The City's development planning and urban management department aims to come up with a city form that deals with the fragmented legacies of apartheid planning, while dealing with modern challenges like an increasing urban population.

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Phillip Harrison said the City faced challenges like population growth, which affected development Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Jobhannesburg

ITH the population of Johannesburg expected to double in the coming 20 years, urban planners have a major task in hand to provide a quality urban environment conducive to economic growth for all its residents.

This was discussed at a breakfast meeting organised by the City's development planning and urban management department on Tuesday, 10 July. The executive director in the department, Phillip Harrison, said the City faced challenges of in-migration, urbanisation and population growth, which affected development.

"There are so many questions that need answers when we consider the ever-increasing population figures in the city. Questions like, where will all these people live and work? In order to keep up with these ever-increasing population figures the City needs to grow its economy."

Johannesburg's current economic growth rate was between four and 5 percent a year, which was already higher than that of most major South African cities. An economic growth rate of 9 percent a year had to be achieved to keep up with the city's growing population, according to Harrison.

Natural environment
Rapid population growth would also affect the natural environment, the inner city - a major point of entry for migrants - and the transport network. Harrison noted that the current public transport system was not effective.

"But to make the city's transport system work we need transport corridors like the Bus Rapid Transit system. However, with the construction of the Gautrain the face of public transport in the city is set to change."

Nkosinathi Mthethwa, director of Region F, addresses the meeting Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg

Turning to patterns of development in Johannesburg, Harrison said the deep south - Orange Farm and Poortje - provided enormous challenges for the City in terms of bridging the economic gap between south and north. "There is also the issue of the city's identified 215 informal settlements. The big question is how do you formalise such settlements within a specified time if more people keep coming into the city."

Harrison went on to say the effect of city planning on other spheres of government was limited, thus the need to implement the global city region concept, an idea hatched by Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa for municipalities in the province to work in unison, rationalising their use of resources to reduce poverty and generate wealth as the province grapples with urbanisation and migration.

"We have to strike partnerships with external stakeholders that help us to achieve mutual goals, especially in developing the inner city, which remains an area of enormous challenge and opportunity."

Infrastructure maintenance
Pre-1994 and present local government had neglected infrastructure for quite some time and the City was living with the consequences. Harrison warned that infrastructure service issues were becoming increasingly critical and were starting to affect development patterns, despite policy directives.

Another area of critical concern was by-law enforcement. "Continued disregard for by-laws by citizens stretches resources and deflects energies, that is, increases encroachment by businesses in the inner city. But this can be countered by building community capacity to be able to replicate the emerging trend in some parts of the city where communities have formed city improvement districts," he explained.

As a way to look at some of the challenges, the department had set itself development goals. It would go all out to come up with a city form that addressed the fragmented legacies of apartheid planning, according to Harrison.

"This form will ensure that the benefits of urban life are accessible to all. The department also envisages a quality urban environment with integrated, functioning, sustainable settlements and well-designed spaces. The department will also develop systems of managing development that are efficient, and that support both economic growth and environmental quality."

Successes
Despite these teething problems, the City had scored some successes, Harrison added. "Spatial frameworks are shaping patterns of investment by the private sector and influencing capital investment by the City of Johannesburg through the capital investment management systems.

"Planning is becoming far more implementation-focused, that is, the business plans for the marginalised areas have been completed and turnaround times for applications have declined markedly," he said.

Greg Daniels, urban management co-ordinator in the City, took part in the deliberations Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg

Two of the City's prominent projects, the mixed-income housing development in Cosmo City - a project that many sceptics had shot down as a non-starter - and the Alexander Renewal Project, have been recognised as highly successful.

Because of changing times, zoning was no longer strictly adhered to. He said land zoned for residential use today could be used for a different purpose 20 years later.

"One thing that must be noted is that there is always a level of flexibility in development planning. People never thought that low income earners could live side-by-side with high income earners, but the success of Cosmo City proved these people wrong," he said.

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