Mannini Makhele-Makoa
Moderator
Lessons learned on reclaiming a city. Changing the norm: from a fear-driven approach to a compassion-driven approach, intimidation to inspiration!
Old CBDs in the Province/Region of Gauteng, South Africa, face a myriad of challenges which perpetuate vicious cycles of dilapidation and fragmentation. These challenges include derelict and hijacked buildings, limited diversification of the local economy, high crime and grime rates, poor public infrastructure maintenance and poor waste management to name a few. Despite this reality, these old CBDs present latent opportunities, instrumental for urban revitalisation.
Understand the changing role and function of the CBD, and the contextual challenges and opportunities:
Recognise the changes within the CBD and the necessity to adapt to evolving needs and trends in the spatial landscape to promote evidence based planning and adaptive regulation.
Appreciate urban revitalisation as a multi-faceted approach, instrumental for rejuvenating aged and underdeveloped spaces failing to adapt to change in role and function.
Explore strategies to develop innovative collaboration models among local governments, businesses, and civil society to achieve sustainable and inclusive urban development.
Establish a transversal approach with tangible impact practices in conducting CBD typologies and profiling, and gain insight into the distinct characters of the CBD from different perspectives (South African vs African vs Western).
Identify good practices and case studies showcasing successful collaboration initiatives, such as public-private partnerships, community-corporate partnerships, and multi-stakeholder platforms, to establish coherent interventions for revitalisation.