IN a bid to enhance eThekwini Municipality’s economy and to intensify development around the City, the Economic Development and Planning Committee (ECOD) recently, approved the Integrated Inner City Local Area Plan and Regeneration Strategy at a meeting held at the City Hall Council Chamber.
Addressing councillors and officials in the last sitting of the ECOD for the year, acting Deputy City Manager Musa Mbhele said the strategy will assist in addressing socio-economic challenges due to rapid urbanisation being experienced in the City.
“The strategy will improve a range of issues from managing urban expansion and congestion to fostering competitiveness, innovation, social inclusion and environmental sustainability,” said Mbhele.
He said in development of the plan, a number of workshops were held with various stakeholders to ascertain how they see the future of the City.
United Nations estimates that by 2030, about 70.3 per cent of the world population will live in urban areas. The majority of this population will reside in the inner City areas.
“To prepare for such eventuality, the Inner City Masterplan of eThekwini deals with a number of projects that will make the inner city liveable by 2030,” Mbhele said.
He added that the strategy will not only create employment opportunities but will see growth in the three key economic drivers namely tourism, new businesses and services and education sectors thus place Durban on the map as a world class city.
With cities being engines of economic growth, the strategy is seen as a method to drive economic development initiatives that will attract investment into the inner city areas.
