1.3 Transport

Social sciences

Grade 8

Geography: settlements

Module 5

Transport

1. Improved means of transport

In the years before factories started to mass produce goods in large quantities, people worked on a smaller scale, either at home or in smaller buildings. They used to walk to work and therefore lived as close to work as possible . Towards the middle of the 19th century (about 1825 – 1875) the industrial revolution took place; machines were manufactured, the first motor cars were assembled and factories were erected. Means of transport were developed, and soon it would not only be cars, but also trams, steam trains and eventually electric trains, tube trains, buses and fast cars. People could suddenly live further away from the workplace , which meant that the boundaries of towns and cities were expanding rapidly. This had a big influence on the inside and outside appearance of the city, e.g.

The workplace and living areas gradually became further removed from each other;

various types of living areas (upper class, middle class and working class) and working areas (office blocks and shops in the centre of town; factories on the outskirts of town) sprang up;

tall buildings were erected in city centres or the centre of towns, because this was where everyone wanted to be; land became more expensive and people started building “on top of other buildings” (storeys); a new method of transportation, the elevator, came into use;

roads and railway lines were constructed and people erected their homes and businesses alongside so that towns and cities began to take on different shapes if viewed from the top.

large areas of towns/cities have tarred surfaces for parking, streets were widened and concrete jungles developed;

many of the functions in the centre of town (CBD - Central Business District), such as cinemas, bigger shops, offices, etc. have relocated to the suburbs. Large shopping centre complexes, such as Tyger Valley Centre and Eastgate were built and accommodate a large number of functions under one roof. One stop shopping conveniences with ample parking areas and less traffic draw large numbers of people every day.

the city suddenly started expanding in almost all directions, making it difficult to say what shape a city is taking on. Most cities have no particular shape.

2. What impact does this development have on the people in our country?

We already know that cities are enormously popular and that literally thousands of new residents move to bigger towns and cities, some because they have been transferred and already have work, and others in the hope of getting a job to earn a better living. Let’s try to form an image of the effects of the huge expansion of towns and cities:

People move to city surroundings for various reasons. It is estimated that between 10 000 and 15 000 new residents move into the larger Cape Town area every month. Some of them (a small group) have jobs, have been transferred or feel like a change of surroundings and are usually financially sound. Most of them, however, hope to find work and make a better living. We start by focussing on this group;