SA metros grow twice as fast as other cities

"This year's 'Future City' theme is more relevant and urgent than ever before. For the first time in history the majority of humans are now urbanised and the rate is accelerating," said Daniel van der Merwe, president of the Gauteng Institute for Architecture.

All the way from Switzerland, Steffen Lemmerzahl, co-founder of the architectural office SLIK Architekten in Zürich shared insights on rule-based architectural design at ArchitectureZA 2015 (AZA2015). The conference, hosted by the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) highlighted the future of our cities and how architects and designers can help create meaningful, liveable spaces for generations to come. (Photographer: Brent Meder)

Van der Merwe officially opened ArchitectureZA 2015 which was held at The Sheds @ 1 Fox in Newtown, Johannesburg from 24-26 September

"Our new era of urbanisation is already dramatically shaping the cities and countries we live in, offering new opportunities and creating new challenges as we collectively redefine the future of our planet especially in the face of climate change and unprecedented demands on precious resources," he said.

Innovative minds

Architects and designers are vital in shaping cities that offer residents social and economic services. AZA2015 brought together leading innovative minds to discuss the opportunities these fraternities have to ignite social change and transformation.

Van der Merwe said that the United Nations estimates that 71.3% of South Africa's population will live in urban areas by 2030. "Johannesburg and its population are set to expand by 66% over the next 20 years. Already our cities and large towns produce over 80% of the national gross value added and metros are growing twice as fast as other cities," explained Van der Merwe.