A group of ninety third year Town and Regional Planning students boarded a train to KwaMashu on Thursday, 9 February as part of a joint orientation exercise between the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). The 45-minute long train trip was sponsored by the Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE) and Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).

Although boarding the train was a familiar experience for a few of the Durban born students, others like 19-year-old Mfundo Dube were mesmerized.

While the trip was an adventure it was also meant to be a learning experience. The orientation was centred on the role of public transport in the development of cities, looking at how this influences the city structure and movement of goods and people. The aim was to have students understand the local context of Durban as a “laboratory” for town and regional planning studies.

Founder of Iyer Urban Design Studio Nathan Iyer elaborated on the topic of public transport during a presentation at the KwaMashu Community Centre. He explained that a city comprises various aspects which interlink.
“It is important to understand that a city is a product of a process, we must think of it as being part of a brain system. Public transport is a major part of this system,” Iyer said.

Elizabeth Dubbeld of the eThekwini Municipality Framework Planning Development Planning department highlighted the transformation of public transport since the early 1900s. According to her, the railway system is the backbone of public transport in Durban.

The orientation exercise was enjoyed by the students. Ntando Bembe (21) said learning that “the structure of a city is shaped around the pattern of transport was vital.”

DUT and UKZN town and regional planning students on a train en route to KwaMashu township.

– Naledi Hlefane