Progress Review Citichat 5 December 2008

CITICHAT 48/2008 - 5 December 2008


2008 Overview - Inner city progress

It’s that time of the year when one needs to look back over the past twelve months to see what has been accomplished in the inner city and what hasn’t – to recognize people or organizations for their work and to present wooden spoons to those who have neither delivered nor lived up to expectation. This week we’ll start at the macro level and then finish up the year by looking next week at what’s been happening on the ground.



National



After complaining for years about the lack of any clear direction from Central Government on issues urban, I had a pleasant surprise this week when I attended the 2nd South African Cities Network Urban Conference in Umhlanga. The background to the conference was provided as follows: “There has been a growing recognition in South Africa of the critical role of South Africa’s towns, cities and city-regions as both the key places of economic potential and the places where the challenges of poverty, inequality and sustainability are increasingly most acutely felt. Harnessing the growth potential of South Africa’s urban nodes and addressing the challenges of inclusion and sustainability have emerged as key policy discussions in most urban municipalities in the context of the wider 5 year local government strategic agenda. To support this, a well-developed and visionary framework for the growth of South Africa’s towns cities and city-regions in the context of ongoing urbanization should be developed as an important component of the current national policy architecture. Such a framework has to be rooted in an understanding of the national spatial economy as a whole and has to recognize the complex pattern of economic, social and ecological connections and inter-relationships between urban, peri-urban and rural areas. “



The conference, “Towards a Collective Vision for Growth and Development of Towns, Cities and City-Regions” deserves a full report but not here, possibly after I’ve digested and reflected on the enormous amount of information and food for thought it generated.



However, let me just make a few comments. Firstly, the SA Cities Network has emerged as a most important player in the South African urban environment providing excellent urban research and publications whilst acting as a catalyst and think tank for new urban strategies. Secondly, strongly expressed and supported at the conference, was the need for whatever the vision might be to be “a compelling vision.” In dictionary terms that means that it should “arouse strong interest and conviction so that it brings about what it seeks to address”. Thirdly, we received a number of revealing reports including a short overview of the latest State of the World Cities report by Rasna Warah, the editor of this UN Habitat Report. Amongst many other important conclusions, the report found that transport infrastructure is the number one driver of growth – that partnerships are prevalent in the development of cities and that investment in communication technology is critical. It also found that cities are becoming more unequal in the world with South African cities the most unequal (which I guess is not surprising given our history, but makes one realise that for all the progress made since 1994, that we have a long way to go) and that Johannesburg has an extraordinarily high level of inequality. The most “equal” city in the world is Beijing followed, interestingly enough, by Indian cities. She stressed that the growing inequality in income and in access to adequate shelter are socially and economically unsustainable and can lead to massive social unrest and major conflict. In concluding her presentation, in which African cities hardly covered themselves with glory, she stated that “there is a tendency for cities to become the same as other cities and they lose their attractiveness. Cities that have retained their heritage have grown their economies – you need to focus on cultural and heritage aspects to bring out your city’s intangible assets such as the “soul of the city”. AMEN, sister!



Against the background of this international overview, was a presentation of the latest SA ‘National Spatial Trends’, fascinating research results from work undertaken by the CSIR, and an overview of ‘National Scenarios 2025’ from the office of the Presidency and then the thinking behind a ‘National Urban Development Framework’ from the Department of Provincial and Local Government. There was a lot more, but the international and three local presentations were, for me, the guts of the conference. Much to read and mull over, but well done to SACN for their proactive approach to this and other macro urban issues.



Coming away from the Conference but remaining at National Level in relation to cities, and particularly Jozi, the continued ineffectiveness and inefficiency of the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) remains a huge frustration as well as the performance (or lack of) from Eskom and Transnet. The Safety and Security portfolio is just not worth talking about. Eskom because of the tremendous damage it has done to South African cities during the past twelve months through sheer incompetence and Transnet for three reasons. Whilst the departing CEO might be glorified by the financial press for turning the balance sheet of the parastatal around (greatly enhanced by ridding itself of the SAA albatross and the highly profitable V & A) its train service for passengers and goods remains pathetic, its attitude towards its strategic land holdings in cities appears to be one of detachment from the long term interests of the cities, whilst, the fact that it just hasn’t bothered to make progress with the Carlton Hotel, is nothing short of a disgrace!



Provincial



At Provincial level, whether Government or Legislature, a more than disappointing year in relation to the inner city. The Rissik Street Post Office still appears to me to be unresolved. I’ve heard the Legislature’s plans in this regard but they remain woolly with the building still being allowed to self-demolish through neglect. I wonder how many people within the public service bother to calculate the cost of their inability to take action over such initiatives. When the refurbishment of the RPO was first envisaged in 1994/95 the cost was about R30 million. It now runs into hundreds of millions and nothing has yet been settled! Who pays? We, the taxpayers have to bear this massive escalation of cost and inefficiency – it is a total disgrace! The western half of the Legislature Building, the old City Hall Complex, has been the subject of years of promises regarding refurbishment, but nothing happens. The new Premier stated his commitment to the Gauteng Provincial Government Precinct but what is actually happening on the ground? From my viewpoint, the communication, let alone the co-ordination, between Provincial and Local Government is practically zero – or maybe I should say the results of such communication and co-ordination are zero. The effectiveness of the provincial department that handles Environmental Impact assessments has a huge negative impact on development because of the extraordinary time that is taken for the process and the lack of ability for anyone to be able to report on what progress has been made, if any. Some improvement has been experienced by the Provincial Heritage Resource Agency but there is a long way to go. The announcement by the Provincial Department of Safety and Security that it is to provide CCTV cameras in the ‘ongoing fight against crime’ is sadly comical when one knows the details of the long history of surveillance cameras in Jozi. On the positive side, and hopefully there have been more than the one I am mentioning, the Department of Economic Development has launched the development of a critical long term vision, Gauteng 2055, as part of the strategy to mould Gauteng into a globally competitive city-region. So mixed results at Provincial level, but certainly not worth a pass mark!



Local



The local government level has also achieved mixed results. Most disappointing was the news received at the beginning of this week that the quarterly Inner City Charter Partnership Forum meeting had been cancelled. The cynics of the proposal for the Charter Process in the private sector will be saying, “Well, I told you so!” That certain work and good progress has been made under the Charter is unquestionable. Transportation, Community Development, Urban Management, progress in the development of a Spatial Plan and upgrading the environment are all reflecting positive on-the-ground results. But that a large proportion of commitments has not been met is a concern. A preliminary report tabled at the last quarterly Inner City Charter Partnership Forum meeting by independent assessors (Urban Inc) rated the work done to June 2008 as around the 40% mark. A final report has been submitted to Council, the results of which I am not able to provide as the Report has not been made public. But the process appears to be floundering, with a lack of minutes and formal reports of progress AND the Inner City Programme Manager will be leaving the Council at the end of December with no announcement of a replacement. All this leaves one with a question-mark over the council’s commitment.



Particular concerns that I continue to hear voiced amongst the private sector relate to the lack of promised improvement in the planning approval, rates clearance and billing processes and the loss of impetus in the Better Buildings Programnme. The BBP has always been looked at as one of the mainstays of our Inner City Urban Renewal Programme. In fact the Charter document acknowledges this issue when it states that “The Better Buildings Programme is one of the City’s most important mechanisms in accelerating renewal and bringing old buildings to market for new residential development. It makes provision for a building where the rates and service charge arrears exceed the market value of the building to be sold to a new owner at the assessed market value, with a consequent writing down of the debt owed to the City. For various reasons the processes entailed in giving effect to the programme on a building by building basis are very laborious and complex. A mechanism is required to speed up the programme.



Well, the mechanism has been announced in the form of the “Inner City Property Scheme” but one must question what consultation with the private sector property sector took place and whether it ‘is going to speed up the process’! It calls for a complicated interrelationship between the public sector and strictly BBBEE partners who need to have the potential to bring R100 million to the table and engage in a complex implementation process. Too complex to spell out here, but I have grave doubts on its ability to effectively and quickly address a steadily worsening situation.



One last issue that has been highlighted to me over the past year is the extreme difficulty that exists in getting certain private sector initiatives that would greatly benefit the inner city to be dealt with by council departments. I don’t even say ‘approved’ – just looked at and practically and honestly assessed. This is just one of the aspects that has gravely suffered since the restructuring that led to the omission of a Member of the Mayoral Committee responsible for the inner city. Very frustrating.



For me, it’s been a disappointing year at macro level (with my mood not enhanced by the fact that my ADSL line has been down for a week courtesy Telkom – the new buzz phrase incidentally is - “Our technicians are dealing with the problem, as we speak” which gets tough to digest after a week of hearing the same response!).



I think that things “on-the-ground” have been far more positive but we’ll look at that next week, which will be the last Citichat of the year.





Till then, ciao, neil