the gauteng spatial development framework - Gauteng Online

DEFINING THE MORPHOLOGICAL COMPONENTS:THE URBAN STRUCTURE ELEMENTSAs outlined above, the urban morphology of the urban environment is an agglomerationand overlay of various systems. They encompass the natural environment/ terrain, movementsystems, service infrastructure systems, socio-economic activities, urban form, public space,and institutional/ urban management. The urban morphological approach recognises theseas integrated components. These combine in a 'mix/ compression' to form an urbanmorphological pattern, which in turn can be described in terms of urban structure elements(Figure A.2.2).The practice of urban morphology (i.e. the study of urban form for descriptive and explanatorypurposes, for the development of city development/ design theories and their impact onurban development) assists in identifying typical patterns and/or elements of urban structurethat characterise the urban system. Given the spatial and physical complexity of the urbansystem, a series of morphological urban structure elements have been identified, whichoccur at different urban scales within the urban system.The urban scale of the urban structure elements encompasses the following range:• Local and/or Precinct;• Neighbourhood and/or Suburb;• Town (District);• Metropolitan (City); and• RegionANNEXURE A: THE 5 GIS-BASED MODELSFigure A.2.2: Understanding the urban system in terms of morphological elements.The following morphological elements typically characterise the urban system (Figure A.2.3):• Urban Consolidation Zones;• The Urban Corridor (regional and metropolitan scale);• Nodes, with a hierarchy from regional, to primary, secondary, tertiary and local;• Specialist nodes serving a specific function and more mono-use, for example aregional sporting or national exhibitions complex such as Nasrec;83 GAUTENG SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 2011 GAUTENG GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY