’N Ruimtelike en Sosio-Ekonomiese Analise Van Werkritpatrone in Kaapstad

Abstract

A Spatial and Socio-economic comparison of journey to work patterns in Cape Town: Daily journey to work activities constitute one of the most fundamental structuring processes of the modern city. The respective locations of jobs and the linked homes are therefore of vital importance for the optimal functioning of the complex metropolitan system. Cape Town offers a suitable milieu for a general exploratory study which will look for answers to the following three questions: (i) How are the locations of residences and work places in relation to each other distributed within the urban space; (ii) which specific journey to work patterns emerge from the work place-residence matrix; and (iii) to what extent do the social characteristics of the economically active workers relate to observed journey to work distances? The 16 017 sampled cases from the 1980 population census represent the city’s economically active Whites, Coloureds and Asians who were analysed statistically and cartographically. Distinct observations appeared. Work places incline towards a more centralised locational pattern within the urban space in contrast with the dispersing residential structure. This creates a relative surplus of work in the central city, and results in a centripetal journey to work pattern. Travelling distance increases with the increase in residential distance from the city centre. Worker sub-groups, however, experience these journey to work patterns differently according to their social characteristics, as relatively longer journey to work distances occur amongst Coloureds, Afrikaans-speaking persons, production and clerical professions, middle-income workers, men, large families, middle-aged people, motor car owners, as well as bus and train passengers.