The City of Johannesburg has unleashed a new weapon in its bid to attract investment, create more business opportunities and tackle unemployment in Joburg.
The new arsenal to tackle crime and grime is in the form of the Development Planning Forum, which was launched on March 11 by Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Development Planning in the City of Johannesburg, councillor Lawrence Khoza, at the Joburg Theatre.
The forum aims to explore collaborative approaches to development issues within the city.
The launch was attended by planners and practitioners in the built environment and they discussed, among others, development planning policies, strategies and scales of development.
Khoza announced at the launch that the City of Johannesburg has entered into a partnership agreement with the South African Planning Institute. Planners in both private and public sector will gain new insights and share knowledge on policies and new strategies by participating in the forum.
“The City is very excited about the establishment of the Development Planning Forum as it is expected that the work of this platform will contribute towards achieving the City’s vision to attract investment and grow the economy, which will reduce unemployment in the city,” he said.
The inaugural meeting focused on bulk development contributions in municipalities.
Judy Nkosi from the National Treasury presented the draft National Legislation – The Municipal Fiscal Powers and Functions Amendment Bill. Currently, the National Treasury is rolling out stakeholder engagements regarding the draft bill.
The bill, among others, establishes an unambiguous, fair and consistent basis for municipalities to recover development charges for all new land development projects that require statutory approvals through the municipal land use planning system.
The draft City of Johannesburg Development Contribution Policy was also presented to the forum.
It will be used as a guide document to ensure that all new developments across the City of Johannesburg comply with the provisions and requirements of the draft amendment bill.
Amolemo Mothoagae, executive director: Development Planning in the City of Johannesburg, said the forum will provide a shared understanding of development drivers and trends of the city.
It will also assist to share knowledge and experience to promote the responsiveness and efficiency of City’s policy, planning and regulatory provision functions as they relate to development in the City.
The bi-annual meetings of the Development Planning Forum will be chaired by the executive director for development planning in the city.
The forum comprises stakeholders such as professional planners, planning schools, architects, developers, South African Association of Consulting Professional Planners (SAACPP), South African Planning Institute (SAPI), South African Affordable Residential Developers Association (SAARDA), South African Council for Architectural Professionals (SACAP), Institute of Architects, South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA), Council for Built Environment, Johannesburg City Improvement District Forum, Johannesburg Inner City Partnership Forum and Johannesburg Owners and Property Managers Association.
