The metropolitan received top honours at the recent Planning Africa Conference, winning the 2014 Excellence in Planning Award while attracting local and international recognition.
The city council described the Corridors of Freedom as a unique spatial development initiative aimed at breaking down apartheid planning patterns.
MMC for Development Planning and Urban Management councillor, Roslynn Greeff said being commended for the city’s progressive planning and vision was incredibly positive.
“The highlight of the Planning Africa Conference 2014 for me was when Joburg’s presentations were lauded by the delegates. [The city council’s Development Planning and Urban Management Department was] recognised for being the most progressive planning department in South Africa and indeed Africa and for that I am incredibly proud,” she said.
The conference is hosted biennially by the South African Planning Institute and serves as a platform for information sharing among the continental and international planning community.
“All stakeholders involved in the implementation of the Corridors of Freedom strategy will continue to engage positively with the City, working together towards realising our highly acclaimed and recognised goal,” she added.
The city council is set to develop three corridors – the Louis Botha Avenue Corridor, the Turffontein Corridor and the Empire-Perth Roads Corridor.
The corridors were designed to transform entrenched settlement patterns, which had shunted the majority of residents to the outskirts of the city by bringing them closer to economic and job opportunities.
The corridors would include mixed-use developments such as high density accommodation, supported by office buildings, retail development and opportunities for leisure and recreation.
“Currently, the Corridors of Freedom are at a stage where we are implementing strategy. We are aiming at casting the corridors in stone within the next two years and I’d like us to win an award for our demonstrable implementation of the Corridors of Freedom,” she said.
