Stimela

The Re-urbanisation of a Ghost Train Station

Linda Lesolle

MArch 2021

Supervisors:
Unit Leader: Dr Finzi Saidi
Unit Leader: Jabu Makhubu
Unit Tutor: Dickson Adu-Agyei
Unit Tutor: Mathebe Aphane
Unit Assistant: Nomalanga Mahlangu

UNIT 15X^︎︎︎
Toxic [Urban] Landscapes

This major design project seeks to rethink the railway infrastructure that has historically shaped and divided the urban landscape in South Africa. Furthermore, it seeks to reimagine train stations as an urban catalyst tool for future African cities and mobilities. For the UN- HABITAT – urban mobility is a key element of sustainable urbanisation in response to social and economic challenges in developing countries (UN-HABITAT,2009). African mobilities refer to people's accessibility and connectivity to the different urban environments and opportunities. Nigel Zhuwaki, a mobility consultant with a transport tech company in Cape Town believes that mobility is a means of increasing accessibility to different aspects within the urban landscape, such as education, health, and economic opportunities – he believes that these are fundamental to a good urban transportation system and the socio-economic advancement for South African people. (Anon., 2018)

This research study will focus on the vandalised and abandoned commuter train stations along the Johannesburg industrial mining belt, as a toxic site context and acupuncture point for an intervention scheme. I conceptualise toxicity as the various attributes of decay occurring subliminally, however, the effects of toxicity are evident in the physical landscapes with traces in our societal patterns.

Keywords:
Mobilities, Accessibility, Infrastructure, Toxicity

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