Transport

Mobility and access to transport infrastructure allows people and goods to move around freely. Mobility plays a key role in making societies more inclusive through enabling access to key services, and educational, economic and social opportunities.

Makers Valley is about 3km (1.8 miles) in length and approximately the same distance again from its most westerly end to the centre of Johannesburg where the Central Business District of the city lies. Although car ownership is uncommon, particularly for people living in flats, transport links and roads are generally viewed to be in good condition. Local mini-buses are in use to pick up children from the local area and take them to school and back. Since new routes for taxis were introduced, people generally access wherever they need to go. To hail the correct mini-bus taxi, people use specific hand signals to indicate destinations around the city.

On busy streets, for example Lang Street, there are large numbers of pedestrians throughout the day. Pedestrian safety is a key issue, in particular at night time, but muggings have been known to have occurred during the day in quiet areas.

Pavements have ramps and drop kerbs but often the pavement surface is uneven or disturbed making pedestrian walkways hazardous for those with limited mobility, blindness or deafness and a challenge for parents pushing prams. Accessibility issues are not commonly discussed within Makers Valley, due to the stigma associated with disability and often this means that those with accessibility issues can become stuck in their own homes.

Getting in and around Makers Valley is relatively easy, but there are safety issues and air pollution is of increasing concern. Do you have any ideas to help improve road and pedestrian safety or reduce pollution in Makers Valley?

16. Connecting the community [*1]

The next generation are key to Makers Valley’s aim of ensuring that the existing community are part of the economic regeneration that is happening. Makers Valley is increasingly host to events and new businesses bringing in people from all over Johannesburg. One example is the Makers Way Project, which is facilitating interventions and activities to improve the overall services provided by public roads. Can digital technologies help to improve the relationship between the local community and the changes happening in Makers Valley? Can you propose ways in which digital technologies and/or physical infrastructure could engage local youth and ensure the community are connected with the makers' movement and integrated into changes occurring in Makers Valley?

17. Personal safety

Personal safety and security are key issues throughout Johannesburg and Makers Valley suffers from this too. Many muggings occur, particularly at night. Can you propose any ideas to improve general road and pedestrian safety and to make pedestrian walkways more inclusive of people with disabilities? Is there a way digital can reduce this risk for residents and visitors alike?

18. Digital travel info

Local minibus taxis are widely used throughout Makers Valley. Can you suggest any ideas for design interventions for minibus taxis and their routes to provide users with estimated times of arrival, or increase the efficiency of the service?

19. Pollution reduction

Makers Valley suffers from air pollution caused by the many vehicles on the road. Can you propose any ideas to help reduce pollution, or the health impacts of pollution, in Makers Valley?

[*1] Also see challenge area 5, digital

*you will need to create a login to view the EWB pages