An insider's perspective on Johannesburg, written by prominent city
champion Neil Fraser.
Click on the title to read the full story
November 26, 2007: Year-end review 5 - the good and the horrid
While some marvellous work is being undertaken in the inner city, with refurbishments and a new building going up, there are many places still stalked by neglect. The government-owned Rissik Street Post Office springs to mind.
November 19, 2007: Year-end review 4 - environment
We need to turn Joburg's inner city into a "good space", a place where people will want to hang out and have fun. The Inner City Regeneration Charter has got the ball rolling.
November 12, 2007: Year-end review 3 - charter
The launch of the inner city charter partnership forum was "an uplifting start to a process that is full of promise and will make a substantial difference over the next few, critical, years".
November 5, 2007: Year-end review 2 – residential
There are plenty of highlights in new residential developments – but lack of progress in some areas count as lowlights for the year.
October 29, 2007: Year-end review 1 - transportation
TRANSPORT plans on the table for Johannesburg will help to change the face of the city, as well as the way residents and visitors use it.
October 22, 2007: Making the city a better place to live
The rapidly looming 2010 Fifa World Cup™, ever-increasing demand for housing, a transport system that will have a widespread and dramatic effect on the city, and the changing nature of the demand for commercial premises will all put new pressures on the urban fabric, says Neil Fraser.
October 15, 2007: IDA conference and quotable quotes
Architects, town planners, urban designers and various urban experts gathered in New York City; Neil Fraser has a few choice words of wisdom from the congress.
October 8, 2007: Harlem hits the high notes
Harlem is rising above its chequered past and claiming its position in a list of America's Great Places. And it has a few ideas we can try here, too.
October 1, 2007: Urban renaissance in US cities
There are exciting developments happening in New York City and Philadelphia, where construction is booming and people are moving back into the city centres, writes Neil Fraser.
September 25, 2007: Washington has a lesson to teach
Visiting two very different American cities, Neil Fraser is struck by the great quality of life offered by both.
September 17, 2007: Other views, part two
'Planning needs to be done by people with design/planning expertise coupled with sufficient experience to remain objective about their proposals'; we should look to France, Brazil, the US and China for examples of what is possible. A reader responds to Neil Fraser.
September 10, 2007: Other views, part one
Densification may not be the valve to ease the pressure on space that Joburg is experiencing; in fact, the city may end up with densification and urban sprawl. A reader responds to Neil Fraser.
September 3, 2007: Inner city review: the year so far
There are pockets of work going on, with upgrades and refurbishments dotted around the inner city. Yet much more can still be done.
August 27, 2007: What's happened to the Gauteng precinct?
There has been a deafening silence from government quarters about the much-talked about Gauteng provincial government precinct, announced almost four years ago.
August 20, 2007: State, statues and smart transportation
Densification is the way forward, and the draft land use plan for the Bus Rapid Transit pilot route should be carefully considered, as it is a positive signal from the council.
August 13, 2007: One step forward, several more back
The more things change, the more they stay the same - this week there is more good news, and the usual bad news, for Neil Fraser.
August 6, 2007: Counting the cost of bureaucracy
ON a flying visit to George and Knysna, Neil Fraser is struck by the need for a report on the staggering amount of bureaucracy in which companies are drowning.
July 30, 2007: Charter challenges - implementation and monitoring
The final Inner City Regeneration Charter was approved at last week's mayoral committee meeting. And it seems the City has made strong commitments to improving the area.
July 23, 2007: There is good news and no news
Private sector investment in the inner city is moving ahead, with work already under way on one of the first private high-rise commercial developments in ages.
July 16, 2007: Residential demand, but what about green space?
With a rapid urbanisation of the cities, and an ever-growing need for accommodation, particularly in Johannesburg, it is important to couple this development with the provision of social facilities and open space.
July 9, 2007: What's in a name?
Across the world, towns, streets and other entities have had their names changed as rulers have changed – or even for money. In South Africa, name-changing can be a force for nation-building.
July 2, 2007: Caramba! We're actually Portuguese in name
Far from being named after the two-man commission sent by president Paul Kruger to establish a mining town around the discovery of gold, it seems Johannesburg is named for Portuguese kings.
June 25, 2007: For sale: Joburg's Carlton Centre
Transnet is keen to sell off its non-core assets, one of which is the Carlton Centre – and the sale of the landmark building could provide opportunities to broaden property ownership in downtown Johannesburg.
June 18, 2007: East end, west end – which is best?
There has been plenty of investment in the western end of the city centre, but the eastern end is no longer the poor relation, with about R3-billion worth of development in the area.
June 11, 2007: Inner City Charter makes green promises
Still looking at going green, through the commitments in the draft Inner City Regeneration Charter, Neil Fraser gives a potted history of waste, leading to recycling.
June 4, 2007: Listen up: it's time for JoGreen
Global warming is increasingly in the spotlight, and cities can do a lot to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure their buildings are environmentally sustainable. We must Go Green, writes Neil Fraser.
May 28, 2007: Turning words into action takes cash
The executive mayor has taken a stand, and in his budget committed a substantial sum to turning the outcomes of the Inner City Regeneration Charter, into reality.
May 14, 2007: Long history leads to latest inner city summit
Was the Inner City Summit on 5 May one more mountain to climb or a great opportunity for re-energising the area, asks Neil Fraser.
May 7, 2007: The changing city, part two
There is a groundswell of new investment into the inner city. While the profile of property owners is changing - along with property uses - money is being poured into sprucing up Joburg's CBD.
April 30, 2007: The changing city, part one
Far from being a recent problem, the decline of the inner city had its roots way back in the 1950s, and some short-sighted decisions were made by the council of the time.
April 23, 2007: The law is an ass about evictions
One of the most difficult concepts to get one's mind around regarding urban regeneration is that of evictions. Currently, the law protects people illegally occupying buildings, those who refuse to pay rent or for services, while the buildings are allowed to become cesspits.
April 16, 2007: Likker is not always lekker
Liquor licences are being granted indiscriminately, ignoring the vast amount of literature that points to a direct relationship between alcohol and crime and violence. Hopefully the Draft Liquor Policy will look into this, writes Neil Fraser.
April 10, 2007: Some Easter musings on the city
Sparked by the recent cleaning up of the Kaserne Parking Garage, which had been allowed to become an informal settlement, Neil Fraser thinks about the consequences of allowing a city to lose its soul.
April 2, 2007: Public art softens harsh urban environment
Very little funding is channelled to public art, and Johannesburg gets crumbs from the central government. But a new deal made by the City's arts department may change all that.
March 26, 2007: Heritage economics: reusing old buildings
Preserving old buildings, and adapting them for new uses, makes good economic sense, as Stellenbosch has proved. Sadly, Johannesburg is not the only South Africa city that is fast missing that opportunity.
March 19, 2007: Wayfinding: plotting your city router
The 2010 Fifa World Cup brings with it many opportunities that will long benefit Joburg, not least of which is the chance to establish a useful, innovative and clear wayfinding system.
March 12, 2007: Distilling the issues for the Inner City Summit and Charter
The third round of stakeholder working group meetings for the Inner City Summit are almost over, and the list of issues and concerns is being drawn up. Neil Fraser looks at what has come out of the meetings so far.
March 5, 2007: Four fixable inner city issues
Preparing for the Inner City Summit later this year, a workshop identifies places in the inner city that have been neglected and allowed to decay, writes Neil Fraser.
February 26, 2007: Final 'dumping session' for Inner City Summit held
Economic development was the final stakeholders' working group to meet for its first session ahead of the Inner City Summit. From here it is time to prioritise issues and find solutions, writes Neil Fraser.
