Journal Article

Affordable housing on contaminated land in Johannesburg : research article

Karam, Aly, Venter, Nathan

2007

Overview

The intention of this article is to look at radon contamination; the various housing design solutions that may be implemented to overcome the problem; as well as the possibility that private developers will buy into this form of development. It is not sufficient to have designs and a population willing to live on this land if private developers are not willing to take a risk and develop these sites (Simons et al., 2006). By addressing these issues, three questions shall be answered: 1. What are the potential complications in building housing on mining dumps? 2. What are the practical solutions for dealing with housing in such areas? 3. Are private developers willing to develop contaminated land? The actual cost of construction on the sites although important to the overall feasibility of development shall not be discussed. This component certainly needs further research in order to sufficiently grasp the willingness to develop on behalf of the developers. From the onset of this research, the developers showed some ignorance towards the issues of radon contamination. They did show willingness to develop certain types of designs, but the recommendation of the research is the need for education to facilitate the use of this contaminated sites. Die bedoeling van hierdie artikel is om na radon besmette terreine te kyk; die verskillende huis ontwerp oplossings wat geïmplimenteer kan word om die probleem te oorkom; asook die moontlikheid van privaat ontwikkelaars wat in hierdie tipe ontwikkeling sal wil belê. Dit is nie genoeg om ontwerpe en 'n populasie gewillig om op hierdie grond te bly te hê indien privaat ontwikkelaars nie bereid is om 'n risiko te neem en in hierdie terreine belê nie (Simons et al., 2006). Deur hierdie sake aan te spreek sal drie vrae beantwoord word: 1. Wat is die potensiele komplikasies om huise op ou mynhope te bou? 2. Wat is die praktiese oplossings wanneer met huise in hierdie areas gewerk word? 3. Is privaat ontwikkelaars gewillig om hierdie besmette terreine te ontwikkel? Die werklike konstruksiekoste van hierdie terreine alhoewel belangrik tot die oorhoofse lewensvatbaarheid van ontwikkeling sal nie bespreek word nie. Hierdie komponent vereis verdere navorsing om die bereidheid van ontwikkeling namens die ontwikkelaars genoegsaam aan te spreek. Uit die navorsing blyk dit dat ontwikkelaars die sake oor radon besmette terreine grootliks ignoreer. Ontwikkelaars het wel bereidwilligheid getoon om sekere tipes ontwerpe te ontwikkel. Die aanbeveling is dat daar 'n behoefte bestaan vir inligting rondom hoe om die gebruik van besmette land te fasiliteer.

• Publisher: University of the Free State
• Subject: Besmette bou-terreine / Bou met radon / Contaminated land / Johannesburg / Radon