Joburg NightScape

The Cityscape: I think the concept is interesting to many urban planners because this is our realm, our 'laboratory' and understanding and improving it is our primary concern. The above image I took is a portion of the west from Braamfontein shows part of downtown Johannesburg and Newtown. The reason for the time of day being it is more intriguing at this time, it has a particular atmosphere which appeals to the viewer. As Cullen, G. notes in The Concise Townscape that to achieve a unique sense of wholeness is achieved through diversity upon a visual framework.Within this place there are individual elements and features that advocate a sense of visual diversity rather than conformity. In the background there changing building height and architectural style telling the view that though in close proximity the activities taking place might be different, this is clue for looking at the city (Jacobs: 1985, Looking at Cities). The void in the middle ground is the railway which is presents a hard metallic feel to this environment and shifts the colour perspective in the view from the bright lit areas. The railway is a very hard edge in Lynch's terms because they definitely demarcate one region from another.
The Mandela bridge plays a number of roles in this environment for the observer. From the point of view from of the moving person it signals the linkage of one district in the city to another, it is a landmark because it is a distinct physical object which means it is a point of reference for locals. The design of the bridge is very unique and a modern bridge. A walk over the bridge will introduce you to a number of views of parts of the city which is why the location is very articulate.The use of light on the bridge is is culturally significant-red, green, yellow and blue are all colours on the national flag. I like this space for the above mentioned reasons.