THE City has a dream to turn the inner city into a liveable, green and safe environment for residents, visitors and commuters.

AS the population and number of industries in Johannesburg grow, environmental issues such as climate change, waste management, air quality, energy and open spaces are increasing in importance.

And, as an area with a high population density, the inner city is no stranger to pollution and excess waste. Johannesburg’s inner cityscape has become unnecessarily cluttered with excessive and inappropriate outdoor advertising and building wraps. In addition, most inner city streets are clogged with street hawkers and pedestrians, and there is a dearth of street furniture.

More importantly, the majority of inner city streets are unwalkable after dark.

The City’s vision is to transform all the public spaces in the inner city into liveable, green and safe environments for commuters and residents. This includes streets, parks and open spaces as well as improving the overall aesthetics of the cityscape.

Johannesburg will drastically increase the number of pedestrian-orientated streets, with the expressed goal of turning the inner city into a walkable area. Priority streets will be beautified and will be connected with interesting and iconic public places.

The visual cityscape of the CBD will be carefully monitored. Special attention will be paid to the architecture and urban design of future projects, as well as to protecting existing architecture that has strong symbolic, cultural or heritage significance.

Existing parks are also being upgraded, with the emphasis on safety and security. Creating activity spaces for children and adults will be a priority. As additional space is sorely lacking in these built-up areas, the City will develop new recreational areas through innovative concepts such as tot-lots, pocket parks and partnership places.

Public art will form a focal point in all public spaces, reflecting the unique cultural diversity of inner city residents. A number of beautification projects have also been identified. At the same time, infrastructure maintenance targets will be stepped-up:

• Waste management;
• Parks and open spaces;
• Iconic public places;
• Walkable streets/public environment upgrade;
• Public events and public art; and
• The visual cityscape.

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