CITICHAT 20/2001 25 May 2001
Greenhouse Peoples Environment Centre
An e-mail regarding a special presentation on the design proposals for the GreenHouse Peoples Environmental Centre, reminded me that I have for some time wanted to write something on this project only briefly mentioned in previous Citichats.
The R10 million Centre will be situated in the North West Quadrant of Joubert Park, the site having been provided by the Council. It is intended to be a “home” for environmental NGO’s and CBO’s and activists in Greater Johannesburg, ‘a sustainable energy and environmental development experimental and display centre, through its building fabric, resource use and recycling, edible landscaping, information provision and management and an educational centre.’ ‘In essence the GreenHouse Project is to be a place of inspiration towards a green ideal which persuades every individual who visits that they do have the power and skill to improve their own quality of life as well as improving the environmental and social legacy for future generations.’
The Project Team suggests that the project will provide an opportunity for investors to participate in a learning partnership that will have far reaching yields for the development of Johannesburg. These yields will be felt in five dimensions.
☻ Educationally (knowledge) because of the documentation and research reports on Green building (including our own) that are found in the Green Living And Development (GLAD) files housed in the building.
☻ Economically (wealth), because of the income and business opportunity that the construction process will offer to local residents, as well as increasing sales opportunities to satisfy the expected demand that visitors to the GreenHouse Project will have for a wide range of ecological products
☻ Aesthetically (beauty), because a beautiful and inspirational building will enhance the natural beauty of Joubert Park, and the Inner City.
☻ Ethically (values), because of the ecological mindfulness that the GreenHouse Project team contributes to the consciousness of our fellow citizens, through the programmes of the GreenHouse Project.
☻ Politically (power), because of the interaction that the GreenHouse Project precipitates within civil society and between civil society organisations and local government, to advance the principles and implementation of Local Agenda 21.
The project offers opportunities to investors and donors the former including the showcasing of ecological products and energy efficient technology innovation and opportunities for involvement of emerging contractors with an interest in ‘green building’. Donor opportunities exist for those organisations with a focus on inner city regeneration through enhancement of quality of life or for those with both environmental and developmental interests in making a unique example of sustainable urban development.
Danish Cooperation for Environment and Development (DANCED) have provided R4,6 million for a three year start up period for human resources and organisational establishment. This excludes capital for building, furnishing and equipment but has included professional consulting fees. With effect from November 2002, social investment from other sources will need to be found to continue the programmes of the GreenHouse Project. These include
Programme for assimilation and dissemination of Green Living and Development (GLAD) knowledge. R850,000 per annum.
Sustainable Energy and Environment for Development (SEED) Programme. R 200,000 p.a.
Friends of the GreenHouse (FROGs) start up funding. R 25,000.
Organisational Support and Capacity Building programme. R500 000.
Joubert Park is of course perceived as an area of major urban distress and so one must ask the question as to what impact the project will have on the surrounding area? The Project Team claim that it:
☻ Will enhance Joubert Park as a ‘green lung’ in the inner city, making surrounding residential properties more attractive to home buyers, which should corresponding lead to increases in property prices.
☻ Will attract visitors to the inner city, many of whom will also visit the Art Gallery and other inner city attractions.
☻ Will provide educational opportunities for both children and adults to understand themselves as part of the environment and responsible for maintaining its integrity.
John Clarke the Project Manager reflects on the sustainability of the project – “The long term sustainability of the project will probably depend on maintaining an effective “Friends of the GreenHouse (FROGs)” outreach, since the rationale for the project is essentially an ethical one, summed up as “how can we make our society sustainable by using only renewable resources on a sustainable basis?” We assume that individuals and organisations who are sincerely interested in that question, will give resources to us. In turn we will demonstrate how to achieve “more with less”, and through strategic investment of resources donated to us, develop an expanding capital base (capital understood holistically as incorporating social and ecological capital as well as financial and manufactured capital).
The programmes we offer will be managed as value-adding initiatives, that preferentially address the interests of people disadvantaged and/ or marginalised by inequitable economic, political and social practices, whether perpetrated by local, national or international forces. Until such time as global economic relations are fair, the programmes we offer will need to be supported by humanitarian aid and Corporate Social Investment, if their impact is to be significant. Implied in this is a strong lobbying and advocacy role that the project will play, in concert with other social movements working for overall social and environmental betterment.“
The architects for the project are Nick Whitcutt and James Jacobs and the project team is aiming for the Centre to be sufficiently complete by the time of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg next year, so that it can be officially opened as a flagship exhibition project, “demonstrating the fruits of a sound partnership between local government and civil society, in addressing urban environmental concerns”.
Whilst Greater Johannesburg is wonderfully ‘treed’, the city centre with its history of tearing down architectural gems and replacing them with schlock can hardly be described as ‘green’! So the Greenhouse Environmental Centre is a welcome addition in the long list of current projects.
On the eating front, have had a number of enquiries regarding making bookings at the Portuguese restaurant ‘Cuana” I mentiones a couple of weeks back. Phone 333.1321 or Alice at 082-637.9367.
Moving to the western edge of the city, one of the best known of our city eateries is undoubtedly Kapitans. Established in 1887 (the year after the discovery of gold!) it is the oldest curry restaurant in South Africa now run by the fourth generation of the original founders. Often quoted as Nelson Mandela’s favourite restaurant, it was actually used by him as a clandestine meeting place prior to his incarceration as also by the Transvaal Indian Congress. The curries are all mild and tasty – the masala is a mix from the grandfather of the current Kapitan and the masala tea is evidently something else! The décor can only be described as “Joeys eclectic” and proceedings are ruled over by Ma Kapitan, a colourful character if ever there was one – I have been berated loudly by her on both my previous visits for leaving food on my plate – but it was truly for reasons of quantity and not quality! Tucked away on the first floor at 11 Kort Street, bookings on 834.8048 – parking not always the easiest.
Friday, May 25, 2001
Friday, May 18, 2001
CIDs Citichat 18 May 2001
CITICHAT 19/2001 - 18 May 2001
CID Progress
The ‘Improvement District’ movement continues to grow in South Africa and to become part of our urban management scene. Although now known by a plethora of acronyms they all have one thing in common, providing supplementary services to those provided by local authorities to make urban areas more competitive and better places to work, shop and recreate in.
From time to time in the future, Citichat will report on the status of South African IDs (that seems the safest terminology given BIDs (Business), CIDs (City), MIDs (Municipal), UIPs (Urban Improvement Precincts), TIZs (Town Improvement Zones) and a couple of others!). As we do so we’ll showcase one ID in more detail than others, this week it’s a WID – the Wynberg Improvement District in Cape Town. The following list might well not be conclusive as it is drawn mostly from the direct or indirect involvement of either the CJP or PUR. It also doesn’t include literally dozens of initiatives to establish similar structures in residential areas. An (e) after the name means that the CID is approved by the appropriate municipality and established, a (p) that it is proposed and already some way down the approval process whilst a (v) means that it is up-and-running on a voluntary basis at this stage.
Western Cape.
Cape Town CBD (e)
Claremont (e)
Wynberg (e)
Sea Point (p)
Eastern Cape
Kingwilliamstown (p)
East London (p)
Gauteng
Johannesburg Inner City
Central (v)*
South Western (v)*
Retail (v)*
Northern (v)*
Braamfontein (v)*
Newtown (v)*
Legislature (v)*
Ellis Park Precinct (p)
Garment District (p)
Rosebank
Rosebank Management District (e)
Sandton
Sandton City Management District (e)
Sandton Business District (p)
Midrand
Midrand CBD (e)
Pretoria
Esselen Street (e)
Church Street (p)
CBD (p)
Paul Kruger Street (p)
Arcadia (p)
Hatfield (p)
Brooklyn (p)
Mapumalanga
Nelspruit (p)
Kwa Zulu Natal
Durban
Central City (e)
3 around the Convention Centre area (p)
* Will be covered by a single CBD-wide CID by mid-year
Some recent information from two of the established IDs illustrates the value of this type of initiative:
Claremont Improvement District Company (CIDC) in the Cape Town Unicity – operationalised in December 2000 – from police reports crime has fallen steadily in the area since the establishment of the CIDC, 54% in January; 28% in February and 53.6% in March.
We have just completed an ‘audit’ of this CIDs effectiveness for their Board. We had a good feel for the area having carried out the original Perception Survey now probably a year ago. The improvement is quite remarkable, Apart from the safety stats above which speak for themselves, pavements are noticeably cleaner, informal trading appears more ‘managed’ and there is a high awareness of the work of the CIDC. They also have taken a really pro-active approach to dealing with the problem that exists in the area of street children and were about to open a special facility to deal with this aspect.
The Essellen Street CID in Pretoria recently carried out a survey within their operating area from which the following was ascertained:
• 92% of respondents perceived the area as cleaner since the establishment of the CID
• 66% as safer
• 98% believe the CID is worthwhile
• 32% of tenants have reflected an increase in turnover, average 32%
Now for WID, the Wynberg Improvement District.
PUR was appointed in 1999 to undertake a Perception Survey of the Retail and Business Centre in Wynberg, Cape and then provided a consulting service for the establishment of the resultant Municipal Improvement District (MID) as they were called by the South Peninsula Municipality at that time. The Wynberg Improvement District was the first Improvement District to be formally approved by a Municipality in the Western Cape, in May 2000 and became operational in October of that year.
The Perception Survey highlighted an urban area under a great deal of distress presenting a completely unmanaged appearance which had resulted negatively on property values and property rentals, etc. The area was characterised by litter, unmanaged informal trading, illegal posters, damaged refuse bins, a particularly large number of homeless street people and a relatively high level of street crime.
In a short space of time, the WID, under the management of Kristina Davidson, has had a significant impact on the public environment of the Wynberg Business and Retail centre demonstrating the effectiveness of the CID process.
Employment. The WID has a full-time Manager in the person of Kristina Davidson, a cleaning sub contractor (7 cleaners plus 1 supervisor), 2 Law Enforcement Officers (employed by the local authority but paid for by the WID) and 4 Community Patrol Officers. Whilst the cleaners are currently operating out of a room in the Town Hall and the law enforcement and SAPS from their respective stations, the WID is looking to set up an operations room for all personnel.
Budget. R 1 010 000–00 per annum
Number of Participants: 100 rateable properties
Service Agreement. A minimum service agreement has been signed with the local authority.
Parking areas – The WID has an agreement with the municipality to manage the parking areas and currently is engaged on a pilot project using street people as parking attendants, where possible, who sign a code of conduct. The project to date has been very successful in one respect - there are no longer hordes of illegal parking attendants trying to tell you how to park / drive! They are now moving to the next phase, with the introduction of distinctive uniforms and allowing applicants other than street people to apply to be parking attendants. They are also planning to employ a supervisor with a law enforcement background to check on all the parking attendants, extending if necessary into the surrounding streets.
Street People - Vagrancy in Wynberg is still a major problem requiring the WID to become extremely involved in seeking solutions. They do not profess to have all the solutions to this problem, which is made worse by chronic substance abuse. However, by working very closely together with the many role-players, the WID believes that short and long term solutions can be found to manage and control the influx of street people in Wynberg. One success, in partnership with the municipality, was to have the public toilets in Maynardville opened, under the supervision of one of the street people. This provides street people with supervised ablution facilities where they are also permitted to do their washing early in the morning, before the public is out and about. The WID is also very involved in the setting up of a multi-purpose centre in Wynberg, possibly on the site of a current night shelter. The emphasis would be on skills training and job creation, open during the days, so that the street people would have no excuse for sitting around in the parking areas all day. It is planned that the centre should include representatives from all service providers in the area, thus ensuring that a full range of services are available to the street people (continuum of care or development continuum).
Informal Traders - Law enforcement has been very successful in controlling the informal traders - there are no illegal traders in the WID area and Council now receives 100% payment of monthly rentals! The next step planned is to re-configure the trading bays and to educate the informal traders on keeping their immediate surroundings clean.
Greening and the Environment. The WID has started a programme of greening with trees and planting in terra cotta containers down the Main Road. Owners have been encouraged to do up their buildings and one building in Church Street and a number of buildings in Station Road have been repainted to great effect. The WID also plans to repaint all traffic light poles.
We took the opportunity whilst carrying out the Claremont audit to visit the WID and again were impressed at the visual improvement that has resulted from their efforts. Informal pavement trading which was quite out of control previously is now clearly managed and could be further improved through the use of appropriately designed stalls or small trading markets. The big problem in Wynberg is the proliferation of street people the majority of whom clearly having substance abuse problems. This is a major issue in our towns and cities and, given the roots of the problem, not easy to solve, but solve it we must.
So the CID movement is alive and well and growing!
Eating establishments in the Johannesburg CBD may not be growing, yet, but there are a number that are also alive and well! Following last week’s Citichat report on a Portuguese eaterie and staying in the East of the CBD, here’s another worth visiting. ABSA has provided a very pleasant coffee shop, Wiesenhof, in their new Campus serving light meals. Part of a growing chain owned by ex-Springbok rugby player Kobus Wiese, I have enjoyed breakfast over a number of early morning meetings in their bright and airy premises fronting onto Commissioner Street.
Reminder about the Johannesburg Inner City Investor’s Briefing on Tuesday 29th May from 08h00 BUT NOTE that the venue has changed from Newtown appropriately to the 50th Floor Top of the Carlton Centre. Parking available in the Carlton Basement Parking Garage. See you there!
CID Progress
The ‘Improvement District’ movement continues to grow in South Africa and to become part of our urban management scene. Although now known by a plethora of acronyms they all have one thing in common, providing supplementary services to those provided by local authorities to make urban areas more competitive and better places to work, shop and recreate in.
From time to time in the future, Citichat will report on the status of South African IDs (that seems the safest terminology given BIDs (Business), CIDs (City), MIDs (Municipal), UIPs (Urban Improvement Precincts), TIZs (Town Improvement Zones) and a couple of others!). As we do so we’ll showcase one ID in more detail than others, this week it’s a WID – the Wynberg Improvement District in Cape Town. The following list might well not be conclusive as it is drawn mostly from the direct or indirect involvement of either the CJP or PUR. It also doesn’t include literally dozens of initiatives to establish similar structures in residential areas. An (e) after the name means that the CID is approved by the appropriate municipality and established, a (p) that it is proposed and already some way down the approval process whilst a (v) means that it is up-and-running on a voluntary basis at this stage.
Western Cape.
Cape Town CBD (e)
Claremont (e)
Wynberg (e)
Sea Point (p)
Eastern Cape
Kingwilliamstown (p)
East London (p)
Gauteng
Johannesburg Inner City
Central (v)*
South Western (v)*
Retail (v)*
Northern (v)*
Braamfontein (v)*
Newtown (v)*
Legislature (v)*
Ellis Park Precinct (p)
Garment District (p)
Rosebank
Rosebank Management District (e)
Sandton
Sandton City Management District (e)
Sandton Business District (p)
Midrand
Midrand CBD (e)
Pretoria
Esselen Street (e)
Church Street (p)
CBD (p)
Paul Kruger Street (p)
Arcadia (p)
Hatfield (p)
Brooklyn (p)
Mapumalanga
Nelspruit (p)
Kwa Zulu Natal
Durban
Central City (e)
3 around the Convention Centre area (p)
* Will be covered by a single CBD-wide CID by mid-year
Some recent information from two of the established IDs illustrates the value of this type of initiative:
Claremont Improvement District Company (CIDC) in the Cape Town Unicity – operationalised in December 2000 – from police reports crime has fallen steadily in the area since the establishment of the CIDC, 54% in January; 28% in February and 53.6% in March.
We have just completed an ‘audit’ of this CIDs effectiveness for their Board. We had a good feel for the area having carried out the original Perception Survey now probably a year ago. The improvement is quite remarkable, Apart from the safety stats above which speak for themselves, pavements are noticeably cleaner, informal trading appears more ‘managed’ and there is a high awareness of the work of the CIDC. They also have taken a really pro-active approach to dealing with the problem that exists in the area of street children and were about to open a special facility to deal with this aspect.
The Essellen Street CID in Pretoria recently carried out a survey within their operating area from which the following was ascertained:
• 92% of respondents perceived the area as cleaner since the establishment of the CID
• 66% as safer
• 98% believe the CID is worthwhile
• 32% of tenants have reflected an increase in turnover, average 32%
Now for WID, the Wynberg Improvement District.
PUR was appointed in 1999 to undertake a Perception Survey of the Retail and Business Centre in Wynberg, Cape and then provided a consulting service for the establishment of the resultant Municipal Improvement District (MID) as they were called by the South Peninsula Municipality at that time. The Wynberg Improvement District was the first Improvement District to be formally approved by a Municipality in the Western Cape, in May 2000 and became operational in October of that year.
The Perception Survey highlighted an urban area under a great deal of distress presenting a completely unmanaged appearance which had resulted negatively on property values and property rentals, etc. The area was characterised by litter, unmanaged informal trading, illegal posters, damaged refuse bins, a particularly large number of homeless street people and a relatively high level of street crime.
In a short space of time, the WID, under the management of Kristina Davidson, has had a significant impact on the public environment of the Wynberg Business and Retail centre demonstrating the effectiveness of the CID process.
Employment. The WID has a full-time Manager in the person of Kristina Davidson, a cleaning sub contractor (7 cleaners plus 1 supervisor), 2 Law Enforcement Officers (employed by the local authority but paid for by the WID) and 4 Community Patrol Officers. Whilst the cleaners are currently operating out of a room in the Town Hall and the law enforcement and SAPS from their respective stations, the WID is looking to set up an operations room for all personnel.
Budget. R 1 010 000–00 per annum
Number of Participants: 100 rateable properties
Service Agreement. A minimum service agreement has been signed with the local authority.
Parking areas – The WID has an agreement with the municipality to manage the parking areas and currently is engaged on a pilot project using street people as parking attendants, where possible, who sign a code of conduct. The project to date has been very successful in one respect - there are no longer hordes of illegal parking attendants trying to tell you how to park / drive! They are now moving to the next phase, with the introduction of distinctive uniforms and allowing applicants other than street people to apply to be parking attendants. They are also planning to employ a supervisor with a law enforcement background to check on all the parking attendants, extending if necessary into the surrounding streets.
Street People - Vagrancy in Wynberg is still a major problem requiring the WID to become extremely involved in seeking solutions. They do not profess to have all the solutions to this problem, which is made worse by chronic substance abuse. However, by working very closely together with the many role-players, the WID believes that short and long term solutions can be found to manage and control the influx of street people in Wynberg. One success, in partnership with the municipality, was to have the public toilets in Maynardville opened, under the supervision of one of the street people. This provides street people with supervised ablution facilities where they are also permitted to do their washing early in the morning, before the public is out and about. The WID is also very involved in the setting up of a multi-purpose centre in Wynberg, possibly on the site of a current night shelter. The emphasis would be on skills training and job creation, open during the days, so that the street people would have no excuse for sitting around in the parking areas all day. It is planned that the centre should include representatives from all service providers in the area, thus ensuring that a full range of services are available to the street people (continuum of care or development continuum).
Informal Traders - Law enforcement has been very successful in controlling the informal traders - there are no illegal traders in the WID area and Council now receives 100% payment of monthly rentals! The next step planned is to re-configure the trading bays and to educate the informal traders on keeping their immediate surroundings clean.
Greening and the Environment. The WID has started a programme of greening with trees and planting in terra cotta containers down the Main Road. Owners have been encouraged to do up their buildings and one building in Church Street and a number of buildings in Station Road have been repainted to great effect. The WID also plans to repaint all traffic light poles.
We took the opportunity whilst carrying out the Claremont audit to visit the WID and again were impressed at the visual improvement that has resulted from their efforts. Informal pavement trading which was quite out of control previously is now clearly managed and could be further improved through the use of appropriately designed stalls or small trading markets. The big problem in Wynberg is the proliferation of street people the majority of whom clearly having substance abuse problems. This is a major issue in our towns and cities and, given the roots of the problem, not easy to solve, but solve it we must.
So the CID movement is alive and well and growing!
Eating establishments in the Johannesburg CBD may not be growing, yet, but there are a number that are also alive and well! Following last week’s Citichat report on a Portuguese eaterie and staying in the East of the CBD, here’s another worth visiting. ABSA has provided a very pleasant coffee shop, Wiesenhof, in their new Campus serving light meals. Part of a growing chain owned by ex-Springbok rugby player Kobus Wiese, I have enjoyed breakfast over a number of early morning meetings in their bright and airy premises fronting onto Commissioner Street.
Reminder about the Johannesburg Inner City Investor’s Briefing on Tuesday 29th May from 08h00 BUT NOTE that the venue has changed from Newtown appropriately to the 50th Floor Top of the Carlton Centre. Parking available in the Carlton Basement Parking Garage. See you there!
Friday, May 11, 2001
Constitution Hill; IC Perception Survey Citichat May 11th 2001
CITICHAT 18/2001 - May 11th 2001
Constitution Hill, Inner City Perception Survey
Local readers of Citichat will no doubt be aware of the ground swell of positive publicity the inner city has been receiving particularly over the past few weeks. Some excellent media coverage on the announcements regarding the Mary Fitzgerald Square Design award as part of the upgrading programme for Newtown (including the MetroMarket project) a fortnight ago was followed by positive reporting this week on the announcements regarding the Constitution Hill project. This took place on Wednesday at the handover of the South African Heritage Resource Agency’s report on the history of Constitution Hill to the Constitutional Court and the presentation of plans for the future of the site.
The Constitution Hill Development is one of the major and pivotal developments in the Johannesburg Inner City regeneration process and comprises the following elements:
• The new Constitutional Court
• Provision for office space and shared facilities for a number of bodies provided for in the Constitution
• The development of the site’s important and significant heritage components which include the Old Fort, the “Native” Prison (Sections 4 and 5), and the Women’s Gaol
• High quality public spaces including new gardens and public art
• Newly upgraded and calmed surrounding roads
• New Commercial Development including major shared car parks.
• Upgraded community and physical recreation facilities
This is captured in a detailed Urban Design Framework for Constitution Hill the development of which was made possible by the Department of Arts Culture Science and Technology and the Department of Public Works.
Funding of the development has been secured from National, Provincial and Local Government. The major financier being Blue IQ, the investment arm of Provincial Government. The Department of Public Works and their professional teams have worked on this project over a number of years but the newly established Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) is now managing the development. Construction of the Constitutional Court will commence in July this year.
In his comments at the session on Wednesday, Graeme Reid, CEO of the JDA, said the following; "The Hill, its Fort and its Gaol contain the twentieth century in South Africa. It tells the stories of our colonial and apartheid past, stories of the abuse of the power of the state, stories of personal and political triumph.
When completed the new Constitution Hill will be:
• an internationally important symbol of the new South Africa
• the home of the Law of the Constitution
• the home of the guarantor of Human Rights for every South African citizen, and
• an extraordinary place to visit, to experience and reflect on our history and our future.
The development creates important opportunities for Johannesburg. It is designed as a place that will empower people to access the city and its facilities and its opportunities. It is designed to have important economic and social regenerative impact on surrounding areas, especially in Hillbrow and Braamfontein. And it creates substantial economic opportunities, in the short-term in the construction of the site and in the longer term in tourism and heritage activities. Once completed it will be a cornerstone from which to realise our aspiration of the African world class city."
Another positive milestone reached!
Positive sentiment too, was the outcome of a Perception Survey carried out in the latter months of 2000 and the early months of 2001 by Business Against Crime (BAC) as part of their CCTV project for the Inner City.
Yes, the major issues of concern remain crime together with real concern being expressed in regard to the lack of enforcement of by-laws and consequential lack of control of hawkers, lack of cleanliness, outdated infrastructure, unacceptable anti-social activities and lack of parking in certain areas. We had hoped that the new Metro Police Service would come in positively and in force with a focus on this enforcement issue. Generally there is a feeling of disappointment and I personally have had a number of experiences that give rise to a feeling that the entrenched attitudes of the past few years have not changed.
But against these concerns:
• 87% of respondents believe that we can become a world class city
• Political will was viewed as strong because of local and provincial government support for many of the projects/processes which are underway or are planned
• 53% of respondents said that they would consider relocating to or investing in the inner City (with only 13% saying 'no')
• The BIDs/CIDs received very positive comment - "an extremely positive catalyst in reviving the area" - 73% or respondents perceive crime as lower in these areas, 63% that the areas are noticeably cleaner than non BID/CID areas.
• 84% believed that doing nothing to revive the Inner City would be a huge loss financially and unacceptable for South Afric'a reputation overall
• Nice comment "the CBD is a place conducive to business activity not so much in the traditional sense any more as the city has become more reflective of the African demography"
• Access good, traffic not unacceptably congested as previously
• 92% gave the following advantages to the Centre City; central location; no area better developed and access.
Finally, I was also interested to see from the Survey that 60% of respondents said the number and types of restaurants in the city were inadequate. In fact I often have people passing the comment that "there is nowhere in the city to eat lunch." It makes me wonder if they ever in fact look for places, or are not prepared to find, or are still fixated on what once was! Sure, the city is not exactly a food court but it has some interesting (and good) eateries if only you are prepared to look. So I am going to include a short report each week on an eating establishment I've tried. A while ago I did mention the Hotel School which is a great eating place but if you like Portuguese, try the Cuana in Polly Street between Pritchard and Kerk. I was at a lunch there this week. Don't like the area? It is fine, in fact it is in the proposed Fashion District - the reason for the lunch - which is now reaching an advanced stage of planning. Quite a bit of on street parking available which I found safe. Seems to be a favourite with Mozambique 'locals' and those from other African Portuguese-speaking countries. Small establishment with quite a comprehensive menu in Portuguese and English and its food basic, but good. I dipped a piece of calamari into their peri-peri and my tongue still has the burn marks to prove it!
Have a great weekend!
Constitution Hill, Inner City Perception Survey
Local readers of Citichat will no doubt be aware of the ground swell of positive publicity the inner city has been receiving particularly over the past few weeks. Some excellent media coverage on the announcements regarding the Mary Fitzgerald Square Design award as part of the upgrading programme for Newtown (including the MetroMarket project) a fortnight ago was followed by positive reporting this week on the announcements regarding the Constitution Hill project. This took place on Wednesday at the handover of the South African Heritage Resource Agency’s report on the history of Constitution Hill to the Constitutional Court and the presentation of plans for the future of the site.
The Constitution Hill Development is one of the major and pivotal developments in the Johannesburg Inner City regeneration process and comprises the following elements:
• The new Constitutional Court
• Provision for office space and shared facilities for a number of bodies provided for in the Constitution
• The development of the site’s important and significant heritage components which include the Old Fort, the “Native” Prison (Sections 4 and 5), and the Women’s Gaol
• High quality public spaces including new gardens and public art
• Newly upgraded and calmed surrounding roads
• New Commercial Development including major shared car parks.
• Upgraded community and physical recreation facilities
This is captured in a detailed Urban Design Framework for Constitution Hill the development of which was made possible by the Department of Arts Culture Science and Technology and the Department of Public Works.
Funding of the development has been secured from National, Provincial and Local Government. The major financier being Blue IQ, the investment arm of Provincial Government. The Department of Public Works and their professional teams have worked on this project over a number of years but the newly established Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) is now managing the development. Construction of the Constitutional Court will commence in July this year.
In his comments at the session on Wednesday, Graeme Reid, CEO of the JDA, said the following; "The Hill, its Fort and its Gaol contain the twentieth century in South Africa. It tells the stories of our colonial and apartheid past, stories of the abuse of the power of the state, stories of personal and political triumph.
When completed the new Constitution Hill will be:
• an internationally important symbol of the new South Africa
• the home of the Law of the Constitution
• the home of the guarantor of Human Rights for every South African citizen, and
• an extraordinary place to visit, to experience and reflect on our history and our future.
The development creates important opportunities for Johannesburg. It is designed as a place that will empower people to access the city and its facilities and its opportunities. It is designed to have important economic and social regenerative impact on surrounding areas, especially in Hillbrow and Braamfontein. And it creates substantial economic opportunities, in the short-term in the construction of the site and in the longer term in tourism and heritage activities. Once completed it will be a cornerstone from which to realise our aspiration of the African world class city."
Another positive milestone reached!
Positive sentiment too, was the outcome of a Perception Survey carried out in the latter months of 2000 and the early months of 2001 by Business Against Crime (BAC) as part of their CCTV project for the Inner City.
Yes, the major issues of concern remain crime together with real concern being expressed in regard to the lack of enforcement of by-laws and consequential lack of control of hawkers, lack of cleanliness, outdated infrastructure, unacceptable anti-social activities and lack of parking in certain areas. We had hoped that the new Metro Police Service would come in positively and in force with a focus on this enforcement issue. Generally there is a feeling of disappointment and I personally have had a number of experiences that give rise to a feeling that the entrenched attitudes of the past few years have not changed.
But against these concerns:
• 87% of respondents believe that we can become a world class city
• Political will was viewed as strong because of local and provincial government support for many of the projects/processes which are underway or are planned
• 53% of respondents said that they would consider relocating to or investing in the inner City (with only 13% saying 'no')
• The BIDs/CIDs received very positive comment - "an extremely positive catalyst in reviving the area" - 73% or respondents perceive crime as lower in these areas, 63% that the areas are noticeably cleaner than non BID/CID areas.
• 84% believed that doing nothing to revive the Inner City would be a huge loss financially and unacceptable for South Afric'a reputation overall
• Nice comment "the CBD is a place conducive to business activity not so much in the traditional sense any more as the city has become more reflective of the African demography"
• Access good, traffic not unacceptably congested as previously
• 92% gave the following advantages to the Centre City; central location; no area better developed and access.
Finally, I was also interested to see from the Survey that 60% of respondents said the number and types of restaurants in the city were inadequate. In fact I often have people passing the comment that "there is nowhere in the city to eat lunch." It makes me wonder if they ever in fact look for places, or are not prepared to find, or are still fixated on what once was! Sure, the city is not exactly a food court but it has some interesting (and good) eateries if only you are prepared to look. So I am going to include a short report each week on an eating establishment I've tried. A while ago I did mention the Hotel School which is a great eating place but if you like Portuguese, try the Cuana in Polly Street between Pritchard and Kerk. I was at a lunch there this week. Don't like the area? It is fine, in fact it is in the proposed Fashion District - the reason for the lunch - which is now reaching an advanced stage of planning. Quite a bit of on street parking available which I found safe. Seems to be a favourite with Mozambique 'locals' and those from other African Portuguese-speaking countries. Small establishment with quite a comprehensive menu in Portuguese and English and its food basic, but good. I dipped a piece of calamari into their peri-peri and my tongue still has the burn marks to prove it!
Have a great weekend!
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