The overall aim of our study in South Africa has been to make proposals about
the future land use of Helenvale, a degraded township north of Port Elizabeth.
The intention has been to create a dense housing area with high accessibility
and well functioning public facilities and public transport. This includes
analyzing the area’s building structure, internal and external connections and
linkages, nodes for services and public transport, greenery and public spaces.
A proposal was then made about the future land use and development. It also
includes making suggestions on a smaller scale of the spatial layout of streets
and blocks within the area. The focus of our proposal has been how to increase
the density of Helenvale, to improve the spatial linkages and public transport
and to create defined public spaces and facilities. The final part of the
project presents two individual proposals on a smaller and more detailed scale.
We have each focused on different neighborhoods within the area and suggested a
future land use.
The first step of our project has been to study the different policies and
documents established by the municipality. This was essential in understanding
the planning issues they are dealing with and their intentions for the future
development for different parts of the municipality. These documents have also
had a significant impact on our proposal. Information about the physical
structure of Helenvale was collected during our two months of field work in the
township through inventory and interviews with residents. We studied the
existing physical environment of housing, public space and connections within
the area and to the surroundings. Another important part of the inventory was
to make observations concerning public life and social activities.
To analyse the structure of Helenvale we have studied different methods and
theories of Kevin Lynch, Jane Jacobs and Jan Gehl. We also did a SWOT-analysis
to identify conflicts of interest and needs of the area as well as
possibilities and potential opportunities. Based on own observations, the
different methods, inventory made in the area, interviews with residents and
the muni...
