The Port Project | Crystal R. Crystal

Creating a park along Sivewright St. Johannesburg (Street Condition) Sivewright Street is in a highly populated area of the CBD, close to major train stations, taxi ranks, and a handful of tourist attractions. It is covered in trees, more than anywhere else in the CBD and yet, it is really nothing more than a mostly abandoned and poorly laid out throughway. What an opportunity!!! Sivewright St is a one-way street that starts off as a single lane at the top of Charles St intersection. It opens up to two wide lanes at the bottom with a ton of meridians, wide sidewalks and many underused parking spaces aligning the sides. There is opportunity to turn this unused space into a park! Who uses this street? 1. CITY POWER RESIDENTS: 200+Families live in this compound, use their limited outdoor area to hang laundry, while children go to the jungle gyms 6 blocks away. 2. EAGLE EYE DAYCARE: Each day, hundreds of kids get dropped here and in other local care facilities for the day. Almost all their time is spent indoors, dreaming of a safe place to go have fun. 3. MABONENG ARTIST RESIDENTS: The amount of artists and creatives have been increasing in the neighbourhood, with a newly established artist residents on Sivewright St. 4. LIGHT INDUSTRIAL WORKERS: Car aerials need to be made somewhere and these people are on the job. The tree shaded street curbs have proven to be a great place for a break. 5. INFORMAL RECYCLERS: A hard-bitten lot, the recyclers profit most from the abandoned area by using it for pre-sorting. It would be great to find them something more to do in the area. 6. VENDORS: Trying to make it in the big city, informal vending means you can always get a snack or something to read. They are a vital part of their communities and dream of having shops one day. What is Jozi’s CBD? Johannesburg (Jozi) sprang from the African dust a little over 100 years ago. Gold was the reason it existed and gold was the reason it grew so spectacularly - the Central Business District (CBD) still boasts the largest concentration of skyscrapers in Africa. Little thought was given to greenery or urban life in the CBD however - it was a place to make money, but not to live. The failure to invest in the area as a place to live accelerated in the 1980s, and as apartheid collapsed under its own sheer illogic a wave of black people moved in while white people with money moved out. While all of South Africa was dealing with a long history of racial and demographic divide, Jozi’s CBD went through its lowest points in the 1990s when it became synonymous with violent crime, drugs, poverty and intense urban blight. And yet... A new generation has grown up and chosen something different. Residents have cleaned up their neighborhoods, developers have started to refurbish and rent buildings, CCTV cameras and better policing have slashed crime dramatically, and people of all backgrounds and demographics are rediscovering the CBD - many of the younger and more adventurous are even moving in. The thrill of it is palpable: every day, a new piece of the downtown gets remade and rebuilt - the scale of what is still left to do is the most exciting part of it all. CBD Parks and Attractions This area of Johannesburg already contains attractions for both locals and tourists, making it a hub: 1. ELLIS PARK STADIUM: Where the Orlando Pirates soccer and the Johannesburg Lions Rugby teams play 2. ARTS ON MAIN: artist residents, art galleries, markets, cinema, shops, restaurants, hotel, bars, etc 3. MAI MAI MARKET: traditional African market where you can get anything from food to clothing, medicinal remedies, and custom made coffins. CBD is missing properly functioning and safe parks: Most of the well-kept parks are outside of the inner city in the suburbs of Johannesburg. In the CBD we find parks that are underused, lack facilities, are not cared for, and are unsafe. Proposed: The Port Project Activity Zones 1. AMALGAMATE: Enter into the park through inviting greenery and spaces to connect. This area is largely open with different types of seating (on benches that look like mini shipping containers, along the path, or on the grass), arranged for groups of people but also for quiet contemplation. This area is full of vegetation, including urban community gardens to be used by the local vendors who take care of the parks. This area brings a very public feel to the park, where all types of demographics can mix and mingle. 2. ANIMATE: Enjoy the heart of the park where there is spectacle for all. The ship creates a sense of exploration and imagination for children especially, leading through its playground on the east side, while a conglomeration of benches on its west side allow for locals and tourists to have larger gatherings and even to watch movies, artist screenings, and sporting games on the masts of the ship. Ice cream and popcorn can be obtained at the ships prow. 3. ACTIVATE: Visit the people who keep the park ticking in this multifunctional space. Private and semi-private mini-spaces located in containers means vendors can sell their wares, people can have meetings, students can study, artists can teach others - anything goes. Along with food vending, this area has braii stands and picnic spots to quell rumbly tummies. Existing recyclers of the area have an opportunity to create new objects as salable goods. Impact Why a Port? Although Johannesburg is the only city of the worlds 50 largest that is not located on a major river, lake or ocean, it does have a port - the eastern part of the CBD would be recognized by any dockhand, replete with warehouses, shipping containers and major transit hubs. But it is not recognizable as a port either - and not just because there is no water! Many world-class cities have made major efforts over the past years to clean up their original inner-city ports and wharves, to make them destinations, places to see and live. Why not Johannesburg? And to kick it off, why not a ship? And since the ship will be there, why shouldn’t we use the sails to watch a movie or a football match on? And why not sell ice creams out of the hold for people to enjoy on the dock? And why not sell all the lovely things that the local craftsmen and artists make? Why not indeed... The spirit of ‘why not’ fills the air in the new CBD - so why not capture its essence and build it into a park where imagination and creativity are not just abided but encouraged in every detail. Who Wants a Park?...why? 1. WHO USES THE PARK? The park is for everyone. It is built to provide outdoor space and opportunities to enjoy park life. It is designed to encourage interaction as well, bringing in community groups with its convenient space and location; young neighbors looking for somewhere beautiful to hang out; and tourists there to see something truly different and yet completely Jozi. We have heard from parents, children, tourists, young urbanites, and community groups alike, all wanting a park for their own various reasons 2. WHO CREATES THE PARK? This park will be created by the communities that surround it and have the means and vision to bring it into being. Local developers and artists are already looking for the right opportunities to contribute to this part of the CBD. Local micro-businesses are looking to contribute for access to this opportunity. And the city is looking for something special to bring in tourists and assist the disadvantaged. Johannesburg Climate Johannesburg a sunshiny place in the southern hemisphere with seasonal temperatures that allow one to enjoy a park all year around. 1. SUNSHINE HOURS: 3182 hours per annum 2. PRECIPITATION AVERAGES: Summer average = 120mm per month Winter average = 10mm per month 3. TEMPERATURE AVERAGES: Summer High = 28°C Summer Low = 12°C Winter High = 19°C Winter Low = 4°C Feasibility What does Sustainability mean to us? 1. ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY: Being sensitive to the environment means using locally available and cost effective resources and materials, recycled whenever possible, and making design decisions that are responsive to the surrounding geography. 2. ECONOMIC INSIGHT: Good economics dictates the long-term viability of projects. This means using local materials and labour wherever possible; ensuring income streams and cash flows to maintain the site over its lifetime; and ensuring the economic costs and benefits are carefully weighed. 3. DILIGENT GOVERNANCE: Ownership and clear management structures are critical. We do not believe in ‘hand-outs’ or inevitable corruption. We believe that all participants must make clear commitments and be held accountable for them and that a plan for the long-term management of space must be established in advance. 4. GOOD DESIGN: Design must be both beautiful and functional, as well as culturally and geographically appropriate. In this way, it will be accepted and loved by the communities that use it; and it will have all the necessary physical attributes to last. Implementation 1. DESIGN: The site design would be a collaboration between international architects, local architects and local artists. City engineers will be able to do the surveying and drawing, potentially pro bono. 2. LAND: Any rubble from the site would be used as infill for the raised, precast concrete walkways and landings. Greenery would be chosen from local, hardy species requiring little water. 3. LANDSCAPING: The land is city property and its use for this project would need be negotiated. 4. STRUCTURES: Vending pods and garden shed will be made from shipping containers as they are part of the existing aesthetic of the area and there are numerous local welders with the skills to customize them. 5. SHIP AND WALL: The ship will be constructed by local welders out of recycled steel, painted to withstand rust and heat. The partition wall of the site will be concrete block, finished to allow for art and graffiti. Maintenance 1. SECURITY: Employing security guards backed up by local police is not only cost effective but socially responsible with the unemployment rate reaching 50% among black males in South Africa. 2. LANDSCAPING: Community gardens will be maintained by their users including vendors who sell their vegetables. More public areas of the park will need maintenance and supplies. City Parks will likely be able to contribute here as well. 3. CLEANING: It will be expected of park vendors to spend a certain number of hours cleaning or maintaining the park in exchange for the use of their stalls. The city will also be able to contribute; a budget for cleaning materials and rubbish collection will be necessary. 4. REPAIRS: Having a budget managed by local property owners for repairs to the equipment and infrastructure will be critical to maintaining park usage and property values 5. EVENTS: Community and corporate/government sponsored events will be encouraged. Any events will be run through the board that manages the park and will require that the organizers cover costs. Implementation Stakeholders and Resources There are various stakeholders that have the opportunity to be a part of this project in the implementation as well as the long-term maintenance or future growth phases of this project. 1. LOCAL DEVELOPERS AND BUILDING MANAGERS: The implementation and maintenance of the park provides a real opportunity for this group to add market value to their developments as well as improved living conditions in the communities they are facilitating. 2. CITY OF JOHANNESBURG: The city will have to be engaged in the initial stages of the project in order to provide consent for the site and implementation of the project. There is also opportunity for the city parks commission to perform maintenance and upkeep to the park that will be great for Jozi’s CBD, while adding to the city’s tourist attractions 3. LOCAL ARTISTS: We have received quite a bit of support from local artists who would love to engage with the implementation of the project as well as hosting events that would keep the vibrancy of the park in full swing. Support has also been expressed by Marcus Neustetter and Stephen Hobbs of the Trinity Session projects, who often engage in social awareness, public art policy, and reimagining public park spaces. http://artmap.co.za/187/trinity+ 4. LOCAL TRADES: There are many people in the neighbourhood who have skills working with metal and construction that can benefit from the implementation of this project. Also, repairs and landscaping must be performed throughout the life cycle of the project, all of which can be sourced locally. 5. LOCAL MICRO-BUSINESSES: There are many street vendors, tiny shops, and unemployed street entrepreneurs in the neighbourhood trying to make a buck. These people could benefit greatly from economic stimulation and new employment opportunities. Currently there are a group of informal recyclers on the site who do pre-sorting of rubbish before they bring it to recycling depots for profit. We are hoping that this group of people can benefit from learning from some of the artists in the area about how to turn scrap into saleable objects that can generate revenue for them in the market area of the site. 6. INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTERS: International support would help enormously with funding and advocacy for the implementation of this park and international exposure will greatly assist in making it a tourist destination. 7. CORPORATE SPONSORS: Potential sponsors, such as the Orlando Pirates, will be interested in helping to fund the project as well as facilitate events such as screening sporting events on the masts of the park’s ship. Safety and Security Health and safety is critical: all structures will be constructed with this in mind Ensuring site security is also necessary. However, the electric fences and glass topped walls that are the standard Joburg solution will destroy the welcoming aspects of the park. Hiring and managing a team of guards would be cumbersome in many other contexts but young people are keen for opportunities and the model has proven itself in nearby districts. They can be paid out of a pot managed by the park’s board. Replicability This project is at its heart an attempt to appropriate underused or unnecessary street lanes and meridians in an urban setting, greening them up and putting them to better use. By its nature, any such a project will have to deal with a long narrow site, with a need for government interaction, and with many diverse stakeholders. This project will provide a template and inspiration for other cities. Growth This project is meant to harness and focus the energy and aesthetic of a port, something that is already lending vibrancy to this neighbourhood. The site itself will be built to be modified by local residents and artists; it is expected that the site will itself expand to further streets and meridians, influencing the neighborhood - as more people come to The Port, more businesses and activities will spring up locally to engage in the experience.