Revitalisation Strategy for Old CBDs in Gauteng
A province-wide CBD revitalisation strategy for Gauteng COGTA, built on detailed profiling of ten pilot CBDs and a five-principle "A-E" approach that shifts revitalisation from documents to delivery.
2024 · Gauteng Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) · Urban revitalisation strategy · 18 months duration
Key contributors: Annemarie Loots
The Gauteng Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs appointed Cadre to develop a Revitalisation Strategy for old CBDs across the province. South African CBDs face declining public environments, fragmented stakeholder relationships, underinvestment and weak implementation of existing plans; the strategy was designed to bridge the gap between planning and action.
Cadre profiled ten pilot CBDs in detail, examining spatial structure, economic activity, public environment, accessibility, infrastructure, governance and development opportunities. The strategy introduces the A-E approach, five interconnected principles: attend to basics, break the silos, challenge the norm, de-learn institutional speak, and embed sustainability.
Deliverables comprise the strategy, an Implementation Framework structured as a flexible "menu" of programmes municipalities can tailor to their circumstances, and ten pilot CBD Implementation Plans that map projects and identify a Kickstart Zone for quick wins. Roll-out follows four phases, from securing buy-in and an intensive Kickstart Zone makeover to zone-by-zone and CBD-by-CBD replication.
Key figures: 10 pilot CBDs profiled | 5 A-E principles | 4-phase roll-out model