The City of Johannesburg introduced a new set of laws and by-laws on 2 January this year which aim to better govern the city and will bring development into the city by 2040.
On 1 February, the Land Use Scheme, Inclusionary Housing and Nodal Policy 2018 were implemented. Ward 132 councillor Annette Deppe said the laws aimed to help the City of Joburg take control of the city and regulate how it operates.
This will, in turn, make it easy to bring positive change without compromising the city’s development and growth.
Land Use Scheme
The Land Use Scheme will be used by the City to guide and manage development according to vision strategies and policies of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP).
The new law introduces a single scheme for consistent land use, said, Deppe.
Unlike in the past, when the City had different land schemes, this made it hard for the City to regulate some of the developments that took place.
With the new scheme, developers can be monitored to adhere to the laws and areas of no use can be protected.
Inclusionary Housing
According to the City of Joburg, this is a programme which requires and incentivises private developers to dedicate a minimum of 30 per cent of new housing developments in the city for low income and low middle-income households.
It is to be noted that inclusionary housing developments are not low-cost housing. A pilot project has been started by the City in Midrand, according to Deppe. She added, “This policy affords a household with an income of R7 000 to rent or buy their own house.”
Nodal Policy
The policy is a draft breakdown of the areas in the city and outlines how change can be brought abought.
These changes include changing the metro into a pedestrian-friendly place, reducing the use of private cars and promoting public transport in the city centre.
