Abstract
The built environment consists of various land uses and activities connected by a road network. The efficiency and effectiveness of the road network directly impacts economic growth and societal movement. This study involved the functional classification of the Gauteng provincial road network using the South African Road Classification and Access Management Manual (TRH26) as a guideline. In combination with high resolution up-to-date satellite reference imagery, dwelling and building inventories, road centrelines and other base layers, it was found that the TRH26 provided a well-structured approach to classifying the provincial road network according to the functional properties of each road link. It resulted in an accurate spatial representation of the current Gauteng provincial road network when using an appropriate geographic information system - providing a wealth of formal and technical information regarding each road and street via the comprehensive attribute database. At link level it was possible to synchronise the upgraded network with the financial asset registry in order to gauge the current state of the provincial roads within Gauteng, and to identify those that are in need of attention and/or rehabilitation to optimise efficiency and safety. This approach can be standardised throughout the country to make inferences to road safety, speed regulation, driver behaviour, traffic studies and accessibility to services.
Highlights
The transport network linking the various land uses contained by the urban landscape is an essential element of the built environment
Where currently Geographic information systems (GIS) commonly plays a huge role in such network analyses, along with the vast amount of data available today, past studies had to be conducted through graph-theoretic network analysis with many data restrictions, reduced computational capacity and lack of modelling capabilities (Xie and Levinson, 2007)
The ESKOM SPOT Building Count (SBC) data used in this study enabled one to observe a change in building density over time
Summary
The transport network linking the various land uses contained by the urban landscape is an essential element of the built environment. It is known that the physical road network affects traffic and driver behaviour, and this in turn directly influences energy consumption and the environmental impacts associated with the emissions thereof (Wilkie et al, 2012). This further affects the sustainability of the land use in practice as it affects the flora and fauna in the area (Jaarsma, 1997). Building density data was acquired nationally from 2006 to 2012, and included land use attributes This allowed for one to assess the appropriate type of road infrastructure required, according to the building density, land use, and expected growth based on the observed pattern of growth over time
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
