The Wingfield Case as example towards inclusive urbanism
The DASUDA team, in conjunction with Frank Cumming (Regenco) and Greater Tygerberg Partnership, has demonstrated an integrated approach with new digital tools on water and traffic, with a potential high impact on the the biggest challenges Cape Town is facing concerning flooding, traffic, low employment and social exclusion.
The location of the case study was the former military airbase of Wingfield, situated between Voortrekkerroad and the N1 in Cape Town. This vast 225 ha space is derelict for a long time and an example of the many unused spaces within the metropolis.
One of the tools DASUDA is using is the 3Di water showing consequences of severe rainfall on the site. Based on big data a real time calculation shows the exact situation of flooding on site. Outcome is directly used by the design team to alter various models incorporated in an overall spatial design to solve the problem. For the Wingfield site it resulted in the proposal to locate a water catchment in the centre of the area. In combination with green surrounding and connections to especially the Elsieskraal river south of the location led to options of integral solution and identity of what Wingfield could be.
On the topic of traffic the MOVE Meter simulation model helps to test what could possibly be alternatives for the daily infarct of the cities’ infrastructure by all those cars moving daily across the wide spread low density urban fabric of Cape Town by people seeking amenities and work that is not located in the proximity of their house.
With testing various mixed densities on Wingfield we are able to raise the density with a factor 10 compared to the neighbouring areas. Meaning that 20,000 new units can be realized instead of the typical area development of 2,000 in an urban environment which enables more amenities, social and commercial functions and mixed income groups, realizing better liveability conditions.
