CHAPTER 3: URBAN REGENERATION AND THE RELEVANCE OF THE MIXED USE TYPOLOGY
3.2 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MIXED USE ARCHITECTURAL TYPOLOGY
3.2.2 Reasons for the Decline of the Mixed Use Building Type and the Consequences thereof
cities as they were seduced by the jobs that were being provided or those that they had heard of. As a result of this population increase, there was no further thought place d into constructions of any mixed use type buildings and developments but rather single function buildings and a separation of residential type buildings from manufacturing type buildings (Sackey, C. 2009:8). There was more emphasis now placed on manufacturer of goods, as depicted in Figure 3.5 below, at a mass level rather than an agricultural based society. This separation of land use saw a zoning of areas that led to the
development of separated residential areas as the factories which caused pollution, etc, as depicted in Figure 3.4 below. These areas were required to be at a distance to minimise any harmful effects that could be caused.
Figure 3.4: illustrating the pollution caused by Industrialisation and the construction of the large factories for production of goods. (Source: http://c8.alamy.com/comp/BJNDW5/industry-metal-iron-smelting-plant-lithograph- 1st-half-19th-century. Accessed 23 May 2017)
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Figure 3.5: illustrating the rise of mass production used due to the same product being produced at a more efficient, inexpensive rate. (Source: http://www.worldhistory.biz/uploads/posts/2015-08/403w-46.jpg. Accessed 23 May 2017)
Smaller trade and artisan shops were now replaced with large factories. However, despite the attempt at distance, the cities were of a size where people were able to walk to different areas without the means of transportation. This resulted in a compartmentalising of districts and buildings into individually zoned spaces (Herndon, J D. 2011:4)
Urbanisation saw the increase of people from rural areas migrating into the city for work, as mentioned above, and led to a need for more residential space. As the population grew, ideas of expanding buildings vertically rather than horizontally became the new trend. There were many architects and thinkers who looked for better ways in which the conflict of land use could be minimised relative to Euclidean zoning, single zoning in lamen terms, whereby there was a rigid idea of compartmentalising areas by use of the land. Le Corbusier for instance, proposed ways in which city centres were
re-invented by the use of towers surrounded by greenery rather than single storey buildings, with the more industrial uses positioned away from the residential and retail sectors (Sackey, C. 2009:9).
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However, this dense population was so overwhelming and at such a rapid pace that the municipalities could not keep up in terms of the proper and adequate provision of infrastructure. Thus, cities now took on negative undertones of neglect (Herndon, J D. 2011:4-5)
One must be aware that this type of zoning was applicable to America and Australia and whilst the focus of the research is based within South Africa, one needs to also understand circumstances that prevailed globally in terms of zoning and land uses and the reasons behind this.
Transportation. When the manufacturing of automobiles and mass transit systems began, people were now able to escape the dismal circumstances of the city and live long distances away from city life. This resulted in cities now becoming less dense and the beginning of a decline in walkability to the various amenities and spaces of interest. People now accepted the idea of transportation as means to move around and this type of convenience in terms of time to get from one place to the other (Herndon, J D.
2011:5). The thought of travelling distances to places of work was not considered as this was merely an escape from the negative effects that prevailed in the city at the time. The lack of quality spaces within the city is a clear contribution of one having to move further away. No thought was placed on the individual and their needs when mass factories and pollution over took the city.
Figure 3.6: illustrating the emergence of privatised motor vehicle transportation.
(Source: Pg. 4 ULI: Urban Land Institute.2011. Mixed-Use Development 101: The Design of Mixed-Use Buildings. Available http://triangle.uli.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2013/01/Design-of-Mixed- Use-Buildings.pdf. Accessed 22 May 2017)
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Zoning. Post-world war two saw zoning standards being applied throughout municipalities in the United States due to the rise in pollution and other such factors that were a detriment to the public’s health and safety.
Standards were therefore enforced to address the issue, in what we see today being suburban design.
This separation of land uses was to minimise any effects of city life. These standards were applied in many other countries through planning and construction professionals. This resulted in the decline and eventually a death, so to speak, of mixed use developments and design as the zoning of areas were rigid the in planning process and this type of separation of land uses. Buffer zones, for example, were now used between industrial and residential areas. There was no integration of spaces and buildings but an emphasis on single use zoning, isolation of areas from each other (Olivier, J M. 1988:12). Cities were detached in terms of uses and ,even though it was to the benefit of the public health wise, this caused segregation and an almost banishment of the mixed use type building (Grant,J. 2007:57-76).
Figure 3.7: illustrating the zoning of areas and the standardised compartmentalisation so evident.
(Source: Pg. 5 ULI: Urban Land Institute.2011. Mixed-Use Development 101: The Design of Mixed-Use Buildings. Available http://triangle.uli.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2013/01/Design-of-Mixed- Use-Buildings.pdf. Accessed 22 May 2017)
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3.2.3 The Return of the Mixed Use Building: How Effective is the Mixed Use architectural