Stand by as Florida Road reveals its new character
Initiated in June 2016 by a collective of the Florida Rd UIP and the eThekwini Municipality’s Economic Development and Tourism units, Florida Road took its first steps on a journey of discovering its brand identity.
NO matter where you track on the timeline, no matter the highs and lows of the journey, Florida Road has always been steadfastly Durban.
Now, thanks to the collective focus of passionate “doers” in both the public and private sectors, Florida Road is set to reveal its new character and reclaim its place as a key player in the future growth of Durban.
“Stand by for the Florida Road vibe, a vibe that embraces local experiences and businesses, a vibe that serves different people and communities, a vibe that engages diverse needs and desires, a vibe that holds true in an ever changing local and global reality!” said Cara Reilly from Urban Management.
After more than 18 months of research, surveys, workshops, meetings, participation processes and public engagements, a new Florida Road brand is ready to emerge, and with it the action plan and interventions needed to help the road reach its full potential as a go-to-place for Durban’s locals and visitors alike.
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With an authentically urban beat interwoven with iconic snippets of history, both finding their place along a busy thoroughfare, Florida Road is uniquely Durban. Yet despite its history and its people, despite its restaurants, galleries, and bars, by 2013 Florida Road had begun to slide into urban decay, slowly losing its reputation as one of the city’s trendiest streets.
Thankfully, through a collective urban management intervention that saw the creation of the Florida Road Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP) in late 2013, safety, attention and care have been restored, and Florida Road is once again poised for change with an inclusive and long-term identity.
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Initiated in June 2016 by a collective of the Florida Road UIP and the eThekwini Municipality’s Economic Development and Tourism units, Florida Road took its first steps on a journey of discovering its brand identity. “The research has been very clear in revealing that Florida Road remains a vital physical, historical and emotional connector to so many elements of Durban. The business community is looking forward to delivering an enhanced experience and offering on Florida Road,” said Mike Holland, chairman of the Florida Road Marketing Committee, the vehicle that will drive place-making on the road.
Captured as a new logo and place-making tool for the road, the Florida Road brand is made up of all the strands in the road’s DNA. According to Gary Cullen, Project Manager for eThekwini Municipality’s Economic Development and Investment Promotion Unit, the Florida Road brand DNA process has brought a range of roads users – residents, businesses and customers – into a discussion about the road and how to collectively develop is as the special social and economic place that it is.
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“Based on the collaboration to date, the City sees three strands of developmental progress, including the evolving precinct management partnership approach, developing and marketing a sense of place for Florida Road and establishing its profile as a must visit destination, and the physical regeneration of the area, with an outdoor pavement style leisure scene as a main destination feature,” he said.
The vibe is expected to hit Florida Road by mid-May. Read more at www.floridaroaduip.co.za.
