More than Just Lines on a Map: Best Practices for U.S Bike Routes
Graduation Thesis TU Delft
1. C A P E T O W N - S O U T H A F R I C A
REINFORCING THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE CITY
CREATING A NEW POWERFUL CENTRALITY
2. C A P E T O W N - S O U T H A F R I C A
REINFORCING THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE CITY
CREATING A NEW POWERFUL CENTRALITY
Graduation thesis for the MSc Urbanism CONTACT:
By Annemarie Brinksma Annemarie Brinksma - anbrinksma@hotmail.com
February 2009
Studio SPACELAB
Research laboratory for the contemporary city
MENTOR TEAM:
Dr. Ir. S.A. Read Urban Renewal & Management
Ir. A.G. Vollebregt Urban Renewal & Management
Ir. W.G.A. Hermans Urban Design
Ir. R.G.P. van den Berg Metropolitan and Regional Design
EXTERNAL COMMITTEE:
Dr. Ir. M.C. Stellingwerff
To be submitted to the Department of Urbanism, Urban Transformation laboratory, Spacelab studio at the Delft University of
Technology, as one of the requirements for the fullfillment of the degree of Master of Science in Architecture, Urbanism, and Department of Urbanism
Building Sciences, specialized in the field of Urbanism. Delft University of Technology
3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This thesis forms the end result of my graduation project
‘Cape Town - Reinforcing the Eastern edge of the city, cre-
ating a new powerful centrality’. I am very grateful that the
Spacelab studio offered me (and my Spacelab colleagues) to
work on the beautiful city of Cape Town.
The working process would not become towards a succesful
completion without my mentors Stephen Read, Willem Her-
mans, Rogier van den Berg and Alexander Vollebregt. Thank
Stella you for all the criticism, support and advise during my work-
Alex Anthony
ing process! Martijn Stellingwerf, thank you to be the exter-
Annemarie nal committee for our Cape Town group at the P2, P4 and the
P5 presentations. The people who made it possible for us to
go on the field trip to Cape Town and also the people from
Cape Town who helped us during our field trip in Cape Town,
Liliane thank you!
Shu Duo
Wei I would also like to thank my Spacelab collegueas (Duo, Lil-
Sigit iane, Santi, Shu, Sigit, Stella, Wei and Winonah) for all the mo-
Santi Winonah ments we worked, discussed and spent together. We worked
together on the first parts of the city analyses and research,
we went together to Cape Town, we worked on the African
Perspectives Exhibition and we went out for dinner after the
hard working periods.
Further more I would like to thank my parents that they
made it possible for me to do this Urbanism master at the TU
Delft after completing my bachelor study at the Hanzehoge-
school Groningen, and for their mental support during this
complete process.
Andries, last but not least I would like to thank you for your
support and patience during this whole process. I know it
was not easy to live with me, I was always busy with this proj-
ect!
4. CONTENT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CONTENT
PREFACE 9
INTRODUCTION 13
PROBLEM DEFINITION 35
CAPE TOWN 2050 43
STRATEGY 51
DESIGN 79
REFLECTION 147
BIBLIOGRAPHY 161
APPENDIX
Theory Paper - Cities: movement and connection
5. PREFACE
The infrastructure network and urban development are two
factors which can not be seen separately if it comes to the
development of cities . City development always start along
important rivers, harbour, railway lines and roads and these
first patterns are mostly still visible within these cities. Cape
Town is not an exception within this, the development of the
city started with a settlement around the harbour and the
later expansion of the urban areas are located along impor-
tant roads. Later on during the Apartheid period (1948-1994),
the government forced the coloured and black people to live
separately from the white people within townships. The rail-
way network was very important for these people as a main
mode of transport. After the downfall of this Apartheid gov-
ernment, the railway line is still important for the inhabitants
of the townships to move within the city and the station lo-
cations became also very important to locate activities.
An infrastructure network within a city also identifies how
attractive a location, or even the city itself, can be to settle for
companies and residents. A good connection with the higher
and lower scale infrastructure network is essential to make a
location attractive, not only for the surrounding neighbour-
hood but also for the bigger region. A location without these
good connections are not attractive and will stay behind.
The effect of the current infrastructure network within Cape
Town is that there are powerful attractive areas along im-
portant infrastructure lines and nodes, but also unattractive,
almost empty areas with a bad connection towards the rest
of the city. How to deal to make these empty unattractive ar-
eas attractive? Will a change within the infrastructure system
help to get such an area within the picture to locate activi-
ties?
The development process of such a project will take decades,
and the development of Cape Town is very unpredictable.
This thesis will give a handout towards the people who will
be involved with the realisation of this project, with the most
important ingredients included to make this a succesful in-
tervention.
10 11
7. CAPE TOWN LOCATED
Africa
Continent
30.221.532 km2
922 million inhabitants
South Africa
Country
1.221.037 km2
44,8 million inhabitants
Western Cape
Province
129.370 km2
4,8 million inhabitants
Cape Town
City
2.499 km2
2,9 million inhabitants
14 15
10. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CAPE TOWN
N1
N7
1800-1850
1650-1683 Great Trek and the Gold rush create first
Arrival of the Dutch 1652 National roads to the east
1683-1700
French men arrived 1688 1850-1900
Wine industry flourished First railway 1862
The urbanisation development of East London
Cape Town started in 1652 with the Port Elizabeth
arrival of the Dutchman Jan van Rie-
beeck and his men at the port. It is
clear from the historical maps that
Cape Town developed through the N2
centuries, towards the Southern and
Eastern direction along important
infrastructure lines.
During the Apartheid period (1948-
1994), the government forced the 1700-1750 1900-1948
black and coloured people to live
separate from the white people, and
moved these people towards new
townships in the Cape Flats.
Cape Flats
After the downfall of the Apartheid
government in 1994 everybody is al-
lowed again to live where they want,
but the effects of the Apartheid peri-
od are still very visible in Cape Town. 2000
1750-1800 1948-1994
20 British take over the Cape in 1788 Apartheid period 21
11. DEMOGRAPHIC FIGURES ETHNICITY AND MOBILITY
Total: 2,9 million inhabitants Ethnicity distribution White Car
White Black Train
Coloured
Black
Coloured Bus and minibus
Source: South African National Census, 2001 population number population density
From the demographic figures it is clear that
there is still a big distinction in where people
The latest demographic statistics, which
from different races live, which is still an ef-
are known at this moment, are from 2001.
fect from the apartheid period. The white
Cape Town had 2,9 million inhabitants, but
‘banana’ is the area where government and
the number of inhabitants grow very fast
companies want to invest in. The black zone
and the assumption is that this number has
is still a zone of poverty without many invest-
already grown.
ment of government and companies (David
Schmidt during his lecture in Cape Town)
Around half of the population in Cape STATISTICS :
Town has a coloured ethnicity (48,1%). The MODE OF TRANSPORTATION TO WORK/ SCHOOL BY ETHNICITY
This is also visible in the circumstances where
highest population number lives in the
people live in and the mode of transport
Cape Flats, where also the highest popula- White Coloured Black
they use to go to work and school. From the
tion density can be found.
statistics and our trip to Cape Town, we see
By car as a driver 183562 104411 16545
that white people use the car as their main
The highest unemployment can be found By car as a passenger 90625 113759 29614
mode of transport. The coloured people
back within the black townships. This is an By minibus/taxi 6300 118462 57668
use the bus and minibus/ taxi as their main
effect of that the most of the people have By bus 6745 60989 49882
mode of transport. The black people use the
a low education degree, or even don’t have
train as their main mode of transport, which By train 10616 87983 96351
an education degree.
is also the cheapest mode of transport in
ethnicity employment rate Cape Town. source: http://web.capetown.gov.za/eDocuments/Mode_of_Transport_(City_-_2001_Census)_2272003115321_364.htm
22 23
12. N1 MOVEMENT PATTERNS - BY CAR
As we already saw from the numbers, the
white people use the car as their main
mode of transport to move within the
city. The car gives them freedom to go
where they want, and to avoid places
where they don’t want to go. Their main
destinations are shown in the map on the
left page, and contain the locations of the
offices where they work, the shopping
mall for their goods and the golf course
or other sport facilities where the white Source: www.safarinow.com/destinations/south-africa/
people in participate. map.spx?a=3002&skin=49
TOWARDS:
The main roads used by car drivers, are
the highways and the metropolitan roads
to go fast from A to B. The N1 highway is
also an important connection towards
Johannesburg, and the N2 goes along
the coast to the North-East of South Af-
rica. The N2 is also an important migra-
tion route towards Cape Town from other
parts of South Africa and other countries
M4 in Africa. The metropolitan road M4 is an
important route from the city centre to-
wards the Southern suburbs.
N2
24 25
13. MOVEMENT PATTERNS - BY TRAIN
The black people are the main users of
the trainsystem in Cape Town. They go
to their work with the train, and choose
this mode of transportation because it
is the cheapest public transport mode.
It is also the most unsafe mode of public
transport, because there is a relative high
number of crime within the trains. The
train is a very rigid system and can bring
the passengers only from station to sta-
tion, from where the passengers have to
walk or take another kind of public trans- Source: www.sa-transport.co.za/trains/maps/SA-Railmap3.
pdf
port to reach their destination.
TOWARDS:
Most of the trainusers come from
Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain and travel
to Epping Industria, Bellville and the City
Centre where they work. These people
work mostly in a factory or have an infor-
mal market stall at important infrastruc-
ture nodes. Claremont and Wynberg are
important station locations to do shop-
ping at the informal market.
Montague Gardens is also a township
where black people live, and these peo-
ple also use the train towards their work
or shopping location.
Epping Industria
26 27
14. MOVEMENT PATTERNS - BY BUS AND MINIBUS
TOWARDS:
The coloured people are the main users
of the bus and minibus/taxi system. The
system is more flexible than the trainsys-
tem, although every bus and minibus has
its own route scheme. The scheme covers
many areas from the city and the system
is faster in comparison with the train, if
you have to you somewhere without a
trainstation. Travelling with the bus and
minibus is more expensive than travel-
ling with the train.
The bus and minibus uses all scales of the
road system, and allow people to move
quite flexible through the city to go to
their work, to family and friends, to do
shopping and go to places where they
can recreate.
28 29
15. FORMAL AND INFORMAL ACTIVITIES
The infrastructure network is an important factor
for the location of activities. From our research,
before going to Cape Town and during the trip
in Cape Town, we can see that activities are lo-
cated along important infrastructure lines and
infrastructure nodes like streets and train sta-
tions. These lines and nodes are connected with
the higher and lower scale infrastructure net-
work, which makes these locations interesting for
people from the neighborhood and people from
other parts of the city.
There are different scales of activities within the
city, from neighborhood scale to city scale and
even regional scale. The location of the activities
and the connection with the different scales of
the infrastructure network are important factors
for people to visit the activity location. Activities
along a middle scale road with good connections
to smaller scale roads and higher scale roads will
be visited sooner by people from other parts of
the city, than when an activity is located along a
local road or square with less connections to the
higher scale infrastructure network.
30 31
16. CENTRALITIES
A cluster of different activities has the possibility to grow out
as a centrality. The location along the ‘right’ infrastructure
lines is very important for a successful centrality, also the con-
nectivity throughout the different scales of networks and the
movement process from the visitors within the area.
The most important centralities recognised during the trip in
Cape Town are:
BELLVILLE
- City Centre
- Claremont and Wynberg
- Voortrekker Road
- Bellville
- Athlone
VOORTREKKER ROAD - Gugulethu, Philippi, Nyanga
- Mitchells Plain
- Khayelitsha
CITY CENTRE
These centralities are all different from each other in scales
and with different kind of activities, but they are all very im-
ATHLONE
portant for their visitors.
GUGULETHU, PHILIPPI, NYANGA
CLAREMONT & WYNBERG
KHAYELITSHA
MITCHELLS PLAIN
32 33
18. MONOCENTRAL -> POLYCENTRAL
Cape Town is a very monocentral city at this moment,
with the city centre as the most powerful centrality. Other
centralities are already there, but to speak about a shift to-
wards a polycentral city is too early. Most of the centralities
are local orientated, and it is hard to turn them into larger
scale centralities within the current system. To make Cape
Town a polycentral city, it is necessary that centralities be-
come attractive to visit for people from other areas and
larger scale orientated.
Monocentral with other centralities not very visible Polycentral with equal centralities
36 37
19. INFRASTRUCTURE ORIENTATION
As already concluded before, activities and cen-
N1
tralities are located along important infrastruc-
ture lines and nodes. The metropolitan road and
railway structure in Cape Town has now a very
radial orientation towards the city centre, visible
in the small pictures. The city centre is from his-
torical reasons the most important location in
the city and many people work there.
The most important road lines, the N1, N2 and M4
N2
M4 are all orientated towards the city centre.
Centralities and activities along Many car users go there to work and to do their
important infrastructure lines shoppings.
The railway line also has a radial orientation at
this moment. Passengers from Khayelitsha and Car
Mitchells Plain always have to go first in the di-
rection of Epping Industria to go somewhere
else in Cape Town, this causes a long traveltime
and travel distance. The trains from the direction
of Claremont and Wynberg go in the direction of
the city centre, which is also the case with trains
from te direction of Bellville.
There is no real orientation visible within the bus
and minibus scheme,, because these systems
use the medium and small scale roads between
and in neighborhoods.
Train
38 Bus & minibus 39
20. DEVELOPMENT OF CENTRALITIES
BELLVILLE
KHAYELITSHA
No good infrastructure connection between Bellville and Khayelitsha
An effect of the radial infrastructure system in Cape Town is that there are holes in the
urban development, the development of activities and the development of centrali-
ties.
The most important hole in the infrastructure system can be found back within the
Eastern edge of Cape Town. The middle scale road system is not strong enough and
don’t have good connections with smaller scale roads, which is a reason for compa-
nies to not locate there.
Another factor is that there is not a good North- South infrastructure line beween
Bellville and Khayelitsha. A strong infrastructure node like a station, is missing in the
area and stations are also important locations for companies.
40 41
22. CAPE TOWN 2050
Cape Town will make in the period between now and 2050
a definitive shift from a monocentral city orientated on the
city centre, towards a polycentral city with more strong
centralities. These centralities will become visible within
the city and more equal to the city centre, and possibilities
needs to be created for the development of new centrali-
ties.
44 45
23. CAPE TOWN 2050
The polycentral city of Cape Town in 2050 will give many pos-
sibilities for the development of new centralities. There is a
gap at this moment in the urban development and the de-
velopment of centralities at the Eastern edge of Cape Town.
The development of Cape Town towards a polycentral city
will give the area at the Eastern Edge of Cape Town a chance,
with possibilities for the development of new activities there
around a new inportant North-South infrastructure corridor
and urban development around these activities, to grow out
as a new powerful centrality.
46 47
24. CAPE TOWN 2050
To reach the goal of a polycentral Cape Town in The road network at the Eastern Edge has
2050, there need to become a shift in the infrastruc- some important gaps, and there is also
ture orientation. Nowadays, the orientation of the a North-South railway line missing. With
infrastructure network is radial towards the city strengthening the network, nodes and
centre. To give the Eastern edge of Cape Town the streets will become attractive for people and
possibilities to develop a new centrality there, the companies to locate there.
grid has to be strenghtened and completed there.
48 49
26. MAIN INTERVENTION
The main intervention for the realization of a stronger Eastern
edge of Cape Town is to create two North-South railway lines.
The Eastern railway line between Khayelitsha and Bellville will
be realized first. This railway line has as a goal to work as a cor-
ridor for urban development.
The railway line between Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha is an
old cargo line, but this one will get a new life and will be made
suitable for public transport and become connected to the ex-
isting railwayline towards Mitchells Plan and Khayelitsha.
MITCHELLS PLAIN - BELLVILLE
KHAYELITSHA - BELLVILLE
52 53
27. CURRENT SITUATION
The big problem of the current connection between
Bellville and Khayelitsha is that passengers always
have to change train at Bontheuwel station. The Bellville
transfer time of 4 à 5 minutes at Bontheuwel station
when passengers going from Khayelitsha to Bell-
ville is a normal time for people go change trains.
When passengers going from Bellville to Khayelit-
sha the transfer time at Bontheuwel station is 16
minutes, which is quite long. The travelling distance
over this route is around 40 kilometers, however the
straight distance between Bellville and Khayelitsha
is around 14 kilometers. This is a big difference and Bontheuwel 24 min
for the passengers between Bellville and Khayelit-
sha, it would be better if the travelling time and dis- 22 min
tance can become shorter.
4 à 5 min transfer time
16 min transfer time
Khayelitsha - Bellville: 1 hour and 2 minutes
Bellville - Khayelitsha: 1 hour and 9 minutes
Travel distance: around 40 km
33 min
31 min
Khayelitsha
54 55
28. AMOUNT OF TRAIN USE PER DAY - SITUATION 2006
TO CAPE TOWN FROM CAPE TOWN
Station No. of Boarding Station No. of Boarding
Passengers All Day Passengers All Day
Philippi 16 151 Cape Town 59 316
Nonkqubela 14 940 Mutual * 28 173
Khayelitsha ** 14 666 Salt River * 23 230
Metrorail train
Bellville Nolungile 14 566 Bonteheuvel 20 920
Bellville * 13 608 Bellville * 15 744
Langa 12 404 Maitland 13 647
Nyanga 11 482 Langa 11 189
Heideveld 11 325 Pinelands * 10 310
Retreat 9 630 Woodstock 8 623
Mitchells Plain 9 233 Philippi 7 192
TOTAL 128 005 TOTAL 198 344
Nolungile
* Stations where passengers board trains after transferring from other trains
Nonkqubela
** In the morning peak, many passengers board to the train to Cape Town at Nonkqubela and Nongile travel-
Khayelitsha ling in the direction of Khayelitsha in order to secure a seat. They remain seated when the train turns around at
Khayelitsha, thus disording the number of passengers boarding at all three stations.
Source: Public transport plan, draft for public consultation, June 2006
The current railway system in Cape Town is the commuter rail. This is a rail service between central busi-
ness districts and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis.
The trains providing such services may be termed commuter trains (source: wikipedia - metrorail). The
stations from Khayelitsha and Bellville can be found back in the top 10 from the biggest number of pas-
sengers per day who go in the direction of Cape Town for work or other aims. During the morning peak
(between 6.00 -9.00) 41% of the total amount of trainusers will go to their destination, and during the
afternoon peak (16.00 - 19.00) 32% of the total amount of train users will return to their home destination
( public transport plan, June 2006, pg 36). This means that there can occur overcrowding in the trains dur-
ing these peak hours.
56 57
29. ASSUMPTION OF THE AMOUNT OF TRAIN USE PER DAY
Bellville
Amount of passengers per day towards Cape Town (2006): 13 608
Amount of passengers per day towards other directions (2006): 15 744
Bellville
Approximately 5 000* passengers per day will use the new light rail system. In Bell-
ville, car use is the main mode of transport between home and work.
Bellville station is a station where train users transfer between trains to go to their
destination, so the assumption is that the passengers from Bellville will be people
who come from other areas.
Khayelitsha
Khayelitsha
Total amount of passengers per day (2006): 44 172
The amount of passengers from Khayelitsha will become doubled to approximate-
ly 90 000* passengers per day, when the new sytem is ready for use. Within the area
between Bellville and Khayelitsha, there will be more job opportunities created for
people with a low education grade.
* These numbers are assumptions, it is hard to say how many people will actually use
the new system when it is realized
Source current numbers: Public transport plan, draft for public consultation, June 2006
58 59
30. TRAVEL DISTANCE AND TRAVEL TIME OVER THE NEW RAILWAY TRACK
When the new railway lines are
ready to operate, the traveltime
and distance for passengers be-
tween Khayelitsha/ Mitchells
Plain and Bellville will become
significant shorter, from around
40 km to around 17 km. The dis-
tance between Khayelitsha and
Bellville, when travelling over
the former airport line, will be
a bit longer. These lines all offer
a North-South connection with
high potentials for development
around the stations.
MITCHELLS PLAIN - BELLVILLE
around 18,5 km -> 35-40 min
KHAYLITSHA - BELLVILLE
around 21 km -> 40 - 45 min
KHAYLITSHA - BELLVILLE
around 17 km -> 35 min
60 61
31. RAILWAY TRACK PROJECTED IN THE METROPOLITAN INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK
Railway tracks will be realized in two phases:
phases: Public transport system : hybrid lightrail
Factsheet hybrid lightrail system
Eastern Railway track start: 2010 Lightrail is faster than a tram, but less heavy
Average speed: 30 km/h Western Railway track start: 2030 and cheaper than a train (wikipedia)
System length: to 40 km
Maximum capacity: 6 000 persons / hour in one direction Hybrid lightrail has a higher average speed
and involves adjustments enabling the vehi-
Source: Bach, B 2006, Urban design and traffic - a selection from Bach’s toolbox cles to share the traditional railway line and
railway safety systems locally.
The new railway lines will play an impor-
tant role within the metropolitan rail-
waysystem, an extension is possible from
Khayelitsha towards Somerset West. The
new railwaylines will become the first
where the lightrail train will run over.
The system length is good, but the trains
might become overcrowded during the
peak hours.
The building process of the Eastern rail-
way line will start in 2010 and the railway
line gets elevated, because it is not un-
thinkable that heavy trains will take over
in the future. The pedestrians in the area
can walk safely on ground floor level, and
the train is no barrier for crossing the rail-
way track. The space under the railway
track can be left open, but shops can
also located there. The rebuilding of the
former airport railway line will start after
2030, when the airport is moved towards Example of lightrail trains from the RandstadRail in NL
Source: wikipedia
the Northernside of Cape Town.
A possibility for expansion of the new railway line is to continue the railway
Railway will be elevated track from Khayelitsha to Strand - Somerset West
62 63
32. MAIN ROAD STRUCTURE - EXISTING
The railway system is not the only infra-
structure mode which will be renewed
and expanded, the road system is also
very important to become renewed on
metropolitan scale.
The current situation of the road network
at the Eastern edge has a lot of gaps with-
in the connections in the area. There are a
few connections towards the bigger scale
roads, but that also needs to become bet-
ter. The smaller scale is not visible on this
map, but there are not much build up
areas, so this also needs to become de-
veloped.
64 65
33. MAIN ROAD STRUCTURE - MISSING LINKS
Completing the missing links -> a GRID STRUC-
TURE appears
Strengthen the grid: a goal for 2050
The strategy for the development of the
road system is to complete the ‘missing’
links. These ‘links’ are connections be-
tween stopped roads. The road system
will become continuous, and the connec-
tions with the larger scale roads will also
become better.
With the completion of the missing links,
a grid structure will appear, which is one
of the goals to reach in 2050 for a polycen-
tral city. This grid structure will give the
opportunity to the area to develop in dif-
ferent ways.
66 67
34. MAIN ROAD STRUCTURE - NEW
Realization phase 1 starts 2010
The improvement of the road system will
take place in two phases, like the realisa-
tion of the railway lines. Phase 1 will be
the roads in the area around the Eastern
railway line. This realisation phase will
start in 2010 at the same time as the start
of the building of the railway track, and
will be finished approximately five years
later. Phase 2 will start after 2030 when
the airport moves towards the Northern
side of Cape Town, and will be the road
conections over the former airport area.
Phase 2 of the improvement of the in-
frastructure network will be finished ap-
proximately 5 years after the start of the
building process.
The road system will get better connec-
tions within the area and the connections
with other areas will also be improved.
The connections with the larger scale will
also be improved, and the system gives
also chances for good connections with
the lower scale.
Realization phase 2 starts after 2030
68 69
35. NEW INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK WITHIN THE METROPOLITAN SCALE
The infrastructure network will become
stronger after the completion of the infra-
structure network. Two North South rail-
way lines will provide faster connections
between Mitchells Plain and Bellville and
Khayelitsha and Bellville. The railway lines
themselves will work as a development
corridor for new activities.
The road structure will provide better
connections within the area and between
other areas in Cape Town.
The connection between railway and
road will also become important. The rail-
way stations will become located along
main roads and important as transfer lo-
cations between road based public trans-
port and the train.
70 71
36. DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The first locations where road based
public transport and public transport by
train will come together are the train sta-
tions along the Eastern railway line. For
this reason, it is also the area which will
be showed in the design section of this
booklet.
These station locations form the main lo-
cations within the area, and have many
opportunities for development. A first
important opportunity is the fact that
these station locations are important
for the interchange between road based
public transport and public transport by
train. These station locations are also at-
tractive for companies to locate, because
many low educated employees come by
train and these locations are also good
accessble by car and trucks. With the dif-
ferent flows of people going towards and
from the stations, these stations are also
an attractive location for new activities
like markets and shops.
If the interchange between the move-
ment flows from and towards the station
and the different activities work well,
these station areas have the potential to
grow out towards important centralities.
72 73
37. EXAMPLE SUCCESSFUL CENTRALITY -> VOORTREKKER ROAD
N7 R102
R101
Voortrekker Road location
N1
M10
M7 R300
N2
Spatial layering
Activities Voortrekker Road is a road with historical importancy, it is one
of the first roads built in Cape Town. This historical pattern is
still visible, many streets on a higher and lower scale are con-
nected with Voortrekker Road. This means that it is relative easy
N2 to come on Voortrekker Road from the highway N1 and the
N7 R102
residential streets within the surrounded neighborhoods. This
attract many functions to locate at Voortrekker Road. From the
R101 beginning towards the end of Voortrekker Road, many differ-
ent scales of shops are located there. These shops are attracting
people from the whole city to do their shoppings.
N1
M10
M7 R300
N2
Big picture: Impression of Voortrekker Road
Small pictures: Car shop, factory toy shop, electronic equipment shop and
formal retails
74 75
38. EXAMPLE SUCCESSFUL CENTRALITY -> CLAREMONT AND WYNBERG
Spatial layering Activities
Cavendish
Square
M5 M5
Lansdowne Lansdowne
Road Road
The reason that Claremont and Wynberg are important for peo-
M3 M3
ple to go is the M4 (metropolitan scaled road). The M4 forms
Wynberg Wynberg an important route from the City Centre of Cape Town towards
train station train station the Southern suburbs and Simon’s Town, and is like Voortrekker
Road also one of the first important roads built in Cape Town.
The M4 is also good connected with the surrounding neighbor-
hoods. Different scales of shops are located along this route,
and also a big shopping mall named Cavendish Square is lo-
cated there.
M5
M5
Not far from the road, the railway line between the City centre of
Cape Town and Simon’s town is situated there. Wynberg station
forms an important location for people from the Cape Flats to
do their shoppings. The station is located not far from Lansd-
owne road, which is an important route between Wynberg and
the Cape Flats. The main activity at the station is the informal
market.
Big picture: Impression from the air towards Claremont and Wynberg
Small pictures: Dwelling in Claremont, Cavendish Square shopping centre,
Wynberg formal retail and informal retail near Wynberg Station
76 Claremont & Wynberg Location 77
40. Kuilsrivier
CURRENT SITUATION AREA
5 km
220.000 inhabitants
Source: South African National Census 2001
Blackheath
Industria
Delft
9 km
Mfuleni Blue Downs
Eersterivier
Total area is around 45 km2
Reference: house Bellville South
Khayelitsha
80 81
41. MIXED USE ZONE - PERSPECTIVE 2050
The current situation of the Eastern edge is that there is not
much dense urban development, visible at the previous
pages. The perspective for 2050 is that with the improve-
ment of the metropolitan infrastructure network, opportu-
nities are created for the development of new centralities
around the train stations at both railway lines.
The Eastern railway line and the area there will be the first
with the development of new activities, and the main goal
for this area is to develop a centrality with working places
and job opportunities for the lower educated inhabitants
of Cape Town and attractive activities on different scale to
attract people from a larger scale.
82 83
42. MIXED USE ONE - NEW INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK
Development grid over decades
The infrastructure network forms the underground for the de-
velopment of the area. The grid structure is chosen to imple-
ment for the local scale of the infrastructure network. The ad-
network.
vantage of the grid structure is that flexible development of
the area is possible, which makes it easier to make changes in
the building structure without the need of big changes within
the infrastructure network. The building structure can easily
develop from small separate houses towards a closed build-
ing block.
The size of the grid is based on what Kusumo (2007) wrote
in her thesis ‘Railway station, centres and markets’ about a
reseach of Arnis Siksna from 1998 that “small square blocks,
of about 60-80m, perform better than larger blocks because
they produce finermesh circulation patterns, more potential
frontages, more coherent block fabrics and finergrained, con-
tinuous urban fabrics, and both low- and highrise buildings.”
84 85
43. MIXED USE ZONE - ZONING FUNCTIONS
Amount of functions:
Working places -> 205 ha
Residential: high density -> 60 ha
Residential medium density -> 100 ha
Residential low density -> 190 ha
The current amount of inhabitants within the whole
area is 220.000. The assumption is that the area will get
around 150.000 extra inhabitants in the formal resi-
dential areas. It is difficult to say something about the
informal area South of the formal new area.
The assumption is that around 10.000 new job oppor-
tunities will be created within the manufacture facto-
ries and the different kinds of shops along the railway
and roads. The expectation is that not only inhabitants
will work in these fctories and shops, but also people
from other areas who come by train and other kinds
of transport.
86 87
44. MIXED USE ZONE PROJECTED WITHIN THE AREA
Current area
The current situation shows that the area has not a very dense
urban development. There are a lot of open spaces visible.
Projecting the zoning plans for the mixed use zone within the
scale of the Eastern Area, it is visible that the mixed use zone
is situated between a green/blue strip and the industrial zone
of Blackheath Industria.
The green/blue zone stays undeveloped when talking about
building development, but can become a recreational area
for the inhabitants and the wider region. Blackheath Industria
will develop more towards an industrial zone more orientated
on food and drinks coming from the winelands of Stellenbo-
sch, and provide also job opportunities. The mixed use area
will also create job opportunities and commercial activities
around the roads towards the station, and has a good connec-
tions with the residential areas within the area and the wider
region of Cape Town.
88 89
45. RESIDENTIAL AREA - PRINCIPLE HIGH DENSITY
Development of the street over decades
Phase 1 : After 10 years (2020)
Phase 2 : After 20 years (2030)
Phase 3 : After 40 years (2050)
impressions of a high density residential street Plan and cross-sections high density residential streets
90 91
46. RESIDENTIAL AREA - PRINCIPLE MEDIUM DENSITY
Development of the street over decades
Phase 1 : After 20 years (2030)
Phase 2 : After 30 years (2040)
Phase 3 : After 40 years (2050)
impressions of a medium density residential street Plan and cross-sections medium density residential streets
92 93
47. RESIDENTIAL AREA - PRINCIPLE LOW DENSITY
Development of the street over decades
Phase 1 : After 30 years (2040)
Phase 2 : After 35 years (2045)
Phase 3 : After 40 years (2050)
impressions of a low density residential street Plan and cross-sections low density residential streets
94 95
48. STATIONS
STELLENBOSCH ARTERIAL ROAD STATION
(assumption of 60.000 users per day)
COMPARISON: Leiden Central Station (NL) ->
57.318 users per day (2005)
Source: http://www.treinreiziger.nl/punctualiteit/instappen.php
Source: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2181/1641919756_810adc68b8.jpg?v=0com/2181/1641919756_81
0adc68b8.jpg?v=0
The asumption of passenger numbers earlier in the booklet
shows that this new train line will get around 45.000 users
per day from Khayelitsha and around 5.000 passengers per
day from Bellville to go to their work or to one of the shop-
BUTTSKOP ROAD STATION
ping possibilities around the stations. The assumption is that
(assumption of 20.000 users per day)
70.000 people from this area will use the train line every day.
This is alsmost half of the population who live here. They will
use the train to go to their work in the direction of Bellville or
for doing their shopping. This means that a total of 120.000
people per day who will use this line and the three stations
to go on and off the train, and to change towards the bus or
minibus to go somewhere else.
HINDLE ROAD STATION The three stations in the area are Stellenbosch Arterial Road
(assumption of 40.000 users per day) station with 60.000 passengers per day, Buttskop Road Station
with 20.000 passengers per day and Hindle Road station with
40.000 passengers per day. To give and idea of the numbers,
Stellenbosch Arterial Road station is comparable with a day at
Leiden Central Station in the Netherlands.
96 97
49. STELLENBOSCH ARTERIAL ROAD STATION AREA
CES
PLA
NG
RKI
WO
COMMERCIAL
Zoning
Stellenbosch Arterial Road station is the location on
which the further zooming in takes place. There is a
clear zoning visible within this area. The work locations
TRAIN USERS -> WALK TOWARDS will be zoned around the railway line and the North-
THE WORKING PLACES FROM THE
STATION South roads and the commercial functions will become
located around the Stellenbosch Arterial Road and the
train station. A rough assumption of the movement
pattern will be that the passengers from the train will
CAR USERS -> TAKE THE ROUTE
ALONG THE SHOPS AND STOP
probably walk from the station along the railway line
THERE towards the work locations, and the car users will take
the main route over Stellenbosch Arterial Road and
stop along the shops along the road.
Movement assumption
98 99
50. PLAN
The plan for the Stellenbosch Arterial Road Station area car-
ries some important parts. The area itself is located along the
metropolitan scale Stellenbosch Arterial Road which runs be-
tween Elsies River and Stellenbosch. The density within the
residential areas are the highest around the station and the
commercial activities, and gets lower further from the station.
The grid structure from the infrastructure network within the
area is also an important part for the connectivity of the area
with itself and the bigger scale.
The most important parts are the Stellenbosch Arterial Road,
the train station and the work locations. These locations will
get a closer look further on in this booklet.
100 101
51. ROAD TYPOLOGY - CROSS SECTIONS
Within the area, four types of roads can be recog-
nised. The residential street, the tertiary road, the
secondary road and the main road.
The residential street is the street which runs be-
tween building blocks. This street doesn’t have to
be wide, because the speed of the motorised trans-
port is low. Parking along the street here is possible 1
and there is also enough space for pedestrians.
2
Residential street
The tertiary road is a bit wider than the residential
street and forms the connection between the resi-
dential street and the secondary road. Parking along
the street is also possible here and pedestrians can
walk along the road. 1
The secondary road forms the connection between
the tertiary road and the main road. This road is
faster than the tertiary road and has a boulevard 4
like appearance, with plantation and lamp posts in 2
the middle of the total four lanes. Pedestrians have
a large space to walk along this road. Tertiary road
Stellenbosch Arterial Road is the main road within
this area and is the connection between this and
other areas within Cape Town. The road has already
four lanes which provides a relative fast connec-
tion between Elsies River and Stellenbosch. When
the development process is finished, there will be
side roads created for slower road traffic and to
make connections towards the shops and the area
3
behind. This road will also get a boulevard appear-
ance with plantation in the middle and along the Secondary road - boulevard
side roads, and lampposts in the middle of the fast 3
lanes.
4
Stellenbosch Arterial Road
102 103
53. FAST ROAD
turn 1
TOWARDS STELLENBOSCH
TOWARDS ELSIES RIVER
turn 2
Connectivity with the area
The already existing fast lanes stay as a relative fast be-
tween Elsies River and Stellenbosch, with a few direct
connections towards the surrounded neighbourhood.
The effect of the grid structure is that the connections
within the areas,when entering the area by car, are very
good.
106 107
55. SIDE ROADS
turn 1
turn 2
Connectivity with the area
The new side roads are created for the slower road traffic
to give them the possibility to go to the shops along these
roads. The connections from these sideroads towards the
surrounding neighborhoods are very well, which is an ef-
fect of the grid structure. Once within the area, the whole
area is almost accessible within one or two junctions.
The shops along the side roads are from different scales.
There can be find small scaled shops like cloth shops,
but also supermarkets and as bigger scale shops the car
shops and furniture shops.
Impression of the types of shops along the side roads
110 111
58. STATION - GROUND FLOOR LEVEL
MARKE
THALL
Small formal shops under the station platform
Indoor market at the market hall at the square
116 117
59. STATION - PLATFORM LEVEL
Waiting for the train
People can sell their goods
118 119
60. CROSS- SECTIONS
The station ‘building’ has two levels. The ground level lo-
cates different kinds of small scale shops and at the station
square there is a market hall located where a indoor mar-
ket can take place. The platform level also has two func-
tions, at the sides can be an informal market where people
can sell their goods, and people wait for the train.
The two cross-sections show that the station platform is
located 6 m above ground level, this is for the bigger trans-
port a good heigh to be able to pass the station via Stel-
lenbosch Arterial Road. People can enter the station by
the different stairs. The platform is wider in the middle of
the station and has a roof there, to give the possibilities to
people to sell their goods and to let the people wait in the
shade.
1
2
1
2
120 121
63. MOVEMENT ASSUMPTION PEDESTRIANS FROM THE STATION - PLATFORM
On the previous pages is showed how the movement assump-
tion is from the different stairs of the station. The combined
movement patterns shows that the squares will be almost
complete used, when people come at the same time from the
different stairs.
The shops under the stations are located very well, when look-
ing to these movement patterns. Many people will walk along
these shops and will probably use these shops for getting
their goods.
The market hall at the North-Eastern side of the station is also
located very well. It is good visible and with the entrances at
the good location, it can also serve as a good walking route to-
wards the residential area behind the market hall. With market
stalls along the walking routes, the market hall will become
sucessful when the pedestrians will buy their good there.
The station platform can also serve as a walking route, it can
be used as a crossing over the Stellenbosch Arterial Road and
pedestrians can also walk from the Northern station square
towards the bus and minibus station.
126 127
64. ORIENTATION BUILDINGS - POSSIBLE ENTRANCES
As already mentioned on the previous page, the location of
the entrances from the buildings along walking routes are
very important. When an entrance of the building is clear and
visible, people will enter this building. Entrances along streets
are also important to make the street attractive to go in. No
entrances means that there is no reason to go in this street,
and this street will become an unattractive backstreet.
For this area is chosen to make possible entrances at all sides
of the residential building blocks and make entrances at least
at two sides at the bigger buildings (the shops and the work lo-
cations) to avoid the appearance of unacttractive backstreets.
128 129
69. ROAD BASED PUBLIC TRANSPORT - BUS AND MINIBUS STATION
Bus station Minibus station
Cross section bus and minibus station
138 139
70. IMPORTANT LOCATION - WORK LOCATIONS
Work locations form buffer between railway line and residential area
The work locations are located along the railway line. There are two important reasons
for this decision, people don’t have to walk far from the train station towards their
work, and these buildings form a buffer between the railway line and the residential
areas which decrease the noice from the trains into the area.
The walking routes from the stations run along the railway line. These routes are only
accessible for pedestrians and people who cycle towards their work. The route will get
a park like appearance with trees and lamp posts along both sides of the route.
These work locations are manufacture factories. This is a form of light industry, which
doesn’t make a lot of polution and doesn’t make a lot of noise and can be located in
the neighborhood of residential areas. These factories will create job opportunities
for lower educated people in Cape Town, and a lot of these people will travel by train
towards their work.
140 141
71. WORK LOCATIONS
http://www.fusioncomponents.com/images/manufacture-image.jpg http://www.canadapipeline.com/image-files/manufacture_assemble.jpg
http://www.tungsang.com/main_imgs/manufacture_overview.jpg www.kabahinfo.net/photo/manufacture-kiswah4.jpg
Manufacture
Cross - section: walking route towards the work locations
142 143
74. METROPOLITAN SCALE - CURRENT SITUATION
To go back on metropolitan scale to where this project started
with, a short conclusion for the current situation is that there
is a hole in the urban development and the development of
activities on the Eastern side of Cape Town.
Activities and urban development takes place along impor-
tant infrastructure lines and nodes, this can be roads and rail-
way stations. This trend is already visible within the historical
maps of the development of Cape Town at the begin of this
booklet, and went on through the last centuries.
Some of the most important activity locations grew out to-
wards centralities, with the City Centre as the most powerful
one. The other centralities are there, but only important for the
people from that area. This is an effect of the radial orienta-
tion of the infrastructure towards the city centre, which makes
the city centre very important. The other centralities are also
located along infrastructure lines and nodes, but at this mo-
ment not really visible within the city. The radial structure of
the important infrastructure lines causes a hole at the urban
development and the development of activities, and centrali-
ties, at the Eastern edge of the city.
On the following pages, the different parts of the project will
shortly reflected.
148 149
75. METROPOLITAN SCALE - INFRASTRUCTURE
Current situation 2050
The current situation of the metropolitan infrastructure net- nected with the larger scale for both the road network and
work is that it has a radial orientation towards the City Centre. railway network. The North-South railway lines will play an
This makes the City Centre very important within the metro- important role in this. The new connections between Mitch-
politan area, and this is the cause of the hole in development ells Plain/ Khayelitsha and Bellville will shorten the travel
at the Eastern Edge of Cape Town. The period between now time and travel distance on what it is now. And these new
and 2050 will be used to make a shift from this radial orien- connections will also become important development cor-
tation towards a grid structure, and this grid structure will ridors for new activities and even new centralities.
strenghten the whole infrastructure network in Cape Town.
After the improvement of the infrastructure network, the
area at the Eastern Edge of Cape Town will get better con-
150 151
