TODAY IS WORLD PLANNING DAY
The City of Ekurhuleni is today joining the cities of the world in commemorating World Planning Day. This day, which puts the spotlight on the city planning profession, has been celebrated throughout the world for decades now.
This year’s celebrations are convened under the theme: “learn globally, apply locally”, and the focus is on the value of learning from planning and planning cultures globally, fostering innovative, sustainable, and equitable solutions to address global challenges.
“With the city having penetrated the planning space and received global accolades, the theme ‘learn globally, apply locally’, comes at an opportune time for us. We embrace it with the understanding that for us to become one of the leading cities of the world we need to learn best practices globally and implement these lessons right here in our space,” says MMC for Economic Development and City Planning Ald. Nomadlozi Nkosi.
Last year the City’s Growth Management Strategy (GMS) won an award in the category – Planning for Cities & Human Settlement/ Plan Making in the Commonwealth. This was in the Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP) Awards for 2022 – a global platform of specialists to recognise and honour excellence across the built environment.
The Growth Management Strategy of the city was approved by Council in 2022. This is an annexure of the Municipal Spatial Development Framework (MSDF). The MSDF states that ‘the Growth Management Strategy should empower the municipality to proactively manage growth sustainably, guide spatial transformation and support economic development’.
“The City’s global recognition affirms the credibility of the City’s strategies at a local level. It also underpins the City’s ability to achieve global standards in the management of development and measuring the impact of growth and development throughout the City,’ explains Ald. Nkosi.
“Furthermore, in-roads have been made in the City’s Spatial Planning and Land Use Management By-law 2019; the Municipal Spatial Development Framework 2015 and the Land Use Scheme 2021. However, a lot still needs to be done to improve the city’s response to local challenges and dynamics.”
The following, among others, have been identified as some of the challenges that need urgent attention:
- land and sufficient bulk availability within priority areas;
- fostering economic growth in facilitating mega developments;
- sustainable funding of sinkhole rehabilitation in disadvantaged areas;
- incentivising high density and high-rise developments;
- reinforcing compliance of correct use of land and buildings;
- enhancing revenue through use of creative urban design and spatial tools; and
- reducing red tape and manual processes in development applications.
“The progress that we have witnessed in the City Planning Department would not have happened in isolation hence we must appreciate the collaborative efforts of the infrastructure Cluster: Economic Development, Transport, Energy, Water and Sanitation, Roads and Stormwater as well as the Human Settlements departments for the continued support and co-operation in shaping the City’s built environment,” says MMC Nkosi.
“So, on this day, let us applaud and support the dedication of the Executive and the Administration in relentlessly working to make our City climate responsive, resilient, equitable, and sustainable in ensuring a better future for all within or City. “
