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About Citichat
NEIL Fraser is a partner in 'Neil Fraser &
Associates trading as Urban Inc', an urban consultancy dedicated to the
revitalisation and regeneration of cities and of the inner city of Johannesburg
in particular. He can be contacted on 083 456 0242 or 011 444 4895 or by e-mail
at
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Citichat is a free weekly publication concerning cities generally and
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Talking about the city
An insider's perspective on Johannesburg, written by prominent city champion Neil Fraser.
Click on the title to read the full story
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JOBURG appears to be putting more effort into cleanliness, with a special capital injection for Pikitup. Now other spheres of government need to come on board, says Neil Fraser.
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IN light of the changes promised by Barack Obama to the way the US governs its cities, what can our cities expect from a new government?
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CHANGES for the better to a crime-infested red light district in Antwerp have given new meaning to its motto, "Het Schipperskwartier - een verleidelijk stukje Antwerpen".
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ONE of the key decisions Medellin took in its revitalisation was to pour cash back into the city. Utilities are owned by the people through the Mayor's Office - and no profits leave the valley city.
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THERE are some lessons to be learned from Medellin's commitment to putting the concepts of accountability, transparent public processes, a commitment to open public spaces, the culture of citizenship, high quality for all, and real delivery into practice.
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STANDARD Bank, I-prop and the Johannesburg Land Company have their sights set on the southwestern quadrant of the inner city, bringing much-needed development to the area.
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THERE needs to be greater control over outdoor advertising, and enforcement of City by-laws, if Johannesburg is to avoid massive, grubby, inappropriate ads.
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THE reason behind re-looking at by-laws may be to make them simpler, "but this does not appear to be the case with outdoor advertising". |
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HOSPITALITY is as varied as the architecture in many small towns and villages, where beautiful historical buildings have "South African modern" neighbours. |
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CHANGE is rapidly gaining pace in downtown Johannesburg, with improvements being seen from Feitas and Vrededorp in the west, all the way across town to the fashion district and Bertrams in the east.
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UPGRADING of the inner city is growing, with large pockets of excellent work. Of the work under way, the Bus Rapid Transit system will have the most lasting and most significant effect on Joburg.
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OCCUPIERS of the degraded inner city building, San Jose, have moved after a court battle and successful negotiations with the City.
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IN the second part of an exploration of Diagonal Street, memory and democracy are again pitted against "progress".
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DEVELOPMENTS around the Diagonal Street precinct are an example of memory and democracy versus "progress".
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IS there finally light at the end of the tunnel for the Rissik Street Post Office with some refurbishment plans from the provincial government in the pipeline?
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THE proposal to rename the whole of the R24 - running across the city from east to west - will necessitate the changing of 18 street names. Two of these names have great historical significance.
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FROM the restored Salisbury House in Jeppestown to the drop in office vacancies, by way of the Hillbrow Tower, the urban development zone, Woolworths and strange landscaping ideas, Neil Fraser has a full plate.
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A NEW book calls for a new urban agenda, recognising that what makes cities vital in the 21st century are complexity, density, diversity of people and cultures, the messy intersection of activities, among others.
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PLANS are afoot for two of Joburg's towers, while one landmark already has a fresh face and a new use - the Orlando cooling towers in Soweto.
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LET'S get up and do something; it is time to change the attitude of ordinary people - it's time for a massive Pride in our City campaign.
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THERE are some great developments in Braamfontein, and the "spring by the brambles" is looking good. Now it is time to build on these developments.
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THE imposition of the Bus Rapid Transit system on Joburg's grid may have huge implications for traffic congestion, worsening rather than improving the problem.
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NEW awards have recognised the hard work and dedication of several organisations and individuals in the regrowth of the Joburg inner city. The Halala Joburg Awards will now be an annual event.
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WORK seems to be steaming ahead regarding the Inner City Charter, with 86 percent of commitments achieved so far.
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PANELISTS at the annual conference of the South African Property Owners' Association point out that many of South Africa's challenges are not unique, but are felt on an international level, such as black outs, corruption, hardship and xenophobia.
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WORK is forging ahead in the inner city, with refurbishments keeping pace with changes being undertaken for the Rea Vaya bus system. It is great to see all this energy.
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NEWTOWN was the birthplace of business in Johannesburg. Nearly a hundred years ago, deals were brokered over the telephone or in the streets, and those who were successful received the fictitious 'University of Newtown' certificate.
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NEWTOWN is a vibrant area with a great history, with projects currently under construction, emerging or in the planning stages looking like they will provide a real boost to the precinct.
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ALCOHOL was long used as a tool to control the poor, with the "captains of industry" influencing the government to pass laws that would pour the huge profits from the black liquor trade into their pockets.
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THERE was plenty of fun to be had in early Joburg, with theatres and sports meetings a favourite way for the diggers to work off the stresses of the day.
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SET in the hot summer of a southern Christmas, the delightful Mzansi Productions version of The Nutcracker offers a "scattering of visual South Africanisms".
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THE private sector has been challenged to help the government support small medium and micro enterprises, and so join forces in the fight against poverty.
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THERE are several reasons behind the rising cost of food - increasing oil prices, fertilizer prices, and adverse weather conditions that are affecting crop production are just some of them.
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AT six metres tall and standing on a balcony, the giant Mzansi Romance Why Men sculpture will stop night-time visitors to Nelson Mandela Square in their tracks.
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JOBURG'S status as the economic powerhouse of Africa has been confirmed in the first MasterCard Emerging Markets Index, which places it at 11 out of 65 emerging market cities.
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