GCRO Researcher Christian Hamann presents at the 42nd Annual Southern African Transport Conference and Exhibition

GCRO researcher Christian Hamann presented at the 42nd Annual Southern African Transport Conference and Exhibition at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) International Conference Centre (ICC) in Pretoria, South Africa on 8 July 2024. The 42nd Annual SATC was attended by transport engineers, government officials, policymakers, consultants, and researchers. The keynote address, given by the newly appointed Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, highlighted how important the transport sector is for a successful economy and that there is a need for innovation in the transport sector.

The theme of the conference was “Upskilling and reskilling the transport industry for current and future challenges”. As an invited speaker, Mr Hamann presented his recently published research about “Microscale segregation and socio-economic sorting in Gauteng” in relation to transportation and spatial planning. This presentation was given in a session along with presentations from Sarah Charlton (“Mobility at the margins”) and Leila McKenna (“Bridging the gap between policy and practice in spatial transformation”).

Mr Hamann effectively presented his research with strong visual elements about changes to segregation and socio-economic sorting patterns in Gauteng. The presentation argued that Gauteng is characterised by continued segregation, but that there are also nuances to desegregation in the Gauteng province at macro-and microscales. The evidence presented showed that the association between space and class has not changed significantly and spatial transformation is slow, but that transport can and should add important value. The presentation concluded by illustrating how transport has the potential to be the bridge between segregated spaces and socio-economic opportunity. Low-diversity, segregated spaces, on the outskirts of the city require efficient and affordable transport connections to places of opportunity.