One of the City's large housing developments is in Kliptown

The greening of Klipspruit is one of the Ciy's 2010 legacy projects

What guides spatial development in the city? All urban development in Joburg is guided by the six core ideas forming the foundation of its five-year Integrated Development Plan, or IDP. The first of these is absorbing the poor into the fabric of society. As such, the Spatial Development Framework report states that Johannesburg must "be able to facilitate the transition of the poor into fully fledged urban citizens". Closely linked to this is the idea that people should be helped to get out of poverty, rather than allowing an unsustainable welfare burden on the City to increase. "By removing obstacles and increasing access to the City's opportunities, social mobility would result in a greater percentage of middle-income contributors and an expanded domestic economic market," the report explains. Thirdly, the City will continue to intervene in shaping and facilitating the growth of the local economy, to improve opportunities for balanced and shared growth. The report states that "the growth of business is dependent on both spatial opportunities - location, distribution and infrastructure - and non-spatial opportunities - incentives and disincentives - afforded to it". The council will facilitate spatial growth and restructuring in a way that will fundamentally change the geography of poverty. In this respect, particular attention will be paid to providing a viable public transport system; driving the Gauteng global city region; controlling urban sprawl; paying close attention to the finer details of neighbourhood development; and upgrading informal settlements into sustainable settlements. The fifth core idea in the IDP refers to sustainable development and environmental justice. The report stipulates that although the provision of basic services and quality of life is a basic right, this will not be undertaken at the cost of the environment. Greening marginalised townships forms part of this focus. Lastly, innovative governance solutions will focus on enhancing the oversight role of section 79 committees and re-organising the administration. Improved collaboration between spheres of government will be encouraged and emphasis will be placed on Gauteng as a global city region, among other things. RELATED LINKS: Integrated Development Plan 2007/8 The Integrated Development Plan, based on the City's vision detailed in its Growth and Development Strategy, sets out its strategic plan over the medium term. Read more Spatial Development Framework 2007 - 08 The SDF guides the growth of the city, focusing on giving life to its vision, which is set out in its Growth and Development Strategy. Read more Is Joburg reaching its goal, panel asks Is Johannesburg a world-class, African city, a goal outlined in its Joburg 2030 vision? A business forum looked at whether the city was conquering its challenges. Read more Space for our urban souls Trees and open green spaces are vital for a city's wellbeing. And studies have shown violence drops and economic growth speeds up in landscaped areas. Joburg would do well to heed this. Read more

The infrastructure at Cosmo City forms part of the plans (Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)

Diepsloot will benefit from the upgrading of marginalised townships

Face of the City in for a change Countering urban sprawl and bringing new investment to existing areas are just some of the plans that will give Johannesburg an urban facelift. August 15, 2007 By Emily Visser DRASTIC changes to the city's urban landscape are on the cards. From nodal to corridor developments, infrastructure and transport upgrades and others, the latest approved Spatial Development Framework (SDF) shows extensive changes planned for Johannesburg over the next few years. The document identifies the urban development challenges Joburg faces, and suggests counter measures. It will guide the management and development of all land in the city, including infrastructure provision and planning. In this and subsequent financial years, 10 urban development programmes will begin. They are the upgrading of marginalised areas; the regeneration programme; the corridor development programme; the nodal programme; the density programme; the strategic transportation interventions programme (STIP); the strategic infrastructure investment programme (SIIP); the sustainable environment programme; the 2010 programme; and the housing programme. These programmes are prioritised in terms of their contribution to and alignment with the mayoral priorities and strategic agenda and sector plans of the City's Growth and Development Strategy. The SDF also forms an integral part of the five-year Integrated Development Plan (IDP). "It provides the basis, the council perspective, guiding and directing all development within the city," confirmed Peter Ahmed, the co-ordinator of the spatial development framework unit in the City's development planning and urban management department. The framework is in its seventh year and was approved by the council at its ordinary meeting on Thursday, 26 July. It aims to create a sustainable urban environment with access to urban opportunities for all residents, as well as increasing the efficiency of the City's structures. The SDF and the Regional SDF (RSDF), which are precinct plans for the seven city regions, are revised annually by the Spatial Development Framework co-ordinating team. Both reports are drawn up after lengthy consultation that includes advertising in local and national media, public review and comment, workshops and external consultations with other municipalities, developers, NGOs, ward councillors, ward committees and others. Ruby Mathang, the mayoral committee member for development planning and urban management, said he was encouraged by the constructive input, which acknowledged the work done so far in terms of the City's spatial framework. "We will continue to engage the community in changing the apartheid landscape," he said at the council meeting. Funding for the SDF programmes will be through the Capital Investment Framework, showing annual investment over a five-year period. The City will spend about R13-billion in the next three financial years on capital projects. The 10 investment programmes integrate and align with the capital programmes in the 12 sector plan categories: economic development; human and community development; housing; infrastructure and basic services; environment; spatial form and urban management; transportation; health; safety; financial sustainability; governance; and corporate and shared services. Priority programmes The 10 investment programmes are not necessarily confined to spatial boundaries, but can be issue or sector related. The first is concerned with upgrading marginalised townships in an effort to integrate the first and second economies. The areas earmarked for this programme are Soweto, Diepsloot, Orange Farm and Ivory Park (including areas of Kaalfontein and Rabie Ridge). Soweto receives most of the funding, with 93 percent of the marginalised township budget of more than R899-million allocated to it. The second priority focuses on regenerating existing areas that have deteriorated. The inner city and Alexandra will benefit; Alexandra is also a presidential priority. The total budget for this programme is more than R1,1-billion. Johannesburg is to promote the development of two residential and economic corridors through its third priority, the corridor development programme. The East West Development Corridor (EWDC) links industrial areas in Ekurhuleni in the east with Mogale in the west, running midway through the city. It runs for 30 kilometres and incorporates the mining belt. This corridor will receive R757-million. The North South Development Corridor (NSDC) will receive R656-million. It links Orange Farm north, via Lenasia and Soweto, with the central anchor point of the CBD; from there it extends north to Sandton and Midrand. Urban sprawl The fourth and fifth priorities focus on countering urban sprawl. The nodal development programme looks at strengthening existing areas; a node is defined as an urban environment that is highly accessible and accommodates mixed and compatible land uses. The report identifies 61 specific and specialised nodes in Joburg. Priority areas for densification are identified around Gautrain stations, the Bus Rapid Transit system and 2010 Fifa World Cup™ venues - Kliptown, Nasrec, the CBD, Ellis Park, Parktown, Rosebank, Sandton, Illovo, Midrand and Lenasia. The density programme is closely linked to the demarcation of the city's Urban Development Boundary (UDB), which is being reviewed. Areas that will benefit from the UDB's policy of focusing on redevelopment include some of those above, as well as Doornkop, Diepsloot, Ivory Park, Jabulani, Jerusalem, Mia's Land, Modderfontein, Orlando eKhaya, Roodepoort, Randburg and Stretford Station. "The City will actively support higher density residential development proposals within and around these nodes," the report states. Where possible, infrastructure, transport, social facilities, storm water and pavement management and housing will be upgraded. The nodal programme gets over R1,1-billion and the density programme more than R1,8-billion. Getting around Developing and maintaining an efficient multimodal public transport system that incorporates road and rail is a sixth priority. Upgrades to the current public transport system are part of an extensive and strategic transportation interventions programme. The plan includes the Bus Rapid Transit system, its link with Gautrain stations and transport infrastructure for the World Cup. It gets a contribution of more than R1,1-billion. Under the seventh priority, over R1,4-billion is to be invested in the strategic infrastructure investment programme. This includes new housing, public lighting, social facilities and projects similar to that at Cosmo City. The sustainable environment programme looks at conservation of the natural and built environment, resources permitting, and is the eighth programme. Most of the R52-million allocated to it will go to City Parks. The programme will be guided by the Johannesburg Municipal Open Space System (JMOSS), the Integrated Environmental Management Framework and the City's Greening Strategy. The 2010 World Cup programme is to receive R1,4-billion to be used for various infrastructure upgrades. Specifics include the seven identified 2010 legacy projects, of which the Soweto Theatre and Klipspruit greening project are two; upgrades to training venues and stadiums; and major developments at Ellis Park and Nasrec, among others. The housing programme aims to bring sustainable housing to appropriate locations, and receives over R289-million. The City has a number of planned or current housing initiatives, totalling more than 100 000 units. The biggest will take place in Doornkop Greenfields, an area west of Soweto, where about 22 000 units will be built. Other big developments include Lehae, with 6 200 housing units; Kliptown, with 7 000; and Ivory Park Consolidation, with 14 000. Implementing these programmes is the task of the City's municipal owned entities and core departments. Responsibility for programmes will be sector specific, but implementation will be within an integrated framework, the report notes. 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