Executive Mayor Parks Tau said communities which lived in areas along or nearby the corridors would benefit from the investments made as part of the development of the Corridors of Freedom.
According to Tau, in a few years these areas would have higher densities, better infrastructure that had been rehabilitated and expanded, and more opportunities for property owners to benefit from the redesign of the area.
“For no doubt increased public infrastructure investment… can only mean that you are able to prosper and that your property is able to prosper on the basis of the… developments that will take place,” said Tau.
He was speaking at the launch of a mixed residential development, where 5 306 housing units would be built in the South Hills precinct.
The mixed residential developments would be rolled out throughout the city in line with the city council’s plans to re-stitch the city, affording residents on its outskirts greater access to economic opportunities and jobs.
The Corridors of Freedom are mixed-use developments including high-density accommodation, office buildings, retail development as well as leisure and recreation facilities.
According to the city council, high rise buildings would be developed in other areas due to the lack of land availability.
Three Corridors of Freedom were set to be developed including the Louis Botha, Empire-Perth and Turffontein corridors.
The Louis Botha Corridor would start in Hillbrow and go past Houghton towards Alexandra.
The route from the inner city along Louis Botha Avenue to Alexandra and then along Katherine Avenue to Sandton would be developed as a Corridor of Freedom with Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit. This will present significant opportunities for walking, cycling and urban regeneration.
“We have said that in these areas, we will increase the densities, the mix of housing opportunities and increase the intensity of land use so that we have a more efficient city,” Tau said.
