Neighbourhood Immersion

What purpose does open, green, public space serve within the Jeppestown community?

Transient vs. Temporary

A walk-through of Jeppestown revealed the minimal amount of open, green, public space within the area - limited to one park. Furthermore, how the uses of this park were informal and community based. A deeper look into these uses, revealed two distinct yet similar user groups: ‘Transient’ and ‘Temporary’.



According to The Collins English Dictionary, ‘Temporary’ means not permanent; provisional; lasting only a short time; transitory. Which in the context of Jeppestown park, relates to the people who come to the park by choice. This is a conscious decision made for social, relaxation, eating or playing.

According to The Collins English Dictionary, ‘Transient’ means for a short time; transitory; change in the state of a system. Which in the context of Jeppestown park, relates to the people who use of the park to walk through as a path of convenience. Walking through the park is a sub-conscious route completed twice a day.




















In order to engage and challenge the sub-conscious nature of the transient users, I conducted a four stage experiment:
1. String across the arterial path, on the floor.
2. String across the arterial and secondary paths, on the floor.
3. String across the arterial path, at head height.
4. String across all paths, at head height.




As the experiment proceeded, everyone would sub-consciously walk around the ‘obstacle’. As options were eliminated, people would begin to make a decision on the best solution. By the end of the experiment, the sub-conscious transient pedestrians were actively changing their routes and engaging with the park in a slightly higher degree.