10. 44 Inner City

i. Functions/outlook
An Inner City Committee was established with the objective of promoting the development of the Johannesburg inner city.

The Inner City forms part of Region 8, and comprises the City Centre (previously known as the Central Business District), the lower density predominately residential areas to the east of the City Centre consisting of Yeoville, Bertrams, Troyeville, Jeppestown, the higher density suburbs of Berea and Hillbrow, and the areas of Newtown, Fordsburg and Pageview/Vredorp to the west of Newtown.

The objectives of the Committee are:

• To promote the realisation of the Vision for the Inner City of Johannesburg
• To develop, and monitor the implementation of, appropriate policies, strategies, programmes and projects for the economic and social development of the inner city; including:
• the economic development of, and investment (both local and international) within, the area, particularly in regard to the promotion of SMMEs
• the sustainable and efficient management of the public environment, particularly in regard to crime, grime, the management of taxis, the management of informal trade, and homelessness
• the provision of suitable and sustainable housing within the area
• the provision and maintenance of a social infrastructure and services within the area
• the provision and maintenance of cultural and recreational facilities within the area, and the promotion and development of its cultural life, including its history and heritage
• the creation and maintenance of a safe and healthy environment in which people who work and people who live in the area can enjoy a sound quality of life and take advantage of opportunities which the area offers
• the promotion of tourism and the maximisation for all of the benefits derived therefrom
• the mobilisation of all available resources in pursuit of the urban renewal of the area through, inter alia, the initiation of sustainable partnerships between government at all levels, business, communities and labour
• the sustainable alleviation of poverty within the area
• the creation of jobs, and
• the creation of an effective policy environment that stimulates and encourages initiatives, including interventions for economic growth and social development, which promote the inner city vision
• To promote and market the inner City of Johannesburg.

ii. Problem statements
Decentralisation; high crime rate; lack of by-law enforcement; unmanaged informal trading; taxi management problems; service delivery problems; decay of buildings, especially residential; social problems, especially for street children; negative perceptions

iii. Outcome
The economic, social and cultural centre of the African world-class city.

iv. Strategies

• Getting the basics right
• Promoting economic development
• Challenging negative perceptions
• Promoting community and housing development.

v. Outputs and targets

Outputs	Targets
Neighbourhood centres	Joubert Park & Hillbrow neighbourhood centres operational by June 2002
Service delivery agreement	Finalised by August 2002
Social housing provision	500 new social housing units provided by June 2002
Transitional housing programme	530 new bed spaces provided by June 2002
Better buildings programme	15 bad buildings upgraded by June 2002
Construction jobs created	2000 construction jobs created by June 2002
Regularisation of informal trading	2 new markets established by June 2002 1000 traders relocated by June 2002 Proposal regarding an Informal Trade Association finalised by August 2002
Regularisation of taxi transport	Taxis relocated to off-street facilities by June 2002 Inner City public transport system designed by December 2001
Reduction of crime	City improvement districts extended to cover city centre 200 new CCTV cameras
Streetchildren programme	Programme designed by December 2001
Community education programme	Education programmes focusing on HIV/Aids and Citizenship designed by December 2001
Improved perception of Inner City	Customer satisfaction survey completed by December 2001