People, Systems and Infrastructure: Part 2

Fear of Crime Following Urban Decay

BESTER, D. (2014) Johannesburg-Urban-Decay-Danie-Bester_2150 [Online] Available from: http://daniebester.co.za/new-project-johannesburg-beautifully-ran-down/johannesburg-urban-decay-danie-bester_2150/. [Accessed: 18th February 2015].

It is evident that urban decay exists in Johannesburg, specifically in the Johannesburg Central Business District and its neighbouring areas. This is due to the fact that after the Group Areas Act was abolished in the 1990’s, many people who were in the inferior classes during apartheid were now able to relocate to the designated "white" areas which made many corporate businesses, including the stock exchange, move their investments to other suburban areas such as the Sandton Central Business District.

BLOGGER, (2012) Ponte Today [Online] Available from: http://www.yourplace.co.za/africa/ponte-today/. [Accessed: 18th February 2015].

Many buildings were left vacant especially in Hillbrow, which is seen as one of the "most densely populated neighbourhood(s) in South Africa" (Johannesburg Development Agency, 2009). This allowed the lower income groups as well as numerous African immigrants to come inhabit the spaces legally and illegally resulting in poor upkeep and the dilapidation of buildings and leading towards the degradation of the area itself. Once this was underway, slowly crime as well as violent acts started taking place within and around these regions which led to people being afraid of their own safety and locking themselves up in their own homes (Johannesburg Development Agency, 2009). This lead to more quiet streets a sign of no form of community and therefore allowed more acts of crime to take place.

BESTER, D. (2014) Johannesburg-Urban-Decay-Danie-Bester_2144 [Online] Available from: http://daniebester.co.za/new-project-johannesburg-beautifully-ran-down/johannesburg-urban-decay-danie-bester_2144/. [Accessed: 18th February 2015].

At the moment, there is a large number of CCTV surveillance cameras installed within central Johannesburg monitoring the crime but this does not act as a feature for prevention. Instead it aids in a quicker response rate of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) on an incident in the area by scanning cars and patrolling the precinct looking for these criminals as reported by IOL News (2008).

The argument is not for the implementation of these CCTV surveillance cameras as that is a great step forward to aid in capturing these vigilantes. As discussed in my first blog entry this week, there doesn't necessarily need to be an increase of more forms of security, such as CCTV surveillance cameras or security guards, but to rather begin from the route of the problem. Any implemented system that is initiated into the space should allow individuals, within any given area, to feel safe again by introducing public spaces in quiet zones. This will prevent different nodes in an area to be disjointed and will not only upgrade a small neighbourhood, such as Jeppestown, but can also upgrade entire cities.

Precedent Studies

The High Line

Architects: James Corner Field Operations, Diller Scofidio and Renfro

Location: New York, USA

MICHAEL,V. (2012) Impressions of the High Line [Online] Available from: https://vincemichael.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/impressions-of-the-high-line/. [Accessed: 19th February 2015].

This railroad was built in the 1930's in New York as part of the West Side Improvement Project and a portion of it by Tenth Avenue caused numerous deaths involving the freight trains and different forms of traffic at street level between 1851 and 1929, thus coining the name "Death Avenue" Amateau (2008). The New York Central Railroad came to an agreement with the city and state to raise the railroad track nine metres above ground level in order to prevent future fatalities. This railroad became disused in 1980 and was planned to be demolished Amateau (2008).

The Friends of the High Line association, founded by Joshua David and Robert Hammond, wanted to transform this disused railway into a public park in 1999 (Friends of the High Line, 2000-2005).

FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE. (2000-2015) History A revitalized piece on New York City's past. [Online] Available from: http://www.thehighline.org/about. [Accessed: 19th February 2015].

What was once a dilapidated railway line is now a beautiful public space that colours Manhattan's city skyline green without silencing the rumbling traffic below. It combines a vertical landscape of elements such as stairs and elevators every two to three blocks and possesses natural plantation which was inspired by the wild landscape that grew on the abandoned tracks (Friends of the High Line, 2000-2005) along with pebble-dash concrete pathways that blend into the landscape. The existing railway tacks and ties extend throughout the park recalling the High Line's former use. The forthcoming construction of this public park space allowed for real estate developments to take place in buildings which faced this area.

FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE. (2000-2015) Design Exceptional architecture and plant design. [Online] Available from: http://www.thehighline.org/about. [Accessed: 19th February 2015].

Chinatown Public Domain Upgrades

Architects: Aspect Studios

Location: Chinatown, Sydney, Australia

ASPECT STUDIOS. (2009-2012) Chinatown Public Domain Upgrades. [Online] Available from: http://aspect.net.au/?p=388. [Accessed: 19th February 2015].

Cheonggyecheon Urban Upgrade

Architects: Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project

Location: Seoul, South Korea

RECORDLIFEMEDIA. (2013) Cheonggyecheon River in South Korea - Best restored river in the world, possibly. [Online] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEPIBFdWLqo. [Accessed: 19th February 2015].

MANSOR, A. (2011) Seoul Cheonggyecheon Stream Night View (Canon 550D/T2i). [Online] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFWDeCgfQ6U. [Accessed: 19th February 2015].

RESOURCES:

BLOGGER, (2012) Ponte Today [Online] Available from: http://www.yourplace.co.za/africa/ponte-today/. [Accessed: 18th February 2015].

IOL NEWS. (2008) Joburg surveillance zooms in. [Online] Available from: http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/joburg-surveillance-zooms-in-1.428633#.VOYdd_mUcXx. [Accessed: 19th February 2012].

JOHANNESBURG DEVELOPMENT AGENCY. (2009) Joburg Inner City Urban Design Implementation Plan. 3.2.2 Hillbrow and Berea (high-density residential). [Online] Joburg Database 2009 (3). p.54-63. Available from: http://www.joburg-archive.co.za/2011/inner_city/udip2009_part3_pg54-63.pdf. [Accessed 18th February 2015].

MICHAEL,V. (2012) Impressions of the High Line [Online] Available from: https://vincemichael.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/impressions-of-the-high-line/. [Accessed: 19th February 2015].

AMATEAU, A. (2008) Celebrating 75 years: Newspaper was there at High Line's birth and now its rebirth. The Villager. [Online] 30th April - 6th May 2008 Available from: http://thevillager.com/villager_261/newspaperwasthere.html. [Accessed: 19th February 2015].

FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE. (2000-2015) History A revitalized piece on New York City's past. [Online] Available from: http://www.thehighline.org/about. [Accessed: 19th February 2015].

FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE. (2000-2015) History Design Exceptional architecture and plant design. [Online] Available from: http://www.thehighline.org/about. [Accessed: 19th February 2015].

ASPECT STUDIOS. (2009-2012) Chinatown Public Domain Upgrades. [Online] Available from: http://aspect.net.au/?p=388. [Accessed: 19th February 2015].

MANSOR, A. (2011) Seoul Cheonggyecheon Stream Night View (Canon 550D/T2i). [Online] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFWDeCgfQ6U. [Accessed: 19th February 2015].

Diana Wolny - Online Portfolio

Thursday 19 February 2015