The F.I.R.M. and Jozi My Jozi have been collaborating to restore Johannesburg to a safe, thriving city all South Africans can be proud of. Support from both organisations’ partners has been phenomenal, and the relationship has yielded incredible results . But, says, Wayne Dawson, Chairman of the F.I.R.M.s Board: “There’s so much more to come.”
The Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) for the F.I.R.M. and Jozi My Jozi is to turn the Johannesburg CBD into a 15-minute city. It begins with a series of reviews, risk assessments and repairs that our alliance is conducting at the CBD’s 14 gateway points.
In and out in 15 minutes
“A gateway is a main arterial into and out of the city. It is also an entrance and an escape route for criminals,” Wayne explains. “The goal of this project is to ensure we have control and overwatch of these gateways to ensure safe, quick access to the city, and to apprehend or discourage criminal elements from using them.”
Each gateway has an adoptee that will provide ongoing maintenance of the space. The inaugural projects – which included cleaning, pothole repairs, CCTV installations and more – resulted in safer, quicker access to the CBD via the Mooi Street off-ramp under the Wemmer Pan Road bridge and the Heidelburg Road interchange.
“Safe entry and exit points with working robots and repaired road surfaces, that are clean, beautiful and offer pedestrians space to gather away from the road, are the first step towards achieving our 15-minute city goal,” Wayne explains. “It means people can get in and out quickly, rather than sitting in heavy traffic while navigating obstacles.”
Access to everything you need in 15 minutes
Quick, safe access to the CBD is only one part of the 15-Minute City concept. Another is ensuring that inner-city residents have access to amenities within 15 minutes of their workplaces and homes.
“People should be able to find the goods and services they need close to home,” Wayne explains. “One initiative we’re very excited about is a new partnership with the NBA, in which this international sporting association has committed to refurbishing every basketball court in the inner-city to meet international standards. This just opens up such an amazing opportunity for inner-city youth to access safe spaces to play, make friends and stay healthy away from negative influences.”
Other partnerships with the likes of Lego and Microsoft also aim to provide access to important amenities.
Bringing design thinking, in association with Wits Business School, into the way we approach inner-city rejuvenation, urban management and inner-city planning is another key element to creating a 15-minute city. It’s about looking at the city as a system, rather than at isolated projects, to ensure improvements have a positive impact on the system as a whole.
“For example, there are some important heritage buildings in the inner-city that can be rejuvenated to make a positive impact on the city as a whole,” Wayne says. “We look at how the building can be preserved and made accessible to inner city residents and visitors alike, so that it becomes a sustainable resource and not just another dilapidated building.”
Rapid response
Collaboration is absolutely crucial to achieving the BHAG. Relationships with government departments, inner-city property owners, major corporates and business forums have been built to ensure the model succeeds. “Bringing everyone with any kind of vested interest in the inner city together to respond to needs – from pothole repairs to precinct cleanups to emergency response – is essential if we want to achieve our goals,” Wayne says.
Through collaborations with Johannesburg Property Owners and Managers Association (JPOMA), the F.I.R.M. and Jozi My Jozi alliance has been able to secure space from which centralised service response teams can operate. The teams include JMPD, private security, Joburg Water, fire services and others so that when emergency response is needed, everyone can be notified at once and respond.
“When there’s a fire, for example, it’s not just about putting the fire out. It’s about medical response, crowd control to ensure public safety, rescue operations for people inside the affected buildings and so on. Getting these integrated response teams working well together is another critical part of achieving the 15-minute city,” Wayne explains.
The 15-minute city is about attracting businesses and investors back to Johannesburg and ensuring the safety, security and well-being of its citizens. With so many change-driven projects underway, and such overwhelming support from invested stakeholders, the 15-minute city is an achievable goal.