The City of Johannesburg’s Department of Economic Development hosted a seminar to explore urban regeneration for sustainable regional economic development, at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Newtown, on June 7.
In his welcome address, the MMC for Economic Development, Nkululeko Mbundu, said that the department has a strong desire to fulfil its objective to move Joburg into a business-friendly city, which is also one of the seven mayoral priorities.
“There is a need to identify focus areas that will lead the city into achieving these objectives. If we look at the past five years, it is evident that we have been in a state of decline. With poverty and unemployment at its highest, it is a priority for us to support small and medium-sized business. We can do this by continuing to ensure that there are opportunity centres throughout the regions, which support these businesses from start to finish,” said Mbundu.
He also mentioned that the department is currently exploring the tourism space, the addition of two more mobile opportunity centres to the existing mobile centre and the nine others across the city. Other projects include precinct-based initiatives, special economic zones planned for the next three years as well as the Inner City Economic Development and Investment Roadmap.
“The city is open and eager for partnerships to help us take our city out of the Intensive Care Unit and move it into a healthier state. We have to augment urban regeneration in order to ensure that our city is a player in our global economy,” said Mbundu.
Zamo Gwala, the Portfolio Head for Economic Development and Investments at the South African Local Government Association (Salga), said urban regeneration is seen as an integrated approach that aims to resolve economic, environmental, physical and social conditions and problems in the urban setting.
“Taking on urban regeneration and planning spatial transformation will not be an overnight move as there is much to consider. We need to consider the finances, infrastructure, and sanitation as well as overall service delivery challenges. It needs planning, input, fixing, rebuilding and research on those who demand it, need it and those who will be able to sustain and live of it,” he said.
“Given all the considerations, how and when the city incorporates new pathways, approaches, and best practices in implementing urban regeneration for regional economic development should be at the forefront of the decisions to ensure that nothing is wasted or done in vain and that it will be beneficial within the selected areas and communities,” Gwala said.
Thato Davidson, the director Integrated Regional Economic Development (IRED) for the city, said the transformational urban regeneration process relied heavily on corporate engagement.
“While urban regeneration initiatives can be public or private sector-led, the biggest impact requires the participation of the private sector as the biggest success factor due to financial reasons,” noted Davidson.
