Sandton UDF

The importance of this node as an international gateway into Johannesburg, and the unique opportunities arising from the Gautrain form the basis of this proposal. As it stands, Sandton is poised for further socio-economic growth drawing more than four out of every seven international visitors from OR Tambo International Airport. The Sandton Station’s metropolitan importance is linked to other nodes along the rail line. It is important that the station responds to the integrated city network on both a global and local level thereby becoming a magnet for the whole area.

Collaborating with Space Syntax, an analysis of movement in the area shows that there are very strong global links through the site, but on a local level, Sandton central fails to achieve the necessary level of integrated roads to sustain lively pedestrian and retail environments. The proposals include smaller block sizes (3600m2) and tighter street networks (50-70m) in order to achieve the characteristics of an urban transit-oriented development (TOD).