Newport Road
Parkwood Urban Upgrade
LOCATIONParkwood, Johannesburg
YEAR2019
31 000 sqm
SIZEParkwood is located south of the highly developed area around Rosebank Mall. The Parkwood residential area is bordered by two major arterial routes Bolton (north) and Jan Smuts (west) with high vehicular traffic and speeds. The neighbourhood consists of inactive access streets that serve exclusive private properties that employ high (impermeable) boundary walls primarily for security and privacy. This notion limits passive surveillance and the possibility of communal activities between different age groups and social classes.
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![Woonerf entrance. Shared street. One way street upgrade. Mixed-use development. Transport Orientated Development. City of Johannesburg. Rosebank Upgrade. Pedestrian orientated street,]()
01. This proposal investigates the woonerf concept, which was developed in the late 1960s in Netherlands, in the city of Delft. Residents where unhappy with speeding vehicles scaring their neighbourhoods and their cultural landscape, therefore making it unsafe. In response, the residents paved the roads and created meandering paths. This simple gesture initiated the woonerf –or “residential yard” in Dutch. Which is a residential street which places priority on the living environment rather than vehicular infrastructure.
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![Urban parklet. On street nursery playground. on street bollards. On street parking upgrade.]()
02. The proposal employs all the requirements for a successful Woonerf street namely; Distinct Entrance, Eliminate the continuous curb, Use traffic calming measures, Private on-street parking, Incorporate outdoor furnishings and landscape. Additionally, it investigates parklets to accommodate adjacent building functions such as a children’s playground.
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![Food Trucks. Multi-functional bus stop. Mixed use urban development. Accommodating informality. Multi-functional street furniture. Street parking. Urban Bicycle hub.]()
03. Where the road changes direction, it created opportunities for additional urban activity, economic, recreational, recycling and storage. On-street parking near bus or taxi stops allows for food trucks to park during their required peak hours.
