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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
NOVEMBER
2015
PROPERTY
As our living patterns become
increasingly urbanised at an
unprecedented rate, design,
functionality and sustainability are
taking on newmeaning as critical elements
of the world’s future cities, including our own
here in South Africa.
“Given that growth is likely to continue
along the current trajectory – which will see
an urban population of 6,3-billion by 2050
(66% of the world’s projected population) –
and that over 60% of the land projected to be
included in urban areas by 2030 has yet to be
developed, governments are engaging with
‘architects’ of these future cities as a priority,”
says Daniel van der Merwe, architect at PPC.
“This is because our concept and use of ‘space’
needs to be fundamentally redefined and
shaped to support the needs of future genera-
tions. To ensure sustainability, this change has
to start now.”
Prime drivers of this shift to city living
include convenience and advances in tech-
nology. “An overwhelming body of evidence
shows that living in cities can significantly
improve people’s lives and opportunities
through increased access to education, health-
care, employment and broader connectivity,”
explains analyst, futurist and author, Daniel
Silke. In emerging economies such as our own
however, delivering on the potential promise
of cities is critically linked to the ability to
FUTURE CITIES
2008 saw the world reach a quietly unpublicised milestone
when, for the first time in history, over half of our global
population could be found living in cities. This new era of
urbanisation is dramatically shaping the cities and countries we
live in, offering new opportunities and creating new challenges
as we collectively redefine the future of our planet. As humans
start living in closer and closer proximity to each other, we
will have to evolve in completely new ways – changing how we
engage, interact and survive as individuals and as a collective.
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scale infrastructure at a rate proportionate to
the needs of communities, especially given
the high inflow of job-seekers and displaced
individuals, among others.
A growing awareness of the need for
sustainability is prompting responsive building
and design, which bodes well for cities of the
future. “Buildings are being recognised and
appreciated as ‘entities’ themselves, and are
thus being seen as active participants in urban
environments,” notes Van der Merwe. “As
such, contemporary buildings are now being
required to fulfill multiple functions including
generating their own electricity and/or
producing food, so as to enable social develop-
ment and broaden economic empowerment.”
In response to vital socio-economic
demands, key focus areas for future cities
include transport, real estate and thinking
around mobility – specifically developing the
current ‘live-work-play’ trend so as to expand
our engagement with urban spaces.
“Greater urbanisation requires greater
active citizenship and engagement,” says
Zahira Asmal, founder of the urban-focused
publishing company The City.
“This means that we need to question
ownership of our cities: do they belong to
mayors, or do they belong to all who live in
them – cutting across perceived barriers of
race, class and gender and, most potently,
former Apartheid planning?”
The need to re-examine our use of space
within existing cities will further impact on
our future spatial develop-
ment as we seek to develop
better, healthier environments.
“Under-utilised spaces such as
rooftops can become productive
spaces for recreation and for
food production,” explains Van
der Merwe. “It thus follows that
architecture and design are
critical catalysts in terms of how
empowerment can be facilitated
through cities – the drivers of
our economies.”
With the growth rate of
Johannesburg approximately
double that of the country itself,
there has never been a better
time for public and private
sector players to engage around
these issues. Many of these
influencers were present at this
year’s ArchitectureZA event
which took place at the Sheds
in the Johannesburg city centre
from 24 – 26 September 2015.
“Given that cities have demon-
strated themselves to be the
most efficient form of human
habitation, concentrating both
people and opportunities, cities
are very simply the way of the
future,” says Van der Merwe.