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Talking about the city
A weekly column about Johannesburg, written by prominent inner city champion Neil Fraser
Click on the title to read the full story
City development: an overview
Citichat provides a seven-part overview of what is and has been happening in the inner city over the year 2003
October 20, 2003: Liveability, public space management and behaviour
Quality of life and public space behavioural issues are of critical importance in our drive towards a world class African city.
October 10, 2003: Gandhi
Neil Fraser recounts a few of the incidents that Gandhi experienced during the period that he lived and worked in Johannesburg.
October 8, 2003: The "Recovery of the CBD" and Heritage – Oil and Water?
Neil Fraser looks at the dichotomy we face – recognition that the city offers something quite special particularly in relation to residential accommodation on the one hand and the need to preserve as much of our built heritage as possible on the other.
September 19, 2003: Revitalisation issues of concern
It appears that the condition and management of public space has been an issue in Johannesburg almost from day one.
September 8, 2003: Disorder and Policing
What happened to the zero in zero tolerance?
September 1, 2003: The changing face of inner city ownership
Traditional institutions are relinquishing their large property ownership in the inner city, giving way to a new breed of investors.
August 25, 2003: The power of inner city residential ripple-ponds
Ripple-ponds are initiatives that provide a dramatic re-incarnation of the environment generating an ever-widening positive impact on the urban fabric. We need ripple-ponds if we are going to achieve our goal of being a 24/7 city.
August 15, 2003: Brickfield's - providing a better future
Premier of Gauteng, Mbhazima Shilowa launches the Johannesburg Housing Company's (JHC) latest contribution to the revitalisation of the Johannesburg Inner City, the Brickfield's Housing Project in Newtown.
August 8, 2003: Media Magic and Metamorphosis
Jozi News is a new weekly newspaper that will focus on the central city and the Greater Johannesburg area.
August 4, 2003: Media Magic in Milpark!
A tour of the Milpark precinct reveals an area far from dead and in fact pulsing with incredibly exciting developments
July 25, 2003: Progress in the City
The latest publication by the Johannesburg Development Agency of indicators, against which the performance of the inner city can be judged over the past two years, is both important and welcome
July 18, 2003: Madiba's Joburg
The 'man who spans the world', Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, spent most of his adult life both before and after his 27 years of incarceration in Johannesburg.
July 11, 2003: The Other Side of the Coin
It's time to rebuild a sense of community, writes Neil Fraser.
July 7, 2003: Victoriana in Auckland Park?
Auckland Park's Lindfield is home to a large and eclectic collection of Victoriana.
June 27, 2003: Public Spaces and Public Houses
A tour of the city's public spaces.
June 20, 2003: Celebrating positive changes
The results of the 2003 CBD Perception Survey reflect the rising confidence in the CBD.
June 13, 2003: Major developments in the city
The establishment of the R150 million Science Centre in the Electric Workshop in Newtown and the opening of the Westcliff's new Ballroom and Conference Centre.
June 2, 2003: Inner City macro projects update
NEIL FRASER takes a look at the Constitution Hill, Braamfontein and Newtown projects
May 26, 2003: A civilised approach to BID establishment
UK's Business Improvement Districts are fully supported by central government.
May 19, 2003: Big Apple BIDs - Times Square
Citichat takes a look at some of the work of New York City's Business Improvement Districts.
May 12, 2003: SoBRO - JOBro?
The South Bronx of the late '60s early '70s appears to have been much like the Johannesburg inner city of the late'80s early '90s. SoBRO - the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation - offers Johannesburg an appropriate model to study both in its broad vision and its focused implementation
May 5, 2003: Ducks and Drakes ... and all that Jazz!
The redevelopment of Memphis' famous Beale Street offers some interesting lessons in successful urban revitalisation.
April 29, 2003: "Growing the Crop" - nurturing small business in the Big Apple
Whilst our minister of finance, Trevor Manuel, has taken the lead in announcing tax write-offs for inner-city investments, it is time for Joburg to look boldly at what it could be doing at local government level so as to attract substantial private investment and NYC would be a good place to start looking.
April 22, 2003: "Slainte" at the Rand Club
A toast to the Rand Club as it serves the city more inclusively today than probably at any other time in its long history
April 14, 2003: Fietas (3)
The Oriental Plaza is a success not because of but in spite of Apartheid and it is a living tribute to the determination of a large and varied group of persons who overcame the extreme hardships imposed on them
April 7, 2003: Fietas (2)
The road to the Oriental Plaza
March 31, 2003: Fietas (1)
Fietas is the name given to an area on the west of the Johannesburg centre city which had its origins as a 'location' for people of Malay descent
March 24, 2003: Bad, Better?
The "Bad Buildings Programme" provides a mechanism for dealing with buildings that are classified as "Bad" for a variety of reasons.
March 17, 2003: Sinkholes and Ripple Ponds (2)
NEIL FRASER looks at the proposals of the newly formulated Inner City Regeneration Strategy.
March 10, 2003: Sinkholes and Ripple Ponds
The past two weeks have heralded some important events in the life of the inner city. Amongst others, the demolition of more condemned buildings, the public auction of a number of landmark corporate buildings, the publication for comment of new bylaws for the city, and the accelerated write-off of inner city investment announced by the Minister of Finance in the Budget speech.
March 3, 2003: The Fashion District, Joburg's latent phenomenon
Great opportunities for entrepreneurs who want a piece of the action - the city is more and more able to offer those with vision and a passion for unique prospects.
February 24, 2003: Joburg Art Deco Buildings 2 - "The Top Twenty"
A survey of the city's art deco heritage.
February 17, 2003: Joburg Art Deco Buildings 1 - Rise and Fall!
Johannesburg, the brash, upstart mining town, as incongruous as it might seem, was one of the beneficiaries of the Art Deco style.
Citichat 53: A Phoenix Stirs; Big Apples and Irish eyes
The Inner City Advisory Committee held its first meeting of 2003 on Wednesday and the first item on the agenda was to obtain approval for the re-development of the Drill Hall. Approval obtained!
Citichat 52: NIDS - 'neighbourhood improvement districts'
For some years since the promulgation of the City Improvement District Act, various residential areas have been covetously eyeing some of its provisions. In particular the provision that extends the liability for payment of the CID levy to all properties within a proposed CID area once the majority of property owners (representing the majority of the rates base) have voted in favour of the application and the local authority has approved the establishment of a CID.
Citichat 51: A Focus on BIDs/CIDs
The second Improvement District in Sandton became operational in mid-November last year. The 'Sandton Business Improvement District' (SBID) covers the commercial area of Sandton bounded by Rivonia Road, Sandton and Grayston Drives.
Citichat 50: Urban Renewal, Revitalisation or Regeneration?
This will be an important year for the inner city as many initiatives move from construction to functional whilst institutions established during the past year such as the Region 8 office face their first full year of operational challenges and opportunities.
More CitiChat from 2002
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