Representah! A Day in the Life… Jozi 2010
We’re really excited about our new crew of citizen journalists writing for Represent and giving us even more juicy content for you darling readers – here’s our debut submission from a very loyal Representah Linda Soga who took time out to attend the Inner City Summit last weekend – for anyone that’s interested in the plans for the city from now to the big bang in 2010, read all about it! Some very exciting moves – by the way, anyone know what’s happening with ConHill – seems to be moving a little slower than planned? i.e. Where is that Hyatt hotel? Sharpile Linda – uyarocka.
A Day in the Life… Jozi 2010 I roll out of bed…growling at my alarm clock as I rub the sleep out of my eyes… I look at the time; “Yikes! Late again”. I take a quick shower, dress, grab my bag and set off at a trot down to the bus stop at the corner, pausing only to say hello to the doorman at the front of my apartment building. I’m just in time to catch the bus; one minute later and I would have had to walk the five blocks to the train station (in these heels, girlfriend? I don’t think so!) I get on the bus, sit down and start to breathe normally. In fifteen minutes, I’m at the office, and as the day goes by, I start planning what to do later on… it’s Friday.
A few phone calls tell me that it’s all happening in Newtown tonight… Oh yes, I live in downtown Jozi, and the year is 2010, although you’d be forgiven for associating the scene I’ve just described with Manhattan, London or some other metropolis.
Or picture this… I haven’t driven my car in over two weeks. Oh, there’s nothing wrong with it; I just have not needed to. I live downtown, a walking distance to work. There’s a shopping arcade across the road from me, for those quick after-work purchases. And for entertainment, I’m spoilt for choice – there’s the gallery around the corner, the movie house two blocks away and Joburg City Hall, always good for live music. This is the Joburg of the (not too distant) future.
This urban landscape was painted by the City of Johannesburg at the Inner City Summit which I attended last weekend – of a city in which one will be able to live, work, and play. The Summit was held at the Braamfontein Recreation Centre, next door to the recently refurbished Parktonian Hotel. There was a large turnout, of people from all walks of life – property developers, business people, investors, and people who live in the city – all with one common interest: Johannesburg. The City of Johannesburg officials presented a “Draft Inner City Regeneration Charter”, inviting public input and discussion.
The detailed document is available at http://www.joburg.org.za/ The Charter contains some broad goals for the City and some specific ones, in six main categories:
1. Economic development
2. Residential development
3. Urban management, safety and security
4. Public spaces, arts, culture and heritage
5. Social development
6. Transportation.
Developments will mainly focus on identified “development nodes” in Newtown, Constitutional Hill, Ellis Park, Braamfontein, the Fashion District, and Park Station.
The highlights, for me, were:
• The City is negotiating the extension of the Urban Development Zone (UDZ) tax incentive, which should encourage private investment into the city, and also make property in the inner city more affordable.
• A Bus Rapid Transit system will be rolled out by January 2010. This is for improving transport in and around the city, mainly to link the development nodes described above. I don’t see taxi drivers falling in love with this idea, but I think it will help a lot of people.
• There will also be pedestrian safety awareness campaigns; visible policing and more CCTV security cameras installed throughout the City.
• An Inner City Housing Plan that provides at least 50,000 new residential units by 2015.
• Rehabilitation or demolition of bad buildings, as well as the redevelopment of all informal settlements in the Inner City by 2012. The issue of accommodating people evacuated from bad buildings and informal settlements has already been controversial this year. I think it’s going to become even more contentious.
I found some of the plans a bit wishy-washy, like “poverty alleviation and work creation programmes” was very skimpy on details, and there were no time-frames allocated. Ditto “improved access to health facilities”; “ongoing support to NGOs”…etc. But then again, this Charter is still at the “draft” stage, so I assume more details will be forthcoming in due course.
The fun stuff?
Iconic public places will be rehabilitated, like the Workers’ Library in Newtown, which will be transformed in to a “world class museum of labour migration by March 2010”. The 2009 World Summit on Arts and Culture will be hosted in Joburg. There will me more public events hosted in the City, to be outlined in a draft calendar later this year. Plans are afoot to re-open the Alexander Theatre by September 2007 and the Alhambra Theatre by June 2008. Museum Africa will be upgraded by March 2009; and the Johannesburg City Hall will be refurbished and developed to be “the best venue in Africa for jazz concert performances” by March 2010.
All in all, I’m feeling very optimistic about Jozi. I think a lot of energy and resources have been dedicated to ensuring that urban redevelopment does happen, especially in the run-up to 2010. I look forward to the changes.
By Linda Soga – A Representah!
