CITICHAT 15/2001 - 20 April 2001
Residential Development
This week let’s talk ‘inner city residential’ and start with a description of a recent inner city loft conversion:
“The designers removed the prefabricated panels surrounding the interior structural columns to reveal iron pillars, complete with large rivets, which added to the industrial feel to the apartment. The bay windows positioned along the walls of the apartment made stunning rest points and are features not often found in office/apartment blocks. The sheer space of the floor, not evident when it was used as office space, was carefully converted into an open plan concept, with a lounge, diningroom, kitchen and scattered living area. Leading off this area was the bedroom and bathroom separated by panels made of woven twigs, accentuating the almost eclectic elements of the loft. The lounge area was elevated in the centre of the room and with skin covered couches and a central pit-like fireplace, added an extra dimension to the apartment. The kitchen was a raw construction, with a central butcher’s table and suspended pots and knives focusing one’s attention. The bathroom was constructed to fully enhance the industrial nature of the loft, with a copper bath elevated in the centre of the bathroom and a light fitting resembling an operating theatre light suspended above it. The shower was accentuated by glass bricks, lit be blue lighting, adding an almost eerie mood to the setting.”
Inner city loft conversion? In Johannesburg? You’ve got to be kidding! Read on!
I didn’t have the most current information to hand on private sector investment into residential in the Inner City when I wrote the project update in last week’s Citichat.
So here’s the residential buzz.
Taffy Adler, CEO of the Johannesburg Housing Company, has provided the following information of work recently completed, underway or shortly to be commenced by his company:
• The former 5-star Landdrost Hotel was converted to 241 one-and two-bedroom units at a cost of R20 million, completed late last year.
• The Carr Gardens townhouse project to the north east of the Oriental Plaza is situated on the site of a former police station and comprises 210 one-and two-bedroom units. Was also completed last year at a cost of R20 million.
• Brickfields is part of a new regeneration project which will provide 750 new units at a cost of R63 million.
• Tribunal Gardens which will be ready for occupation by 2002 will provide 140 one- and two-bedroom units at a cost of R15 million.
• 15 Albert Street Housing will include work/live units for people who will be trading on site amongst the project’s 190 one-and two-bedroom units. Construction starts in September for completion by December next year.
Apart from their considerable contribution to the inner city residential stock and urban regeneration efforts, JHC purchased a building corner Main and McClaren Streets in the city as their headquarters - putting their money where their mouth is.
Shimi Maimela the GM of the COPE Housing Association, confirms that the information in last week’s Citichat is correct but has provided some additional facts that rounds off the update:
Philani Ma-Afrika Housing Association 67 units R1,2 million
Everest Court Housing Association 35 units R0,6 million
Hadar Court Collective Housing Co 22 units R0,4 million
Bertrams One Development Company 53 units R3,5 million
Newtown Housing Co-operative 351 units R22,6 million
Troyeville Housing Co-operative 120 units R7,8 million
Tswelopele Housing Co-operative (formerly Voortrekker) 51 units R3,8 million
Castle Blaney 68 units R2,7 million
Koch Mansions 56 units R1,5 million
Eastleigh Court 27 units R0,7 million
Terrace Road Housing Co-operative 148 units R9,9 million
Lamoen Street Housing Co-operative (Belgravia) 114 units R 7,3 million.
Two companies spending nearly R200 million on 2 643 residential conversions, upgrading and new units translating into in excess of 5 000 more people to be properly housed in the inner city – great stuff!
And there are also those still passionate about the Inner City like Richard Yell whose successful search for an inner-city-eyrie is reported on in a recent ‘Planning’ magazine. It records Richard’s search: “I climbed, knocked, called the realty board numbers, begged, asked caretakers and security guards. Nobody knew anyone who could help me find a living space in the city. And everyone thought I was mad, confused or taking something. Eventually I found my rooftop. It was your typical kaya-in-the-sky and needed some stuff done to it. Now it is a funky upbeat studio loft with loads of everything. How come one of the finest views in Africa had never been used? I grabbed it. Now I live it. My piece of sky. At night as I take my little trips to dozeyland with my sliding doors wide open, I wonder what it must be like living in the north. I would have to have high security walls. Trellidors. Dogs. Alarms. Ultra sonic. Sentry. Firearm. And as I hit Z’s, I wonder what made us leave the city in the first place. Whose city is it anyway? It’s time to head back, coz very soon everyone will want to be here. Inner City. If not you, who? If not now, when?”
Way to go, Richard! (You can contact him on richard@iafrica.com)
And the inner city loft that we started with? Well, it’s not make believe but certainly may be fantasy with a future. The description comes from a ‘Building’ magazine report written by Cara Pauling on the conversion of the top floor of the old FNB building (on the corner of Commissioner and Simmonds Streets) into a loft apartment “providing a living space which epitomises the feel of a New York apartment.” Fantasy because the conversion was done for a film being shot by an international film production company, Peak Viewing, but ‘fantasy with a future’ because the article reflects how an empty office building could be used to bring ‘tempo and positive energy’ back to the city. The film evidently switches from historic to future “Techno scenes’ and the article states; “The Techno future scenes of the film are shot across various city scenes all taking place in the Johannesburg city centre and ranging from night club settings to Anya’s (the film’s female attraction) ‘home’ a loft apartment in the middle of the city.
Way to go Anya! (You can’t contact her, but you can get more info from Cara Pauling at carap@bizpub.co.za).
Friday, April 20, 2001
Saturday, April 7, 2001
GPGP, State of the City Address Citichat 7 April 2001
CITICHAT 11/2006 - 7 April 2006
GPGP - A Provincial Government Precinct Rethink (?) and the State of the City Address
Since I wrote my closing comments on the Gauteng Provincial Government Precinct in last week’s Citichat, things appear to have at last been happening following a long period of apparent inactivity and a deafening silence on the issue from SAHRA. Firstly the appeal that a group of us had submitted to SAHRA against the demolition of the eight buildings and other aspects of the proposals, scheduled to be heard today, was suddenly postponed until later this month. Secondly, Council’s appeal, which presumably would also have been heard today, was withdrawn last Friday afternoon following an agreement between Council and Province to establish a working committee to re-examine the Provincial Government proposals. Last week I wrote “one only wonders how the politics of this will be allowed to play out” – now we have the answer! Well, this could be an important step forward to resolving the conflict over the proposals. A working committee between all interested parties prior to the release of the design on such a critical aspect of the city, instead of the secrecy with which Provincial Government tackled the project and the indescribable inefficiency that the appeal was subject to, would have saved a great deal of time, effort, cost – not to mention blood pressure!
The Executive Mayor, Cllr Amos Masondo, delivered his ‘State of the City’ address on Monday. It included a number of issues critical to the interests of the Inner City.
During the last council term of office, the metropolitan area of the city was sub-divided into 11 administrative regions (prior to that it had been sub-divided into four political areas). The 11 regions are now to be reduced to 7. The Inner City, previously Region 8, will now combine with Johannesburg South, Region 9, to form a new region, currently designated Region F. What does that mean for the Inner City? Whilst we must remember that the regions are merely administrative in function, my first reaction is that this will mean that the Inner City will not only be losing its identity, but more importantly, it is likely that its absorption into a much larger area will mean that the focus on it will be diffused. In the first period of democratic local government the City Centre was virtually ignored when the gerrymandering that took place resulted in it being subjected to three of the four political areas. As a result largely of pressure from the business sector, the Inner City Office was established to ensure a focus on the city centre. To a degree that focus was diffused at the beginning of the term of the second democratic council in 2000, when the 11 regions were introduced and the city centre found itself in a large area covering some 36 suburbs. Now the focus will be further lost with the amalgamation of the two regions - Region 9 brings with it a further 76 suburbs. In addition, and more importantly, it would appear that there will no longer be a single political responsibility for the Inner City area.
I shudder to think that every new term of council is going to bring about such major changes. I realise that we must address inefficiencies in the system and that this may mean some adjustments – seven regions should be more cost effective than eleven – but, from a City Centre point of view, major changes of this nature cannot be an improvement. If any change would be beneficial to the City Centre it would be reducing the Inner City to an even smaller one and having a greater focus – possibly the area of the UDZ should be considered as the maximum. Having also seen the extent to which Regions have produced plans, glossy brochures and all that goes with trying to create an identity, I hate to think of the cost of this rationalization let alone the ongoing insecurity it must bring to staff.
Interestingly, in other sections of the State of the City Address, the Executive Mayor takes cognizance of the Inner City problems – so under a heading of Pikitup, he states: “The inner city represents a special challenge to urban management. In this term of office, we need to take the efforts of urban renewal and regeneration o a higher level. The challenge of achieving a clean city requires urgent attention. A radical plan is required to turn the situation around in a significant way. Failures of the past can no longer be tolerated. The inner city is the face of Johannesburg. It mirrors this great City in many ways. To change the situation around we require both a strategy and a detailed 24-hour implementation plan.” As previously emphasized in these e-letters, I couldn’t agree more!
However it appears as if the focus on inner regeneration, diffused as it may be as part of the metropolitan area and a larger administrative region, will now be channeled through a new Mayoral Committee portfolio, that of Development Planning and Urban Management. The Executive Mayor commented “….urban renewal has remained an important part of our agenda. The turn around in the Inner City of Johannesburg is indeed happening and the results speak for themselves……..the establishment of the Development Planning and Urban Management portfolio, demonstrates our commitment to transforming and integrating the (Metropolitan) City…..the urban management component of the portfolio will especially ensure the continuation of the inner city regeneration in the Johannesburg, Randburg, Roodepoort, Sandton, Eldorado Park, Soweto and other similar business districts.”
The issue of urban management was raised again later in the Address when the Executive Mayor dealt with the tragic fire that claimed 12 lives and to which I referred in last week’s Citichat. In this regard he said “There is an urgent need for all the role players in this City – the judiciary, the civil society organizations, business, the religious groupings, the affected communities and government to hold a special conference and answer the question: what is it that needs to be done to consolidate on achievements gained to date on urban renewal and regeneration in the inner city?” I wouldn’t have phrased the issue quite that way – I’m not a politician – but that could well be the starting point for drawing up a new agenda for urban regeneration in the inner city for the next five years and including coming up with a plan for housing the poorest of the poor. Let’s do it, Mr Mayor!
Under a heading of ‘Sustainable Human Settlements’ the Mayoral Address rates housing as the “second most important concern of our people after jobs” and commits itself to the achievement of a number of targets. Whilst the inner city housing issues are not specifically mentioned, one of the commitments is to deliver “50 thousand mixed income housing in partnership with other players ”
In the final section of the State of the City Address under a heading of ‘Growth and Development Strategy’, the Executive Mayor also gave notice of a Growth and Development Summit to be held on the 12th May. Diarise!
Ciao, neil
Neil Fraser is a partner in Neil Fraser & Associates which trades as ‘Urban Inc.’ an urban consultancy dedicated to the revitalisation and regeneration of cities and of the inner city of Johannesburg in particular. He can be contacted at (083) 456 0242 or (011) 444-4895 or by e-mail at neil@urbaninc.co.za Views and opinions expressed in Citichat are not necessarily those of Urban Inc.
Citichat is a free weekly publication concerning cities generally and Johannesburg specifically. Please forward Citichat to your colleagues who may wish to be placed on the subscription list. To subscribe please contact us at info@urbaninc.co.za
GPGP - A Provincial Government Precinct Rethink (?) and the State of the City Address
Since I wrote my closing comments on the Gauteng Provincial Government Precinct in last week’s Citichat, things appear to have at last been happening following a long period of apparent inactivity and a deafening silence on the issue from SAHRA. Firstly the appeal that a group of us had submitted to SAHRA against the demolition of the eight buildings and other aspects of the proposals, scheduled to be heard today, was suddenly postponed until later this month. Secondly, Council’s appeal, which presumably would also have been heard today, was withdrawn last Friday afternoon following an agreement between Council and Province to establish a working committee to re-examine the Provincial Government proposals. Last week I wrote “one only wonders how the politics of this will be allowed to play out” – now we have the answer! Well, this could be an important step forward to resolving the conflict over the proposals. A working committee between all interested parties prior to the release of the design on such a critical aspect of the city, instead of the secrecy with which Provincial Government tackled the project and the indescribable inefficiency that the appeal was subject to, would have saved a great deal of time, effort, cost – not to mention blood pressure!
The Executive Mayor, Cllr Amos Masondo, delivered his ‘State of the City’ address on Monday. It included a number of issues critical to the interests of the Inner City.
During the last council term of office, the metropolitan area of the city was sub-divided into 11 administrative regions (prior to that it had been sub-divided into four political areas). The 11 regions are now to be reduced to 7. The Inner City, previously Region 8, will now combine with Johannesburg South, Region 9, to form a new region, currently designated Region F. What does that mean for the Inner City? Whilst we must remember that the regions are merely administrative in function, my first reaction is that this will mean that the Inner City will not only be losing its identity, but more importantly, it is likely that its absorption into a much larger area will mean that the focus on it will be diffused. In the first period of democratic local government the City Centre was virtually ignored when the gerrymandering that took place resulted in it being subjected to three of the four political areas. As a result largely of pressure from the business sector, the Inner City Office was established to ensure a focus on the city centre. To a degree that focus was diffused at the beginning of the term of the second democratic council in 2000, when the 11 regions were introduced and the city centre found itself in a large area covering some 36 suburbs. Now the focus will be further lost with the amalgamation of the two regions - Region 9 brings with it a further 76 suburbs. In addition, and more importantly, it would appear that there will no longer be a single political responsibility for the Inner City area.
I shudder to think that every new term of council is going to bring about such major changes. I realise that we must address inefficiencies in the system and that this may mean some adjustments – seven regions should be more cost effective than eleven – but, from a City Centre point of view, major changes of this nature cannot be an improvement. If any change would be beneficial to the City Centre it would be reducing the Inner City to an even smaller one and having a greater focus – possibly the area of the UDZ should be considered as the maximum. Having also seen the extent to which Regions have produced plans, glossy brochures and all that goes with trying to create an identity, I hate to think of the cost of this rationalization let alone the ongoing insecurity it must bring to staff.
Interestingly, in other sections of the State of the City Address, the Executive Mayor takes cognizance of the Inner City problems – so under a heading of Pikitup, he states: “The inner city represents a special challenge to urban management. In this term of office, we need to take the efforts of urban renewal and regeneration o a higher level. The challenge of achieving a clean city requires urgent attention. A radical plan is required to turn the situation around in a significant way. Failures of the past can no longer be tolerated. The inner city is the face of Johannesburg. It mirrors this great City in many ways. To change the situation around we require both a strategy and a detailed 24-hour implementation plan.” As previously emphasized in these e-letters, I couldn’t agree more!
However it appears as if the focus on inner regeneration, diffused as it may be as part of the metropolitan area and a larger administrative region, will now be channeled through a new Mayoral Committee portfolio, that of Development Planning and Urban Management. The Executive Mayor commented “….urban renewal has remained an important part of our agenda. The turn around in the Inner City of Johannesburg is indeed happening and the results speak for themselves……..the establishment of the Development Planning and Urban Management portfolio, demonstrates our commitment to transforming and integrating the (Metropolitan) City…..the urban management component of the portfolio will especially ensure the continuation of the inner city regeneration in the Johannesburg, Randburg, Roodepoort, Sandton, Eldorado Park, Soweto and other similar business districts.”
The issue of urban management was raised again later in the Address when the Executive Mayor dealt with the tragic fire that claimed 12 lives and to which I referred in last week’s Citichat. In this regard he said “There is an urgent need for all the role players in this City – the judiciary, the civil society organizations, business, the religious groupings, the affected communities and government to hold a special conference and answer the question: what is it that needs to be done to consolidate on achievements gained to date on urban renewal and regeneration in the inner city?” I wouldn’t have phrased the issue quite that way – I’m not a politician – but that could well be the starting point for drawing up a new agenda for urban regeneration in the inner city for the next five years and including coming up with a plan for housing the poorest of the poor. Let’s do it, Mr Mayor!
Under a heading of ‘Sustainable Human Settlements’ the Mayoral Address rates housing as the “second most important concern of our people after jobs” and commits itself to the achievement of a number of targets. Whilst the inner city housing issues are not specifically mentioned, one of the commitments is to deliver “50 thousand mixed income housing in partnership with other players ”
In the final section of the State of the City Address under a heading of ‘Growth and Development Strategy’, the Executive Mayor also gave notice of a Growth and Development Summit to be held on the 12th May. Diarise!
Ciao, neil
Neil Fraser is a partner in Neil Fraser & Associates which trades as ‘Urban Inc.’ an urban consultancy dedicated to the revitalisation and regeneration of cities and of the inner city of Johannesburg in particular. He can be contacted at (083) 456 0242 or (011) 444-4895 or by e-mail at neil@urbaninc.co.za Views and opinions expressed in Citichat are not necessarily those of Urban Inc.
Citichat is a free weekly publication concerning cities generally and Johannesburg specifically. Please forward Citichat to your colleagues who may wish to be placed on the subscription list. To subscribe please contact us at info@urbaninc.co.za
Friday, April 6, 2001
New City Manager, Premier Comment, Media Citichat 6 April 2001
CITICHAT 13/2001 - 6 April 2001
New City Manager, Premier’s Inner City Interest, Poor Media Reporting
Hidden away in last weekend's Sunday Times Metro was the announcement of the appointment of Pascal Moloi to the post of City Manager as successor to Ketso Gordhan who did great foundational work on the Council's major restructuring process. Pascal worked closely with Ketso as the GJMC Transformation Manager and comes to his new position with solid local government experience under his belt and skills at a high level. I know that he is also committed to the revitalisation of the inner city so his appointment bodes well for the future. Excellent choice!
Then on Tuesday a meeting convened by the Premier, Mbhazima Shilowa, with a number of his MECs, the Executive Mayor and members of his Mayoral Committee, senior officials from the Provincial Government and the Council and what the media insist on calling 'captains of industry' (surely there is a more appropriate name for business leaders?)
The meeting had originally been called by the Premier to review the inner city CCTV project but he used the opportunity and broadened the focus to the inner city revitalisation programme. After presentations by the CCTV team, business and the council, the Premier displayed an excellent grasp of the problems and issues as well as the initiatives which are underway and planned. I say excellent grasp, because over the past five or so years I have attended a number of such meetings with the Premier's predecessors who generally haven't been as inciteful. They also usually ended up crossing the lines of city responsibility between different levels of government which in turn created confusion in the ranks. To be honest, I go to these sessions with a feeling of dread as to the outcome which is usually the creation of yet another committee which does nothing but talk. I particularly remember one a couple of years ago which was attended by all the wrong people, all with lots of opinions and no commitment. Not one single initiative emerged from it! Premier Shilowa, on the other hand, said that he would not suffer the opinions and advice of the many people whose only actually owned nothing in the city and worked outside of it. He wanted people who had a real interest through investment and ownership and presence in some form. He also skillfully diverted attempts to set up yet another task force under his chairmanship placing the prime responsibility where it should be, with the city, whilst motivating the private sector to continue with its partnership involvement.
Clearly he intends to continue to keep his finger on the pulse of the city and act as catalyst and motivator. His Government has already demonstrated their commitment through their recently announced 'Blue IQ' initiative. This initiative has three strategic thrusts for the Province. Creating a high value-added manufacturing sector, enabling Gauteng to become the SMART Province of South Africa and developing the Province's service sector. 10 mega projects have been identified and R1,7 billion has been allocated to them. These include investment in two major Inner City projects being the upgrading of the Newtown Cultural Precinct and the creation of Constitutional Hill which will include South Africa's first permanent Constitutional Court. There are also others that will have a positive impact on the city including the rapid speed train between the city and Pretoria and the upgrading of the City Deep Container depot. I'm particularly enthusiastic about one of the technology projects which is aimed at raising the level of computer literacy in Gauteng's public schools by ensuring that every one of our 1.5 million pupils has free access to the internet and a personal e-mail address, and every school equipped with at least 25 computers. That's a great investment for the future.
Lows were obviously the four deaths in the fire in the Drill Hall but also some of the media reporting on the Premier's meeting. "Province, city and business agree to revamp Joburg inner city" is the headline in the Star. Whoever writes these headlines does huge damage to the credibility of those who have been committed to and working on the revamp for years. "What again?" Must have been the general re-action to the headline! "After all we've read that same headline half a dozen times in as many years!" Yawn. "More hype and spin!" The headline probably killed off any interest in reading the article which provided a somewhat more accurate report of the proceedings and outcome.
Province, city and business agreed to revamp the city years ago and have steadily been working towards that target. Here are just ten highlights in that process:
• 1995 The establishment of the Johannesburg Inner City Business Coalition to represent Business’ interests in the revitalisation process.
• 1996.The establishment of the Johannesburg Inner City Development Forum (JICDF) with five sectoral partners, Council, Provincial Government, Business, Community and Labour the main objective of which was to develop the city’s first legitimate Vision for its future.
• 1997. A Strategic Plan and Urban Renewal Strategy for the city is crafted out of the Vision and agreed between the sectoral partners.
• 1997. The Vision and Urban Renewal Strategy is announced by then Deputy President Thabo Mbeki.
• 1998. The Forum (JICDF) is superceded by an inner City Council Committee with the same sectoral partners to oversee the implementation of the Strategic Plan
• 1998 The Inner City Office is established and an Inner City Manager appointed to co-ordinate and spearhead Council’s role in the process.
• 1999. A Spatial and Economic Framework for the city is adopted.
• 1999. The Vision leads to new policies for inner city housing, informal trading, taxis, etc.
• 2000. A Strategic Development Plan for the city is established
• 2001. The newly elected Executive Mayor identifies the Inner City as one of six priorities in the metro area and appoints a councillor to his 'Cabinet' with specific responsibility for the Inner City.
Everything that is happening, and there is a lot right now, comes out of the above.
It's an ongoing integrated process, dammit, and the outcomes are visibly emerging from the base that has been created over the past five/six years. A process that has been continuously reported on by the media which appears to have no-one interested enough to try to understand it. Now, because the Premier holds a meeting, it’s an "agreement to revamp the city". If I only had some hair left I would tear it out in frustration!
New City Manager, Premier’s Inner City Interest, Poor Media Reporting
Hidden away in last weekend's Sunday Times Metro was the announcement of the appointment of Pascal Moloi to the post of City Manager as successor to Ketso Gordhan who did great foundational work on the Council's major restructuring process. Pascal worked closely with Ketso as the GJMC Transformation Manager and comes to his new position with solid local government experience under his belt and skills at a high level. I know that he is also committed to the revitalisation of the inner city so his appointment bodes well for the future. Excellent choice!
Then on Tuesday a meeting convened by the Premier, Mbhazima Shilowa, with a number of his MECs, the Executive Mayor and members of his Mayoral Committee, senior officials from the Provincial Government and the Council and what the media insist on calling 'captains of industry' (surely there is a more appropriate name for business leaders?)
The meeting had originally been called by the Premier to review the inner city CCTV project but he used the opportunity and broadened the focus to the inner city revitalisation programme. After presentations by the CCTV team, business and the council, the Premier displayed an excellent grasp of the problems and issues as well as the initiatives which are underway and planned. I say excellent grasp, because over the past five or so years I have attended a number of such meetings with the Premier's predecessors who generally haven't been as inciteful. They also usually ended up crossing the lines of city responsibility between different levels of government which in turn created confusion in the ranks. To be honest, I go to these sessions with a feeling of dread as to the outcome which is usually the creation of yet another committee which does nothing but talk. I particularly remember one a couple of years ago which was attended by all the wrong people, all with lots of opinions and no commitment. Not one single initiative emerged from it! Premier Shilowa, on the other hand, said that he would not suffer the opinions and advice of the many people whose only actually owned nothing in the city and worked outside of it. He wanted people who had a real interest through investment and ownership and presence in some form. He also skillfully diverted attempts to set up yet another task force under his chairmanship placing the prime responsibility where it should be, with the city, whilst motivating the private sector to continue with its partnership involvement.
Clearly he intends to continue to keep his finger on the pulse of the city and act as catalyst and motivator. His Government has already demonstrated their commitment through their recently announced 'Blue IQ' initiative. This initiative has three strategic thrusts for the Province. Creating a high value-added manufacturing sector, enabling Gauteng to become the SMART Province of South Africa and developing the Province's service sector. 10 mega projects have been identified and R1,7 billion has been allocated to them. These include investment in two major Inner City projects being the upgrading of the Newtown Cultural Precinct and the creation of Constitutional Hill which will include South Africa's first permanent Constitutional Court. There are also others that will have a positive impact on the city including the rapid speed train between the city and Pretoria and the upgrading of the City Deep Container depot. I'm particularly enthusiastic about one of the technology projects which is aimed at raising the level of computer literacy in Gauteng's public schools by ensuring that every one of our 1.5 million pupils has free access to the internet and a personal e-mail address, and every school equipped with at least 25 computers. That's a great investment for the future.
Lows were obviously the four deaths in the fire in the Drill Hall but also some of the media reporting on the Premier's meeting. "Province, city and business agree to revamp Joburg inner city" is the headline in the Star. Whoever writes these headlines does huge damage to the credibility of those who have been committed to and working on the revamp for years. "What again?" Must have been the general re-action to the headline! "After all we've read that same headline half a dozen times in as many years!" Yawn. "More hype and spin!" The headline probably killed off any interest in reading the article which provided a somewhat more accurate report of the proceedings and outcome.
Province, city and business agreed to revamp the city years ago and have steadily been working towards that target. Here are just ten highlights in that process:
• 1995 The establishment of the Johannesburg Inner City Business Coalition to represent Business’ interests in the revitalisation process.
• 1996.The establishment of the Johannesburg Inner City Development Forum (JICDF) with five sectoral partners, Council, Provincial Government, Business, Community and Labour the main objective of which was to develop the city’s first legitimate Vision for its future.
• 1997. A Strategic Plan and Urban Renewal Strategy for the city is crafted out of the Vision and agreed between the sectoral partners.
• 1997. The Vision and Urban Renewal Strategy is announced by then Deputy President Thabo Mbeki.
• 1998. The Forum (JICDF) is superceded by an inner City Council Committee with the same sectoral partners to oversee the implementation of the Strategic Plan
• 1998 The Inner City Office is established and an Inner City Manager appointed to co-ordinate and spearhead Council’s role in the process.
• 1999. A Spatial and Economic Framework for the city is adopted.
• 1999. The Vision leads to new policies for inner city housing, informal trading, taxis, etc.
• 2000. A Strategic Development Plan for the city is established
• 2001. The newly elected Executive Mayor identifies the Inner City as one of six priorities in the metro area and appoints a councillor to his 'Cabinet' with specific responsibility for the Inner City.
Everything that is happening, and there is a lot right now, comes out of the above.
It's an ongoing integrated process, dammit, and the outcomes are visibly emerging from the base that has been created over the past five/six years. A process that has been continuously reported on by the media which appears to have no-one interested enough to try to understand it. Now, because the Premier holds a meeting, it’s an "agreement to revamp the city". If I only had some hair left I would tear it out in frustration!
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