Each project to transform Johannesburg and Gauteng into an interconnected and efficient city region must be sustainable over the short and long terms, says Johannesburg city manager Trevor Fowler.

The projects that are part of the Gauteng Development Strategy (GDS) 2040 will focus on multimodal mass transit nodes, including cycling and walking, new well-located settlement development, renewal and upgrading of well-located settlements and resource conservation and efficiency, as well as the densification of settlements.

The City of Johannesburg is focusing specifically on two key criteria of the GDS: sustainable human settlements, which includes universal access to mass transport, good environments and good utility services; and resource sustainability, which includes resource conservation, waste management and the sustainability of the GDS developments beyond 2040.

“The goal is the spatial integration of Gauteng to improve the growth of all settlements and the impact of development investments. Well-located settlements must be formalised and services must be upgraded in well-located areas identified for relocation. In some cases, relocation is necessary to enable the sustainable provision of good housing, services, transport and economic opportunities associated with efficient, interconnected city regions.

“These settlements must then be connected by mass transit links on railways, freeways and arterial routes. This will include the development of public transport nodes, such as Jabulani, Naledi, Pennyville, the inner city, Randburg, Stretford, Rosebank, Sandton and Midrand. The nodes must include social housing, high-quality public transport exchanges and social amenities, as well as retail and industrial spaces to create job opportunities.”

The city aims to increase the population density of specific settlements and transport nodes to reduce urban sprawl and traffic problems, which will necessitate land assembly for the development of priority corridors.

Under the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), project and service backlogs in Soweto will be reduced, while housing and community facilities will be upgraded in Alexandra. The city will also develop transport corridors along the Portland–Empire route in the west and along the Louis Botha–Alexandra route in the east.

The intended medium-term investment in infrastructure for 2017 will include about R2.7-billion for City Power projects, about R2.4-billion for Johannesburg Roads Agency projects, about R1.5-billion for Johannesburg Water projects and more than R1-billion will be allocated to transport projects, while R800-million is earmarked for housing developments, says Fowler.

The city also aims to reduce the road, water and wastewater project backlogs, revitalise stormwater infrastructure and change storm-water management from open channels to underground channels. Further aims include the reduction of water-network losses to below 15% within ten years and the negative impacts of mine dumps on water and the environment. Rainwater harvesting initiatives will also be established.

Further, the City of Johannesburg will reduce waste to landfill, continue to establish waste-to-energy projects, enforce separation at source of all waste streams and introduce energy efficient building codes for the formal and informal sectors.