings to meet green standards could significantly contribute to mitigating climate change.

The apartheid Johannesburg was built on spatial divisions, uneven development was undertaken literally to ensure that whites and blacks were to live apart from each other. In the post-apartheid Johannesburg, uneven development persists, though no longer solely based on racial differences. These spatial divisions, as they did under apartheid, reinforce existing structures of the privileged, which mutually reinforce the system of spatial, economic and social exclusion, particularly for the unemployed poor. In the light of the continuation of this urban form, the study aimed to show that people are not unemployed only because there are no jobs generally available to people lacking marketable skills, as primarily argued by most researchers; but also because there is a strong correlation between unemployment and the spatial distribution of employment opportunities within the Johannesburg city. The study also aimed to test the applicability of various theories imported from USA and Europe, which are generally used to explain urban problems in South Africa, through identification of possible areas of contention. In attempt to explain the continuation of the apartheid urban form by the current government policy, the study adopted qualitative data collection techniques focusing on literature studies, documentary, personal observation and the design of a theoretical framework Based on the theoretical framework, the study came to the conclusion that the preoccupation with compact city development to eradicate the effects of uneven development and urban unemployment in Johannesburg is misdirected. It has revealed the need for the government to explore how best to improve the circumstances of low-income households in condition of urban sprawl. The outcome of the study in relation to uneven development is that, although Johannesburg exhibits apartheid patterns of racial oppression and exploitation, in post-apartheid South Africa, Johannesburg is characterized by structural inequality driven by two income gaps: between an increasingly multiracial middle class and the rest; and between the African urban working class and the African unemployed and marginalized poor. In this context, uneven development in Johannesburg can no longer be explained solely by race. High levels of intra-racial inequality, especially among the African population, mean that there are other social forces at work. The study also found that there has been the steady relocation of economic activities to the southern part of Johannesburg, particularly in Soweto. And that the vast majority of new households in Johannesburg are settling in and on the edges of existing townships, most often on the outer edges, mainly because of the informal housing and government's subsidised housing. Nonetheless, these developments continue to perpetuate the apartheid legacy of uneven development. According to the conclusion of the study there is evidence to suggest that employment accessibility within different population groups is largely caused by spatial factors, such as employment decentralisation and residential segregation. / Development Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)