MODDERFONTEIN NEW CITY Modderfontein New City will aim to exemplify an integrated city node and improve infrastructure utilisation through mixed-use spaces
The multibillion-rand development of the Zendai Modderfontein New City, east of Johannesburg, will aim to exemplify an integrated city node, says property group Zendai South Africa COO Wenhui Du.
The development will focus on the Modderfontein Gautrain station to be developed and will integrate all available transport modes to enable affordable mobility. The station will be developed as a large integrated transport, shopping and commercial office structure.
“Our goal with Modderfontein is to remove the problems associated with central business districts (CBDs) and improve infrastructure utilisation. Residences, transport, sporting facilities, medium-sized business and manufacturing facilities to be built as part of the new city are all aimed at providing a mixed-use space that will reduce transport costs and urban sprawl.”
About 20-million people are living in the City of Shanghai, and the lessons it learned in the past 30 years regarding rapid development are poignant and relevant to South Africa, says Du.
The large populations of China’s urban areas prompted the country to invest in mass public transport and multiple modes of transport. The experience gained and lessons learned from this can be adapted and applied to provide a dense, yet highly mobile, city node, he adds, with extensive use of mass transport systems.
“China initially also built CBDs in its cities, but these areas are subjected to use only during the day and are empty at night. This functionality is too simplistic for modern cities and is a waste of resources and infrastructure,” says Du.
The development of the Modderfontein New City will, therefore, focus on mixed-use developments that will include a full range of residences for different economic classes, as well as commercial, business, leisure and entertainment facilities to enable densification and efficient use of resources.
Further, it will include a nature reserve to protect sensitive areas and habitats within the development, which will be surrounded by hotels and sporting and entertainment properties. There will also be a range of green zones, such as parks, wetlands and watercourses, to provide attractive and healthy public spaces for residents.
“The project is currently at the planning stage and Zendai South Africa is evaluating a host of interrelated issues, such as the classification of water effluent into separate classes for separate treatment and/or reuse.
“Renewable-energy systems will also be a prominent feature of the developments within the zone and, while gas is a promising, but immature, energy source in Southern Africa, the development will allow for various energy sources to power the development and future facilities of this area,” Du says.
This vision for the development of Modderfontein is similar to the development goals of the City of Johannesburg, which aims to increase densification, integrate mass public transport and commercial and business opportunities at specific nodes.