GEP Bertrams Derby Road Precinct Draft Precinct Plan JDA003
Albonico Sack Mzumara Architects and Urban Designers May 2005
in association with MMA architects Mixed Use
1. Promote activity-generating uses (shops, services, small business and offices) at ground-floor level to create interest and support pedestrian movement.
2. Promote optimum variety of uses in a compact, mixed-use development and a range of activities on a neighbourhood level (restaurants and cafes, entertainment, recreation etc.). Support for commercial use along Derby Road and Viljoen Street to strengthen pedestrian spines.
3. Promote vertical mix of uses.
4. Promote residential use in a mixed-use environment in order to maintain vitality outside normal working hours and reduce crime. 5. Encourage a mix of housing types - town houses, flats, small unit
accommodation, and home office conversions (where appropriate), extensions, etc. in residential areas. Promote housing infill, redevelopment and rooftop development.
Densities
1. Define appropriate residential densities in areas that will support public transport while protecting amenities. The critical density for sustainable development is 100 people/ha (40-50 du/ha) (Barton et al, 1995), with a desirable density of 150 du/ha. Areas along Hunter and Terrace road have the potential for higher residential developments.
Building height
1. Define appropriate building controls on a character area, or zone basis, which are not to the detriment to surrounding areas.
2. Residential developments of two to three storeys are most sustainable, with four to five storeys a practical maximum, and no house’s entrance more than one and a half storeys above the street.
3. Encourage developments of a uniform height in each zone to define the gradual transition from inner city high-rise to less intense city edge.
4. Promote uniform height and active building frontages around large public squares for good definition and urban quality.
Bulk, massing, coverage, and FAR
1. Define a site coverage policy that aims to create open space and greenery in developments (e.g. 60% coverage for residential use, provided pedestrian through routes are integrated into the development).
2. Articulate the building mass into the silhouette of surrounding buildings or open spaces by stepping down or up, use of sloped roofs, terracing etc, thus providing opportunities to hide bulk from public view.
3. Increase in bulk should be allowed provided there is adequate parking.
Block structure and urban grain
1. Scale and building form of new developments should be human in scale, and dictated by adjacent buildings and the character of the street.
2. Promote perimeter block courtyard development which defines the edges and creates enclosed public space.
3. Create finer urban grain by breaking large blocks and incorporating public pedestrian routes, internal lanes and open spaces.
4. Proportion enclosure ratio of height to space or street width within the range of 1:1 to 2.5:1 height to width for better definition and containment.
5. Urban grain of developments should emphasise and reinforce the established spaces and movement routes and a townscape which contributes to the character of the area.
SECTION 5: URBAN DESIGN CODES
GEP Bertrams Derby Road Precinct Draft Precinct Plan JDA003
Albonico Sack Mzumara Architects and Urban Designers May 2005
in association with MMA architects
6. In historic contexts existing morphology and grain, architectural styles and details, walls, and cornices and entrances, or presence of landscaping should be respected, preserved and sensitively incorporated in new developments.
Edge treatment and Landmark buildings
1. Frontage development should be compatible with the existing street pattern with little deviation from the general building line, in order to define a uniform continuous public space network. A projection or recess may be a useful design feature in some cases. 2. Build-to-line along selected street frontages to define edges and
create streets with urban quality.
3. Specific edge treatment recommendations to promote human scale, comfort and protection-arcade treatment, internal etc.
Vehicular Movement
1. Establish road hierarchy and linkages which improve traffic and pedestrian circulation and accessibility:
Main Connector roads Derby Road designed as public transportation routes linking with other city transport interchanges and activity nodes. Reinforce character with drop-off zones, signalised pedestrian crossings, bus stop facilities, hard and soft surfaces and landscaping. Develop Derby Road as an activity spine and city shuttle route (with paved sidewalks, drop-off points, seating etc.), and Viljoen Street as a mobility spine and Johannesburg’s sightseeing route. .
2. Establish an intermodal facility and associated public infrastructure (e.g. station square, public amenities, transport information office, ablution, emergency and civil protection etc.).
3. Parking contained in pockets with convenient and easy circulation, linking with pedestrian walkways and treated as urban space.
Pedestrian network
1. Development of a continuous pedestrian network and incorporation of a hierarchy of public spaces (courtyards, plazas, parks, malls,
promenades) at nodal points in the network along Fuller street between Derby road and Bezuidenhout Street
2. Pedestrian network defined by buildings with active frontages at ground-floor level to create interest and support pedestrian movement. Backs of buildings facing public space to be activated and treated more sympathetically.
3. Improve signage management for orientation and identification purposes. Provision of clear signposting of routes to bus stations, public facilities and major buildings, including illumination, where appropriate.
4. Clearly defined and celebrated gateways at main accesses to include information on locality of activities and places.
5. Informal trade policy potential with minimum requirements for circulation, amenity lane, support facilities (e.g. parking and storage, ablution, refuse) and landscaping along activity spine and activity streets.
6. Public and private open areas must be clearly defined, with sensitive edge treatment, no land with unclear ownership or responsibility.
Albonico+ Sack+ Mzumara Architects and Urban Designers in association with MMA Architects
GEP Bertrams Derby Road Draft Precinct Plan
May 2005 JDA003
mix of activities promoted these encouraged to spill onto the street to create and interactive edge
-mixed use encouraged with ground floor retail and interactive commercial, upper floors commercial, offices and accommodation
3.
Activities and Land Use
-currently height zone 2 and will remain as such.
A minimum F.A.R of 2.8 should be considered for developments as this would allow for better utilisation of land parcels in the precinct.
2. Heights
-zero building lines will be allowable as long as supported by use zoning.
-no part of building to extend past stand line over sidewalk -no vehicular access or drop offs to open onto pedestrian routes
1.
Building Placement
DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES
Figure 24
Albonico+ Sack+ Mzumara Architects and Urban Designers in association with MMA Architects
GEP Bertrams Derby Road Draft Precinct Plan
May 2005 JDA003
-Course, robust, undressed materials, unique elements enhanced and emphasised
Architectural Character
iii: Colour / Texture
Suitable materials to contribute to robust and long lasting housing fabric – brick, corrugated iron, reinforced concrete, steel.
Architectural Character ii: Materials
-Enhancement and emphasis of heritage buildings and renovation and conversions of existing housing stock Urban environment Robust fabric 4. Architectural Character i: Special Elements
DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES
Figure 25
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May 2005 In association with MMA ArchitectsREFERENCES:
No. Document Name Author/Organisation Year
1. Region 8 RSDF Document City of Johannesburg 2004
2. Johannesburg Inner City Strategic Development Framework Economic Analysis Greater Johannesburg Transitional Metropolitan Council 1995
3. Joburg 2030 City of Johannesburg 2004
4. The Johannesburg Town Planning Scheme of 1979 City of Johannesburg 1979
5. Informal Trading Development Programme City of Johannesburg 2002
6. Inner City Regeneration Strategy City of Johannesburg 2002
7. Ellis Park Approved Urban Design Framework Albonico Sack Mzumara Architects and Urban Designers in association with MMA Architects
2004
8. Greater Ellis Park Development: Questionnaire on Social Facilities Gemey Abrahams Consultants 2005 9. Greater Ellis Park Development: Community Facilities Strategic Plan Gemey Abrahams Consultants 2005 10. Draft: Bulk Calculations Mamphele Development Planners & Project Managers 2005 11. Draft: Land Use Surveys Mamphele Development Planners & Project Managers 2005 12. Draft: Town Planning Implications Mamphele Development Planners & Project Managers 2005 13. Draft: Greater Ellis Park – Heritage Team Tatus Quo Report C Bruwer, J Bruwer, W Martinson, J Manning and H Paine 2004 14. Draft: Greater Ellis Park Heritage Final Report C Bruwer, J Bruwer, W Martinson, J Manning and H Paine 2004 15. Responsive Environments - A manual for designers Bently Alcock Murrain McGlynn Smith, published by,
The Architectural Press
1985
16. Cerda - Five Bases of the General Theory of Urbanisation Edited by Arturo Soria Puig :Fundacio Catalana per la Recera
1999
17. City of Cape Town Municipal Spatial Development Framework Planning and Development Directorate and Planning and Economic Development Cluster of City of Cape Town,
GEP Draft Precinct Plan JDA003
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May 2005 In association with MMA ArchitectsNo. Document Name Author/Organisation Year
18. Housing - A comparative Evaluation of Urbanism in Cape Town Dewar, Uytenbogaardt, Hutton-Squire, Levy, Menidis -Cape & Transvaal Printers Ltd Cape Town
19. Portfolio of Projects Canin Associates - Urban & Environmental Planners, Landscape Architects : Canin Associates -
2005
20. Community Safety Strategy: 2002-2005 Our Vision: Making Hillingdon the Safest London Borough
Produced by Community Safety and Corporate Communications, London Borough of Hillingdon
2003
21. Defensible Space: An Architectural Retrospective Randall Atlas Ph.D., AIA 2001 22. Solving Crime Problems in Residential Neighbourhoods: Comprehensive
Changes in Design, Management, and Use
Judith D. Feins, Ph. D.
Joel C. Epstein, Esq., Rebecca Widom
1997
23. Designing for Community Safety: A Residential Guide Produced by West Yorkshire Police in consultation with the West Yorkshire Planning Authorities
2002
24. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design T Crowe 1991
25. Planning for Crime Prevention R.H. Schneider and T Kitchen 2001
26. Alleygater’s Guide Calvin Beckford
27. The Effect of Better Street Lighting On Crime And Fear: A Review Malcolm Ramsay with the assistance of Rosemary Newton 1991 28. Supplementary Planning Guidance: Community Safety By Design Draft
Consultation
London Borough of Hillingdon, Planning and Transportation and Metropolitan Police, Hillingdon Crime Prevention Design Advisors
2004
29. Design and Safety of Pedestrian Facilities Institute of Transportation Engineers 1998 30. Challenging images: housing estates, stigma and regeneration www.jrf.org.uk 2000
