Industrial Park

Wadeville, Germinston

This case study of a Private Archipelago looks at Industrial parks as large concentrated complexes that have been privately developed by either a singular or multiple entities who provide the basic infrastructure and in many cases also company housing in the peripheries of the complex. In South Africa, this type is located along the main network lines, mainly in connection with Pretoria and Durban. The three neighboring Industrial parks: Alrode, Wadeville and Rooikop were selected for their strategic location, development and significant impact to their surroundings. The former was located in 1943 in one of Africa’s most important Railway connections and in proximity to Johannesburg CBD. Close by, Leaving a gap for buffer space, which has been closing, a black township was built. Wadeville was developed in 1985, followed by Rooikop. Interestingly, whilst each individual property within the park is gated, the streets within the complexes are of public access leading to multiple points of informal activity such as informal production and land grabbing in between areas.