Johannesburg 2030

Abstract

Despite Johannesburg’s importance in urban Africa, the city is relatively neglected by urban researchers. Within the global network of cities, Johannesburg assumes a critical role of linking city and articulating the development of the capitalist economy of Southern Africa. Johannesburg’s future will be associated with addressing the multiple challenges of urban growth, management, and absorption. Arguably, the most important single challenge is that of achieving sustained economic growth as well as the creation of new employment and livelihood opportunities for the city’s growing population. Johannesburg’s economic prospects are inseparable from those of South Africa as a whole. Over the past 5 years, in response to the global crisis, the national government has launched a number of long-term development plans that seek to unlock South Africa’s economic constraints in the form of the New Growth Path, initiatives for reindustrialization, and the National Development Plan 2030. It is contended that the economic contours of Johannesburg 2030, to a large extent, will be determined by its role as linking city and by the impacts of these large-scale strategic policy interventions as mediated through metropolitan-level policy.

The revitalisation of parks and open spaces in downtown Johannesburg

“…According to Martin Murray, cited in Christian Rogerson and Jayne Rogerson (2015), the metropolis of Johannesburg has an estimated population of 3.9 million, making it one of the largest urban areas in Africa. Johannesburg is divided into seven districts or regions (Regions A through G).…”

“…After five decades of urban decline, Johannesburg's inner city, along with its network of parks and open spaces, today faces a number of challenges, such as a rapidly increasing population (Murray, 2011;Todes, 2012). This is also a destination for a large numbers of immigrants, especially from Sub-Saharan Africa (Landau & Gindrey, 2008;Rogerson & Rogerson, 2015). As such, it is essential that this growing population be assisted through provision of adequate services and facilities, employment and thereby the promise of improved prospects for making a living (Rudolph et al, 2012;Rogerson & Rogerson, 2015).…”

“…This is also a destination for a large numbers of immigrants, especially from Sub-Saharan Africa (Landau & Gindrey, 2008;Rogerson & Rogerson, 2015). As such, it is essential that this growing population be assisted through provision of adequate services and facilities, employment and thereby the promise of improved prospects for making a living (Rudolph et al, 2012;Rogerson & Rogerson, 2015).…”

“…For almost two decades now, regeneration efforts have been underway to revive Johannesburg and raise it to the status of a "world-class African city" (Rogerson, 1996;Rogerson, 2004;Rogerson & Rogerson, 2015). However, notwithstanding these endeavours and the fact that Johannesburg is at the very core of South Africa's economic heartland, the city is weakly represented in scholarly urban research programmes in the country (Visser & Roger, 2014;Rogerson & Rogerson, 2015), which are fundamental for understanding and countering urban decline and promoting urban regeneration.…”

“…However, notwithstanding these endeavours and the fact that Johannesburg is at the very core of South Africa's economic heartland, the city is weakly represented in scholarly urban research programmes in the country (Visser & Roger, 2014;Rogerson & Rogerson, 2015), which are fundamental for understanding and countering urban decline and promoting urban regeneration.…”