PLAN Magazine #7: UPAT Durban, South Africa - Open the doors to the Inner-City by ISOCARP

Editor’s note

Durban - visionary and ambitious Živilė Šimkutė, Steven Segerlin, Martin Dubbeling

Rapid urbanization process in the African continent did not reach Durban inner city. Migration to the city from rural areas is contained at the periphery of Durban which makes the inner city a temporary stop for residents that come here to work and leave in the evening. Inner city the place of a huge potential - stands underdeveloped and unsafe. For the ISOCARP UPAT team members, visiting and advising the eThekwini Municipality on the Durban inner city between 29 April and 5 May 2018 was an exiting task. Durban no stranger to ISOCARP as the city hosted the 2016 ISOCARP Congress “Cities we Have vs Cities we Need”. In 2017, ISOCARP gave eThekwini Municipality the Merit ISOCARP Award for planning excellence for the comprehensive Durban Inner City Spatial Vision and Regeneration Strategy. This visionary and ambitious Durban Inner City Plan emphasizes the development of this large urban area as a walkable city, which is aimed to be vibrant and liveable, thus opening the opportunities for all. Designed as plan for the people who live in the city, this very timely challenge is fabulously presented as a case study, which can be studied by many other cities. The Durban Inner City Plan has an ambitious goal: to transform Durban from a Segregated Apartheid City to Africa’s most caring and liveable city with a city centre that is vibrant, liveable and walkable. eThekwini municipality made and enormous effort to prepare an elaborate, integrated development plan with a mountain of studies, reports, calculations supporting it. Now planners and the local government is faced with a new challenge: implementation of the vision.

The step from planning to implementation is not an easy one. Unfortunately, too many cities globally end the process of sustainable development and big scale development strategies with the stage of planning. Too often valuable documents, land in the desk drawer and are never opened again. Durban very worked hard to prepare the inner-city plan that addresses key social, economic and environmental problems. Implementation of long-term complex strategies require strong partnerships and support from the public. Given the history of apartheid planning in South Africa, city is not only faced with spatial challenges, it is also not easy to gain public trust and support which is essential to ensure successful implementation. Participatory approach is essential, as the best way to kill a good development plan is to try implementing it without people for whom the plan is prepared for in the first place. Fortunately for Durban, the city is sitting on a pot of gold and has a committed team that will make sure that this gold is put to a good use. Most of the land for development - municipal property, majority of population - young, working age people. Climatic conditions in the city are perfect, beach nearby, well functioning port just minutes away. Potentials at every corner. Probably one of the most important messages we would like to emphasise on - is that city does not need to do it all alone. By alone, we mean not only developers, investment funds and international consultants but dynamic and diverse local community. Small businesses in the city are active and if given a chance - ready to contribute to the quality of the environment. As we have understood, the Durban University with its research centre is a benevolent partner and eager to experiment with new ideas. After a week spent in Durban it became evident to the UPAT team that the city needs some quick wins to show they mean business, regain trust from stakeholders and general public and build strong partnerships. On top of that, Durban needs a strong implementation strategy, which could be based on three working-tracks: work along a strong and agile vision, assess daily policy bottlenecks actions and engage with different actors and citizens in the planning decision process.

Plan Durban

The Durban UPAT team made a broad overview of planning documentation, discussed with planners and city officials, important stakeholders. We can not leave unrecognized the passionate commitment and enthusiasm of the Durban Inner City Team. The Durban UPAT team highly values the openness of the team and feels privileged to have an opportunity to suggestions for international expertise. This magazine is a reflection of the key themes that the Durban UPAT team assessed: participatory planning, strategic interventions, investments to liveability and life quality of citizens. The storyline for the Durban inner city in this magazine is divided into two sections: overview and UPAT recommendations. Magazine starts with a brief overview of eThekwini municipality, key facts, interesting attractions such as Curiosity Durban hostel in Rivertown area and Moses Mabhida Stadium where Durban UPAT team worked. Overview is concluded with an interview with prof. Monique Michal Marks of Durban University of Technology who shares her view on the future of the city. Second section: UPAT recommendations for eThekwini municipality. Milena Ivković and Steven Segerlin contributes with the Durban UPAT team’s recommendations on programming and organization of the Inner city and a section of key points about development methods, strategies and marketing. A list of quick wins that can be done within the inner structure of the city that on one hand increase the quality of urban environment and on the other hand activate the areas are later described in the article. Milena Ivković further elaborates about the Super-block that can serve as an example, a living lab,

and a proof that efforts in finding a new energy in the downtown Durban can happen. She later talks in more detail about one of the actions suggested by UPAT team – BRT circular line in the inner-city. Rivertown was one of the areas in the city that UPAT team found very intriguing and with lots of potential to become an attractive inner-city hub. Two examples are presented in the magazine from Brussels and Rotterdam, how a run-down area can become a center of community activities and collaboration. When it comes to transformative and catalyst development, Prof. Jacob Babarinde elaborates on the transformative opportunities of the Drive-In site in Durban and contemplates on examples similar to Durban in the French cities Lyon and Paris. Steven Seger continues with his proposals for the Centrum precinct that is concluded with a list of specific actions for eThekwini municipality that are necessary to accelerate the project. Živilė Šimkutė and Mindong Ni further describe two projects in Seattle and Ningbo as examples of cultural buildings as catalysts for development. The Magazines concludes with UPAT team leader prof. Guy Vloebergh introduction on the three-track approach to move from goals and plan to strategy of implementation. We trust that this Magazine provides insight in the findings of the Durban UPAT team. To our opinion, Durban certainly has the capacity to become Africa’s most caring and livable city. The Durban Inner City Spatial Vision and Regeneration Strategy deserves careful, passionate and dedicated implementation.

Durban UPAT Team with hosts in after a site visit (2018)

Plan Durban

Content

3 8 10

12 16 18

Editor’s notes

Durban - visionary and ambitions

Živilė Šimkutė, Steven Segerlin, Martin Dubbeling

UPAT team in Durban

Martin Dubbeling, ISOCARP President

Durban - c city with many faces

Focus on the Drive-In Site

Živilė Šimkutė

References for the Drive-In Site

Getting curious about Rivertown Lessons from France

The Moses Mabhida Stadium

Jacob Babarinde

Stefan Netsch

Focus on Centrum Precinct

Facing the challenge of future? 49

Future of the city does not need to be science fiction

References for the Centrum Precinct

UPAT RECOMMENDATIONS

UPAT Recommendations on programming and organization of the Inner-City

Cultural buildings as catalysts for development Živilė Šimkutė & Mindong Ni

Open the Doors to the inner city Milena Ivković

Combining Public Facilities with New Attractions Steven Segerlin

A New Economic Engine for the Inner-City Jacob Babarinde

Živilė Šimkutė

Building a Lifestyle Community of Rivertown

City attractions

Interview with prof. Monique Michal Marks

The potentials of extending the downtown BRT to a circular line

Milena Ivković, Živilė Šimkutė

46 19

Milena Ivković

Inspiring examples from Rotterdam and Brussels

Su Hong, Mindong Ni, Živilė Šimkutė

Snapshot of Durban

Quick wins at the Super-block

Milena Ivković

Introductory remarks

Durban facts and figures

Focus on the Super-block

Conclusions

Durban needs a clear and dynamic process architecture Guy Vloebergh

Inner-City revival

Milena Ivković & Steven Segerlin UPAT Recommendations: focus on the finance

Development methods + Strategy + Marketing Steven Segerlin

Plan Durban

UPAT team in Durban

JACOB BABARINDE

MINDONG NI

Jacob is a Nigerian-Canadian planner with extensive working experience in land administration, development management, property economy as well as the transformation of inner cities in Zambia, Namibia, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Canada and Papua New Guinea. Jacob currently works as a Professor of Property Studies and Urban Planning at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology and as a part-time consultant.

Mindong Ni graduated as a Master in Urban Planning from School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. After his studies he worked as an urban planner in London and Paris. As vice director of the International Cooperation Centre of the Ningbo Urban Planning and Design Institute (NBPI) he coordinates cross-border projects.

MARTIN DUBBELING Martinis a senior consultant active in the fields of urban planning and design, landscape architecture, and the environment in the Netherlands and abroad. He is President-elect of ISOCARP (2018-2021). As Vice President UPATs and as UPAT Programme Manager, Martin organised various UPAT workshops in Asia, Europe and South Africa.

SU HONG Su Hong is brand executive, urban planner and senior engineer at the Guangzhou Urban Planning & Design Survey Research Institute (GZPI) in Guangzhou, China. She has 15 years experience providing design and management leadership within multidisciplinary design teams and in collaborating with public authorities, community and stakeholder groups on award winning projects in mainland China and Hong Kong.

MILENA IVKOVIĆ Milena is a researcher and designer with more then 15 years of experience in the field of promoting urban planning and public space design. She has conducted or participated in various international projects and consultancies all around the globe, from South East Europe and the Netherlands, to Africa and Asia. Within her own Rotterdam practice Blok 74, Milena focuses on developing urban planning simulations based on gamification and collaborative design.

STEVEN SEGERLIN Steven is an American city planner specializing in zoning, economic development, infrastructure and real estate financing strategies. He is a licensed urban planner and transport planner, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning and MBA in Finance from Auburn University. Currently, Steven is programme manager for real estate and station area planning at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

ŽIVILĖ ŠIMKUTĖ Živilė is an urbanist from Lithuania with a Master in Urbanism from Delft University of Technology. Her office consults public institutions of strategic planning questions, does feasibility studies, works with planning policies. Živilė recently contributed to the first draft on Lithuanian urban agenda. She also works as a lecturer and research assistant at Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania. Her areas of competences: Climate change, sustainable mobility and sustainable urban development.

GUY VLOEBERGH Guy is a Belgian senior spatial planner at the urban planning and design office OMGEVING in Antwerp, working on complex processes and projects on local, regional and international scale. Guy also is active as a part time professor in urbanism and spatial planning at the University of Antwerp and as member of the education committee of the University of Antwerp for the Master’s curriculum urbanism and spatial planning.

Plan Durban

Introductory remarks Martin Dubbeling, ISOCARP President

Durban is a unique and very lively city in South Africa. Durban has largest port in Africa, it has an interesting heritage and it played an important part in recent history in the struggle against Apartheid. Durban’s beaches and marina make the city a premier tourist hub in Kwazulu Natal. Presently, Durban still is a post-Apartheid city with segregated urban areas and gated communities. It also is a city dominated by cars that occupy an impressive and gridded network of roads. Interestingly enough, in large parts of the inner city and at in very desirable and attractive locations, new and second use car sellers as well as car related business such as garages, workshops and car wash facilities dominate the image of streets and city life. The observant visitor, however, can also find trendy and hipster shops, city hotels, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. This makes that Durban is a city with many faces, stories, opportunities and challenges.

the historic and multicultural trading hub of the city that includes Berea Railway Station and Victoria Street Bus Rank, Durban’s main transport hubs. The main objective for future interventions and improvements in the Warwick Precinct is to develop more residential accommodation, including affordable public housing, to pedestrianize and upgrade the quality of public spaces while maintaining its unique and vibrant character.

The results of the UPAT team visiting Durban between 29 April - 5 May 2018 are reflected in this PLAN Magazine. Other editions of PLAN Magazine present the results of previous and future UPAT workshops in Gaza and West Bank, Wuhan, Bodø, Guangzhou, Ningbo and Suzhou. I thank the Durban Inner City Team for preparing and hosting this excellent UPAT workshop and I thank the Durban UPAT Team for their contributions in the production of this Magazine.

INNER CITY SPATIAL FRAMEWORK PLAN Durban is part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Area. The eThekwini Municipality has adopted a Spatial Framework Plan and Regeneration Strategy to enhance and stimulate the urgently needed social, economic and spatial transformation of the Durban Inner City. This strategy is developed through an extensive consultation process with all relevant stakeholders. The ambition and ultimate goal of the Durban Inner Spatial Framework Plan and Regeneration Strategy is to create vibrant, liveable, walkable city centre areas that will attract and retain investment and people in the inner city of Durban and thus will contribute to Durban becoming a caring and liveable city by 2040. As part of the consultation process in conjunction with relevant stakeholders, objectives and three crosscutting themes are defined: the future regeneration and development should be based on a thorough analysis and solid understanding of the past and present situation, drivers of economic growth, as well as sustainable urban development. Additionally, four spatial principles are selected that address the social and spatial issues related to the inner city. These four spatial principles emphasize that the Durban inner city is well connected with other parts of the eThekwini Metropolitan Area, that has accessible and walkable neighbourhoods, with intensified and diversified land use and a well design public spaces and parks.

52ND ISOCARP CONGRESS In 2016 the City of Durban hosted the 52nd ISOCARP Annual Congress “Cities we Have vs. Cities we Need”. At this congress, Durban presented its Inner City Spatial Framework Plan and Regeneration Strategy and organised technical tours to the inner city precincts. In 2017 the eThekwini Municipality was bestowed with the ISOCARP Award of Excellence as the Durban Inner City Spatial Framework Plan and Regeneration Strategy provides a comprehensive planning strategy for and with the people who live in the city, and that can set an example for many other cities. The task of the ISOCARP UPAT Team was to focus on strategic locations in the Durban Inner City, the Centrum Precinct and the Warwick Precinct. The Centrum Precinct includes the International Convention Centre, the Municipal Campus and Gugu Dlamini Park. The main objective for future development of the Centrum Precinct is that this area will become the primary civic precinct of the city, with housing for 77.000 people and 35.000 jobs in a mixed use area that incorporates a variety of cultural facilities and high quality public spaces that are accessible and used 24 hours a day. The Warwick Precinct is

Group picture Durban UPAT Team and their hosts after the closing ceremony

Plan Durban

Beaches and wildlife

Durban facts and figures

One of the best-known attractions in Durban are the beaches. The beaches in South Africa give many other countries a run for its money. The beaches have beautiful scenic views with cafes, bars and restaurants where one can enjoy a local meal with a cocktail. Another attraction – wildlife reserves that can be reach in less than an hour drive. The Game reserves around the city of Durban offer a chance to observe wild animals and spectacular natural landscapes.

Durban - a city with many faces Su Hong, Mindong Ni, Živilė Šimkutė

eThekwini municipality eThekwini Municipality is located on the east coast of South Africa in the Provice of KwaZulu-Natal. The municipality spans an area of approximately 25 555km2 and is home to over 3,6 million people (2016). Population is expected to increase steadily by 40-50 thousand additional inhabitants per year. Slowly growing population is very young with more than 62% of residents under 35 years old.

Inner City Durban inner-city is located on the central east part of eThekwini municipality, on the coast of Indian ocean. It has a population of over 70 thousand inhabitants which live in over 27 thousand households. City is well known for auto-motor industries, port, world cup, beaches and bunny chow.

eThekwini Municipality

Republic of South Africa

Tourism is also significantly contributing to municipality’s GDP with most visitors coming to the municipality for leisure/holidays, business and other services such as medical and religious. Majority of tourists are domestic with less than 10% of international visitors.

World Cup

Area of approximately

25 555 km2

Many countries around the world know South Africa for hosting the World cup in 2010 and the vuvuzela horn that become a symbol and an essential part of every football fan equipment globally. The world cup not only brought global attention to the soccer matches but also attracted many foreign tourists to the country. Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban that opened in November or 2009 has a seating capacity for more than 70 000 spectators per match. Stadium was one of many improvements made in Durban as a result of the 2010 World cup. City invested heavily in mobility infrastructure, public spaces that added a new quality to the city’s urban environment.

Inner-City

~ 70 000 inhabitants ~ 27 000 households

~3 600 000 population ~40 000 additional people per year 62% of residents <35 years old

Towards Compactness

The Rainbow nation

The spatial configuration of the city was largely influenced by South Africa’s history. Due to Apartheid planning, spatial patterns of the city were distorted, forced urbanization in an outwards fashion which resulted in sprawl and depopulation of the inner city. Municipality is now trying to shape urbanization in a more dense and compact way. Concept of Compact City is important for South Africa to promote high-density and thus more efficient use of land, mixed-use developments and efficient public transport systems. Guiding urban development in a sustainable way is especially important in order to ensure the balance between economic and social development that has least negative impact to the environment.

Due to historical circumstance, South Africa is known as the rainbow nation. Durban’s culture is especially dynamic due to a huge diversity of African – Indian – European influences. Multiculturality of the city is seen in its cuisine, music, religions as well as in urban design and architecture. The food in South Africa comes from its multi-cultural backgrounds with a significant Indian influence. Each province in the country is known for something special. Durban is famous of bunny chows, Cape Town for Fish and Chips, and traditional South African Braai. Music has always been the heart of Africa. The multi-cultural backgrounds bring a huge diversity in music which attracts many famous music festivals and artists.

Plan Durban

Like all developing world cities, the eThekwini Municipality is faced with high rates of immigration from rural areas and small towns. This is putting a lot of pressure on provision of adequate housing, job and education opportunities for the newcomers. Majority of growth within the municipality is happening on the urban periphery where it is easier to access land. Job opportunities on the other hand are concentrated in the urban centers such as Durban. Large amount of jobs in manufacturing, warehousing and transport industry are located in the center, south and west of the city. Separation of where people live and work leads to large number of residents traveling big distances to reach their job every day. This puts enormous pressure to mobility infrastructure of the municipality. eThekwini municipality in its annual report identified seven main issues related to economy: 1. Persistently high unemployment (21,9% in 2017 Q4); 2. 41,8% of population subject to conditions associated with poverty; 3. Need for greater diversity in the economy. 4. Declining resource base and the impacts of climate change 5. Inability to meet timeous demand for strategic infrastructure and other services 6. Urbanisation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the movement of people from the rural to urban areas may lead to overcrowding, food shortages and impact on the infrastructureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carrying capacity. 7. Low foreign direct investment (FDI) and business expansion

The city of Durban has the busies port in the continent, with an international airport and trade port that is attracting state-of-art manufacturers in the IT and innovation sectors. Currently, economy of eThekwini municipality is dominated by tertiary industries such as finance (20%), manufacturing (19%), community services (20%), trade (18%), transport (14%) and construction (5%). Although trade contributes significantly to municipalities economy, imports are still exceeding exports. Sector that is dominating trade â&#x20AC;&#x201C; motor vehicles, iron, steel, basic chemicals. 60% of all exports during 2016 were motor vehicles, parts and accessories and basic iron and steel. Almost 50% of imports were motor vehicles, parts and accessories and basic chemicals. The Port of Durban is Southern Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s busiest seaport in terms of vessels calling and value of cargo moved. The functions and services provided at the Port of Durban are among the most important contributors to regional economic growth. The development of a reliable and sustainable road network and supporting land use structure is critical going forward.

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Dube Trade Zone located near the King Shaka international airport has recently secured investments of Samsung Electronics, Amsted Reelin, Rossi SA, Ukuphanta and DB Schenker The Durban Point Waterfront located on the south part of the Durban inner city is rapidly transforming from a previously run-down precinct into a multi-billion Rand property showcase.

For upcoming 20 years municipality will focus on capitalizing on the role of the port, international airport and modern rail, road, infrastructure, information, innovation and communication technologies. Improvements in these sectors are expected to help solving high unem-

ployment with additional strategies to rise competences of the population through access to education and vocational training.

Plan Durban

Durban is the

In 2016 Durban

largest port city of

hosted the 52nd

Africa

ISOCARP Congress

Durban is a tourist

The inner city

destination with

of Durban has

sandy beaches and

many car related

a lively boulevard

businesses

Durban is home

For tourists, Durban

to many hipster

is a naturally

hotels, bars,

starting place to

restaurants and

explore South

nightclubs

Africa

Plan Durban

City attractions

The Moses Mabhida Stadium

Getting curious about Rivertown

Facing the challenge of future?

Živilė Šimkutė

Stefan Netsch

On the corner of Monty Naicker road and Florence Nzama street stands a five-storey historic 1930 British-Colonial Style building. One of the most recognizable buildings in Rivertown. A former Ambassador House was designed by Scottish architect Stanley Nelson. Originally a residential building, now it is home for a vibrant backpacker’s hostel “Curiosity Backpackers”, offices and some residential units, Propertuity Development Durban office and Mr Price Foundation’s retail business school. Curiosity Backpackers is an upmarket backpacker’s establishment. It was founded by Johannesburg entrepreneur Bheki Dube, who set up a highly successful first branch in Johannesburg. Ambassadors house is one of the many regeneration projects in Durban by Propertuity Development company.

Developers and young entrepreneurs are settling down at Rivertown. Municipality needs to catch up and facilitate this new interest in the formerly abandoned places in the city. Team of “Curiosity Durban” is an integral part of local community. Local small businesses gather together to organize common events, bring some life into the neighbourhood. For sure, if empowered and given more freedom by the local government, local community could help Rivertown, located just 700 meters away from the waterfront, become a lively and walkable cultural hub.

“Curiosity Durban” is led by a young team that is responsible for accommodations, organizing cultural events and trips, taking care of the cosy hostel facilities. Hostel has a beautiful courtyard which is used as a common area for guests. Space is used for morning yoga sessions, movie nights, regular evening events with live music. There is a sense that the energy accumulating inside the blocks of Rivertown that needs to burst out. This small hostel in a successfully regenerated building is a great example of that. Unfortunately, everything that happens, if happens in the area, is hiding behind the faces of lifeless streets and comes out only on special occasions. Meanwhile the streets, six lanes one way – grey, dull, and with not so much traffic one would expect from such an extensive street network are sucking the life not only out of the street but out of every single plinth of a block. Ground floor of the Ambassador house similarly to other buildings at the perimeter of Monty Naicker road are currently used as auto-shops, tire shops, car repair or other car related services. Located less than a kilometre away from the beach, these streets have a huge potential to become attractive spaces on the way from the historical city centre towards the waterfront. Now walking is simply scary, uncomfortable and strange. Even at daytime. This is a place for boutiques shops, cafes, ice-cream bars, shoes, cloths on the ground floor, street vendors cooking street food and selling all kind of minor items in the street and to make this feasible, people need to want to take a walk.

South Africa hosted in 2010 the FIFA World Cup. The games where played in ten different stadiums, one of them was the Moses Mahbida Stadium in Durban. Due to the size with more than 62.000 spectators the stadium hosted in total seven games, among which the semi final. Unfortunately, I do not have the best memories of this game, as Spain won with 0-1. The Durban ISOCARP UPAT team used the Moses Mahbida Stadium as their working space. The stadium, designed by the German Architecture firm Gerkhan Marg & Partner, has become a land mark for the whole city, because of its significant steel arch that covers the football pitch. The arch is 350 m long and 105 m high and has the function to uphold the construction of the membrane tile roof. After the World Cup, the stadium faced the usual challenge how to use it in everyday life. There were a few games during the Africa Cup in 2013 and there once was a question to host the opening ceremony and athletics events of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Especially from a European perspective, the ownership of the stadium is quite remarkable. Usually city or a club owns a stadium. The Moses Mahbida - named after a former politician - Stadium is owned by the South African Football Association. The local club AmaZulu Durban is not using the stadium on a regular base, more less the capacity is too high, and they prefer the much smaller

Princess Magogo Stadium. The question now arises, how to make use of the stadium on a regular basis, besides hosting an Urban Planning Advisory Team workshop and other meetings in the business lounges. There are different options how it is done in Durban. As a linkage to the British history there are some cricket competitions or rugby matches. On an irregular base concerts and events take place. But the main attraction in every day terms is a funicular, which takes visitors from the north side of the stadium to a viewing platform at the top of the arch. From there they have a panoramic view over the city and the ocean. The alternative to conquer the arch more actively is a 550-step adventure walk. As an adrenalin trigger there is a gigantic swing starting in a height of 70 meters and falling into the stadium. The problem and challenge of the actual usage of the stadium is the need for big events, which can generate enough money to pay for the maintenance of the stadium and its surroundings. But also, the stadium is part of everyday infrastructure, which should be used by the local people for daily sport and activities. From a planning perspective, with the knowledge of quite a few recently build stadiums in Brazil, Russia and in the future in Qatar, the problem is FIFA based. Due to the assignment to develop a certain amount of stadiums in a specific size, hosting cities do not anticipate to the usage possibilities after the event. In other words, size does matter!

Former Ambassador House

Courtyard of “Curiosity Durban” hostel

The Moses Mabhida Stadium

Plan Durban

Interview with prof. Monique Michal Marks

Future of the city does not need to be science fiction Živilė Šimkutė

On July 4th, when USA celebrated the day of Independence I had a pleasure to interview Prof. Monique Michal Marks, who is a research professor and the head of the Urban Futures Centre of the Durban University of Technology. We met prof. Marks in one of the meetings with stakeholders during the UPAT visit to Durban. I was intrigued to know more about the activities of the centre, about her view on future development of the city and what she thinks city municipality should do now to become the caring and liveable city with a create vibrant, liveable, walkable city centre by 2040. URBAN FUTURES CENTRE Urban Futures Centre was initiated by the vice-chancellor of the Durban University of Technology (DUT) who thought it was essential to bring social sciences into a faculty of engineering and built environment. It was important to highlight that everything that is happening in the city, whether it is about planning or engineering, has an impact on people. FOUNDING IDEAS Centre was established based on two founding ideas. First – the use of imaginary lens which means that one should not necessarily be constrained by the framework of policy but rather be futuristic and imaginative. Second - centre must be a laboratory that brings together network of people to look innovative solutions to real everyday problems. The centre strives to test out ideas that could resolve complex urban problems. Each project is done in close collaborations with the network of experts and those most affected by a particular problem of a project. CHALLENGE EXISTING NORMS AND ATTITUDES Safety in the streets of Durban is an issue that is considered one of the reasons why it is so difficult to attract residents and retain investments in the inner city. Urban safety is a particularly complex problem that needs systematic solutions and intense participatory process of multiple stakeholders. The Imagining a City Without Walls project, initiated in 2014 by the UFC brought together multiple stakeholders

to re-examine the relationship between home security and defensive boundaries, particularly walls. Idea was to challenge the notion that walls, big fences “guarding” neighbourhoods make people live in safer environments. Walls were considered as objects that bring illusion of safety and rather create fragmented, impermeable urban fabric where nobody wants to go to. The Street Level Drug Use project brings together trans-disciplinary researchers, communities affected by street level use, drug users and various institutions responding to drug addiction in the city to discuss innovative, alternative responses to drug problem in the streets of Durban. Project challenges the conservative approaches to drug use problem and discusses implementation of innovative, globally approved, successful solutions to help drug users and increase safety in the city at the same time. There are many other projects done by the Centre. The key message is that breaking down walls and providing harm reduction services to drug users might not seem futuristic but can be extremely challenging and forward looking for many. Therefore, this team of researchers sees high value in changing outdated norms to improve livelihood of urban communities and therefore the liveability of the city. MULTIPLE FUTURES OF THE CITY Prof. Marks says that there can be many ways of understanding the problem and many ways to solving it. Each group involved in a particular project has a different perspective and can be influenced by a possible intervention in a different way. There isn’t one simple future. It’s useful to map out various possibilities at any given time, therefore the centre concentrates not on one future of success but multiple possible outcomes, multiple possible futures. IMAGINING THE FUTURE OF DURBAN: PROBLEMS OF TODAY CANNOT BECOME BURDENS OF THE FUTURE To achieve the aspired future, Prof. Marks states, city need not only to understanding the burden of the past but also the burdens of the future. For example, unemployment today will be the burden of the future, poor

Public event at the Urban Futures Centre in Durban (Source: Durban University of Technology)

education today will be the burden of the future. In the same way, historical trauma is a burden of today and of the future. Cities therefore need to consider the problematic complexities of urban life today because, as Prof. Marks says “if we don’t and if we stick only to the present or the past, which is what South Africans tend to do, we are not going to find a way out of the quagmire of looking backwards rather than forward. That is why we speak a lot about the burden of the future and getting people to understand what are the future burdens that people are likely to experience and mitigate against those.” CELEBRATE MULTICULTURALITY AND LEARN FROM SUCCESS STORIES Durban, throughout its history was a hub for various cultures and diverse activities. Despite multiple efforts to enforce the Group Areas Act adopted by The National Party in 1950, Apartheid planning did damage the urban life of the city but did not crush the multicultural spirit of the city. Apartheid is a historical failure story in Durban. To revitalize the inner city, it is important to celebrate the multiculturality of the city and to concentrate on the multiple success stories of Durban. Prof. Marks suggests looking at striving neighbourhoods and vibrant townships as models of activated places. Inner city could benefit from urban fabric an upgrade to become more user friendly. Public spaces have to be key to regeneration of the inner city. It is important to note though that safety and reduction of crime should not be achieved at the expense of informal settlers or vulnerable groups (migrants, the homeless or drug addicts). KEYWORD - CONNECTIVITY Prof. Marks emphasises that keyword for Durban’s success is – connectivity. Durban needs connecting people to each other, to infrastructure, to their past and their future.

Moreover, city officials need to think about the Port of Durban differently. It is not only the main source of income but also a vibrant place where people live, work and spend their time. It should be therefore developed in a way to become more open to urban life. Furthermore, urban fragmentation should be eliminated. Urban future centre considers braking down walls, boarders and fences an important step city needs to take to ensure natural surveillance, better perception of street life and therefore more liveable streets. Durban is home for over 3 million people out of which big part is young population. City is home for people of different income groups as well as homeless, drug addicts, migrants and other vulnerable groups. Decisions about future development must be made considering the wide spectre of needs of different user groups. City must be accessible and provide space for all kinds of activities – formal or informal. It is the reality and beauty of the city that makes it active and attractive. Public spaces can become a vital connecting element for the society and has to be designed in a participatory way using high quality design decisions. Finally, municipality has to be more relaxed and open minded to discuss, allow experimentation and innovation to happen, control less and embrace more. FUTURE OF THE CITY DOES NOT NEED TO BE SCIENCE FICTION Prof. Marks explains that futuristic thinking is the ability to close your eyes and not have any boundaries to what you envision the future to look like and then think about what practical steps you need to take to get there. Future of the city does not need to be science fiction. Being vibrant, liveable, walkable, equitable is a very good start.

Plan Durban

UPAT recommendations

Plan Durban

However dynamic, the open markets economy cannot solely provide the sustainable existence of the CBD. Synergy between the Port activities and tourist potentials is one of the desired actions recognized as a major redevelopment motor (The Peak area and the focus on cruise tourism). On the other side, the existing building stock, with its diversity of architectural styles from different epochs, is also an important asset. The risks, which make these assets not fully recognized as such, are that some of the stock is empty, creating unsafe and unwanted situations in the inner city. This is a serious challenge for the revival, which can be addressed positively with the following moto: “Your future real estate is already here”

Open the Doors to the inner city Milena Ivković

Durban has a quite unique and rewarding location. Not many of the world’s major cities can enjoy mild climate with 320 days of sunshine per year. Also, not many of world’s inner cities have direct access to the two waterfronts: one a natural harbor, and another a long stretch of a sandy beach, ending with a river-delta. Durban’s Inner City has been in stagnation for the last 20 years. Most of the growth has been relocated to the northern borders of the eThekwini Municipality, instead staying in the inner city. Almost every major corporation in the city’s major economies – manufacturing, services and Port activities - has moved to the northern Umhlanga neighbourhood, leaving the inner city to it’s own devices. (* citation :”The property values on the beachfront at Umhlanga Rocks are five times those of Durban, despite Durban having a better location”). Despite these grim developments, the inner city still has a lot of things going on. The municipality of eThekwini continues to make a tremendous effort to manage the

long process of urban renewal. This effort has been focused on the following 9 districts in the inner city: • • • • • • • • •

The Point, Albert Park, Warwick Junction, Greyville, Victoria Embankment, The Beachfront, Greater Kings Park, The Umngeni Corridor Central Business District (CBD).

Despite underused building stock, and negative perception of safety and security in the public spaces, the CBD is full of renewal potentials. First, it houses a rich cultural heritage. Second, the flat morphology of the CBD has enabled a grid of regular urban blocks, with straight wide roads and street profiles. Its long South Beach is a unique playground in the inner city, well known for its windsurfing subculture. Street art, grafitti-art and oth-

Informal commerce on the streets of the Inner-city

er grass-roots cultural “pockets” are more present here then in the CBD’s of other major South African metropolises – e.g. in contrast to Cape Town, the graffiti art in Durban inner city is not banned.

The support and the commitment of the private sector to the revival of Durban CBD are modest, but present. Building rehabilitation and the introduction of new uses is already in the portfolio of several local developers (UrbanLime, CityLife, Propertuity). Far way from being social housing, these developments aim to create refurbished residential and commercial units within the existing stock. Another important characteristic of these re-developments is that the developers are looking for the “good combinations” of building stock and the surroundings. Not only the “look and feel” of the building stock refurbishments is important, but also the potential to carry on events (and other functions) in the surrounding public space is equally valuable.

The omni-presence of road infrastructure is both the curse and the blessing of the CBD. Over-dimensioned roads offer a possibility to introduce the BRT and ease the bulging amount of formal and informal taxi’s, without extra large investments in retrofitting or demolishing parts of the street network. The over-dimensioned roads are accompanied by the equally super-sized parking lots, placing an additional pressure on the quality of the public space in the inner city. Considered by many to be the actual center of Durban, Warwick Junction (the place of the famous Warwick Market) is a key mobility interchange in the inner city, with access to taxi’s, busses and trains. Every day, more then 400.000 people pass through the Warwick Junction. Nine markets of the Warwick Market are centered on the roads and along the rails lines of the Junction. Although the nine markets are considered to be formal, they initiate a lot of informal trade in the surrounding streets converging to the Market.

Durban waterfront

As everywhere in South Africa, many of the formal/informal market places are extremely compact and dynamic. They provide livelihood and work for large groups of people, especially for women, as well as food and services, which otherwise might not be easily accessed. Inner City

Inner City planning precicnts (Source: eThekwini 2040 Inner City Local Area Plan)

Streets of the Inner-City

Plan Durban

UPAT Recommendations on programming and organization of the Inner-City

Inner-City revival Milena Ivković, Steven Segerlin

As the result of the 5-day intensive UPAT Lab, the Isocarp expert’s team came up with a fourteen general guiding principles (recommendations) on the Finance, Programming and the Organisaiton of the Durban Inner City renewal. Seven of them have direct relations to the Superblock. Five of them illustrate the possible “quick wins” – actions, processes and design which can be realized in the relatively short period of time, with limited budgets, and at the same time serve as steps towards mid- and long term goals of the renewal. The aim of these recommendations is to serve as a tool to evaluate future decisions and actions conceived by the city’s planning and developing agencies. The recommendations also serve the agencies in developing better spatial strategies, while conduct more fruitful dialogue with the private and public stakeholders with stake in the Inner City renewal. The interviews conducted with the groups of enthusiastic and motivated civic servants as well as the representatives of investors, business owners and civic groups during the UPAT Lab have helped the Isocarp team to sum up with these recommendations. The guiding principles are here not only to give practical perspectives on renewal, but also to create a narrative where many diverse roles and agendas find its common interests. The aim of these recommendations is to serve as a tool to evaluate future decisions and actions conceived by the city’s planning and developing agencies. The recommendations also serve the agencies in developing better spatial strategies, while conduct more fruitful dialogue with the private and public stakeholders with stake in the Inner City renewal. The interviews conducted with the groups of enthusiastic and motivated civic servants as well as the representatives of investors, business owners and civic groups during the UPAT Lab have helped the Isocarp team to sum up with these recommendations. The guiding principles are here not only to give practical perspectives on renewal, but also to create a narrative where many diverse roles and agenda’s an find its common interests.

1. Extend BRT Line through CBF to form a Circular Line 2. Connect Key Attractions 3. Go on a Road Diet 4. Loose the Grime 5. Activate the Public Space with Temporary Uses 6. Introduce Pilot Projects Mixed Income Housing + Retail 7. Build on a Human Scale, Brand Your Neighbourhoods 8. Be More Ambitious at the Drive-In Site 9. Create an Economic Engines System at Drive-In Site 10. Prioritize Projects and Promote Them 11. Visualise Phasing and Progress of the Ongoing Projects 12. Use PPP Model for Financing Public Facilities 13. Coordinate and Communicate the Projects 14. Continually Enhance Development Capabilities of the Inner City

#1: Extend planned BRT line through CBD to form a Circular Line. The current mobility plans for the wider CBD area include the introduction of the Bus Rapid Transit line, with a end bus stop in the CBD. Instead of terminating the line in the CBD, (which will create even more demand for bus and car traffic space) it can be extended to run around the Superblock, in the form of a Circular Line. The circular character of the line will allow users to step in and out of the bus along a constant loop, saving the traffic space, and making it easier for the BRT to integrate with other means of urban mobility. This will raise the attractiveness of the public transport as a way to reach several points of interest within the CBD, without having to change the means of transportation. Being connected with a Circular Line, the Superblock will achieve better accessibility, which will bring increased interest to invest in and to renovate the Superblock. Good public transport solution will bring more businesses and attract jobs in the area.

#2: Connect Key Attractions in the Inner City.

Guiding principles to achieve quick wins within the Superblock.

With the interest in investing raised by the Circular Line, all other nearby attractions and areas can expect more attention. A wider network of diverse connections (public transport, car, biking and walking) will allow users to criss-cross the inner city, from the Warwick Junction via Rivertown to the Beachfront, and from the CBD to the Marina, Victoria Embankment and the Point.

The Quick-Wins in the Superblock are aimed to enact ongoing policies in urban renewal and public space improvement, and therefore increase Superblock’s chances in redevelopment. They require smaller budgets, lots of creative thinking, shorter planning and shorter execution time-span.

#3: Road diet

Besides creating wider frameworks for safe and walkable streets, it is important to initiate several parallel processes that will help Superblock to “loose the grime” and clean-up it’s image. The important elements in this effort are the refurbishment of dilapidated faced, and necessary repair of the buildings with quality and attractive building materials. As a simultaneous action, the upgrade and intensive maintenance of the streets should be planned together with the building stock renovation. Better lighting and signage is the next step in this process, which ultimately should aim to provide new spaces on the ground floor of the buildings for more convenient and wider array of services.

More usage of public transport and increasing the attractiveness of the Superblock is directly connected with the re-profiling of the surrounding main avenues, which can be best described as “going on the road diet”. Road diet means basically the reduction of the oversized road profiles in order to turn underused lanes into more attractive urban landscapes, such as walkable pavements, bike lanes, green tree rows or integrated water-absorbing surfaces. The slimmed roads become more attractive and inviting corridors, providing pedestrians with adequate connections from one place to another, avoiding the traffic conflicts and unsafe crossings.

#4 Loose the Grime

Plan Durban

#5 Pilot Project – Mixed Income Housing with Retail Urban renewal of an inner city is a long-term project, with many in-between phases, which can last for years. It is a heavy burden for any city, which can not be placed only on the shoulders of the governmental funds. Social and economic success cannot be reached overnight with only the public space quick-win initiatives. Besides, on a long term, many theoretical models may be proved to be useless in the practice and specific circumstances of the Superblock. The acceleration of the renewal process can be facilitated with the introduction of “pilot projects” – spatially limited, with manageable risks in investments and maintenance. Similar to quick-wins in the public space, pilot projects present quick-win opportunities on the mid-term, due to the limited scale. Currently there is a lack of attractive incentives from the local government for those interested in investing in the Superblock. There is a clear preference for the “greenfield” investments, which can bring more income to the municipality, and create new, commercially more viable urban blocks. Many retail and housing functions in the Superblock (and in the CBD generally) are functionally sep-

arated and dispersed: there are parts of the block, which can be fully renovated, and there are parts of the block occupied by vacant buildings. The pilot project in the Superblock can showcase how the introduction of the mixed-income housing typologies with new retail formulas can move the inner city renewal towards broader improvements of the quality of life. The project becomes then an example of how to offer more types of goods and services, but also more types of architecture and housing typology. #6 Activate with Temporary Uses Just “loosing the grime” will not guarantee the continuation of the positive renewal process. The introduction of temporary uses of the streets and public spaces means creating an environment that attracts more visitors from throughout Durban. Temporary uses can be cultural performances, art displays and meetings, pop-up food courts and other activities with the meaning for the local community. Once the grime has been cleaned, it is necessary to ensure the continuity of use. The easiest way is to allow temporary uses in the cleaned streets – low-cost, affordable, but also which have the meaning for the local community.

#7 Build on a Human Scale, Brand your Neighborhoods There is a great opportunity to create a series of exciting places in the Superblock that will appeal to a broad number of stakeholders, including residents, shoppers, employees in the district and occasional tourists. Attractive ground-level of the buildings, places to sit (and eat) and shopping all tied together safely, will create an energized public realm. The Superblock is now off-themap, and not a part of the daily life of the Durbanites, particularly not for those with more disposable income. Still, there are enough elements to build a “Superblock brand”, since it possess hidden architectural gems and historic buildings. These objects are extremely important for giving the Superblock a recognizable face. They need to be re-valuated, preserved and restored, and treated as a urban heritage. #8 Be More Ambitious at the Drive-in Site The empty lot of the former Drivein entrance to the Hoy Park is currently benchmarked as the ideal location for the development of the much-needed social housing units.

The Municipality owns the plot, the accessibility by road is excellent, and there are no existing buildings that need to be removed. Although it seems like an ideal opportunity to realize standardized multistoried closed and semiclosed blocks of (small in size) social housing units and hope that the new streets network, an occasional supermarket and a playground would suffice for minimal neighbourhood quality, the Drivein Site can offer much more. The social housing development should be considered integral with its surroundings, and not stay enclosed in one block typology. The quality of architecture and public space is essential, and should be seen as an opportunity to experiment with creative design solutions within limited realizations budgets. The walkability from the DriveIn site to the existing functions in the surroundings (primary school, public beach, grocery stores and the new Casino-site commercial development) is an essential asset of the site, which can help make it a more ambitious project, with a lively, mixed-use and attractive ground floor levels.

#9 Create an Economic Engines System at Drive-In Site Just providing housing units for socially vulnerable and not-established social groups will not contribute to the attractiveness of the Drive-in Site on the long term. On the contrary, if not carefully planned, it can become just another isolated block with detached and disgruntled inhabitants, with little or none possibility to improve their life and the life of their families. Therefore it is important to embed certain “economic engines” at the site, to ensure that housing blocks offer also more then just a roof over the head. A place where primary and specific education can be found, in the sectors that can offer direct employment in the strong economic branches in Durban, such as automotive industries, ICT or the Port services. The affordable (open) food market, as well as small health-care units should also be available as well as child day care facilities, which can be combined with some of the educational and training facilities. To be able to make an efficient land-use plan of the Drive-in site and realize enough social housing units, all these additional functional can be bundled in a large mixed-use multi-storied unit within the Drive –in site. The unit

becomes then also a social center of the micro-neighbourhood, easy to reach and manage, and a social “lift” for the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. High-percentage of just one type of the housing units at one location can bring a monotonous character to the site. Therefore it is necessary to micro-examine each “edge” and “access” point of the site to be able to develop more market-oriented, mixed-income housing units at those spots. The architecture and the size of the housing units can be more diverse then the typical social housing units, preferably in combination with it’s own working and / or commercial space. #10 Prioritize Projects and Promote Them One quick look at the map depicting current projects in the Durban Inner City Renewal Plan shows a variety of plans of all sizes and types, from large Waterfront development to the small-scaled interventions on the scale of one city block. The projects are scattered over the wider Inner City area, which gives a good impressions on the sheer scale and ambition of the Inner City Renewal efforts. Still, a clear connection between projects and

Plan Durban

a prioritization or the sequence explaining how the projects will be realized is missing. In this way it is not clear for the potential investors and citizens how this area will actually develop, and what is the value of the Inner City renewal. By “connecting the dots” of the segmented projects and making a coherent storyline of the Inner City renewal efforts (e.g setting the clear priorities in establishing the connections between the Rivertown, Marina and Warwick junction) the promotion of the plans for the Inner city will be made easier. #11 Visualise Phasing and Progress of the Ongoing Projects Prioritization of the Inner City Renewal projects is actually only the first step in the longer and complex process of continuous promotion of the efforts and ambitions. The visualization of the phasing of the projects will help raise better understanding of the dynamics of the development, and support positive expectations of the renewal. Besides presenting the phases of the development, it is important to “keep on following” already initiated projects, and give the citizens (as well as potential new investors) the assurance that the Municipal-

ity stands firm behind the renewal policies, and fully supports the plan. Iterations and changes in the plans should be communicated in a similar manner. Showing what is going to be done in the future of the city centre is a good and positive strategy, but showing what (and how many actions and projects) has already been done can send even stronger message. In this narrative of phasing and monitoring the progress the presentations should not only limit to the physical (planned) aspects, but also include other activities performed by the Municipality and directly connected, e.g. “loose the grime”, upgrading of public space, or new festivals and events made possible in the renewal areas. The channels to communicate the phasing and progress on the ongoing projects can be many – some of the most obvious ones include special social media channels, webpages or podcasts. #12 Use PPP Model for Financing Public Facilities The PPP Model (Public-Private Partnership) has been used worldwide by the city governments as a mean to better facilitate investment in public infrastructure. The basic presumption of this model is the sharing of the public project

risk between the city and the private sector. In the case of Durban, and especially in the line of the Inner City Renewal efforts, PPP Model can be use to align the governmental objectives (such as e.g. more social housing, better public space infrastructure or social services) with the profit objectives of the private partner. Using mixed-use, innovative architecture and urban design can be a catalyst for achieving this balance, especially on the locations suitable for realizing a variety of for-profit housing or office developments with providing some social and service infrastructure (e.g subsidized housing, schools, medical care centers or public cultural institutions) in the surrounding blocks, or within the block itself, e.g Superblock. #13 Coordinate and Communicate the Projects Besides creating a strategy for “external communication”, it is necessary to coordinate and communicate the myriad of projects and efforts in the Inner City within different departments of the Municipality. During the extensive interviews UPAT team has conducted with the several representatives, it was clear that inter-communication about ongoing, past and future

projects is very much needed, in order to achieve synergy and maximize the renewal efforts. In order to facilitate and streamline this process, the Municipality should follow the model of appointing an “Ambassador of the Inner City Renewal Projects” – a professional with the task to collect and exchange the updates on the progress of the renewal projects within the Municipality, but who will also give a familiar, recognizable face to the media and the potential Municipal partners from private sectors. The Ambassador would therefore become a visible advocate for the inner city renewal, and give a “face” to the complex and sometimes abstract plans. #14 Continually Enhance Development Capabilities of the Inner City If Durban is to respond successfully to the challenge of building an appealing profile in a demanding economic environment, it must continue to create value. To do this, it is essential not only to follow the renewal and extension plans, but also to deliver practical responses

to the needs of the citizens, and create an environment that encourages investment in the existing, inner city communities. In terms of development capabilities, the Municipality should : • look at the variety of locations it has in her possession and re-asses them from the viewpoint of a potential PPP Model location • think about new types of contracting and procurement • create financial incentives for those willing to invest or expand their present business in the inner city • look for bankable projects in the inner city which can contribute to larger public good, connecting design with innovation and financing mechanisms. The development capabilities can be enhanced in a sustainable way by building on the industrial and commercial past and present, by adapting it to the imperatives of the new economies, and using regeneration and development of special areas (e.g Superblock) as a vehicle to achieve better future prospects.

Plan Durban

UPAT Recommendations: focus on the finance

Development Methods + Strategy + Marketing Steven Segerlin

DEVELOPMENT METHODS • • •

•

Public development and leasing. Public conditional sale/private acquisition, development and leasing. Joint development (public ground lease, private development and leasing, profit sharing). Land banking and consolidation (if needed).

restaurants and retail, etc.). Seed new housing tenants (university students, young urban professionals, empty nesters, etc.).

•

#17 Reduce vacancy rate in developed buildings to encourage turnover and affordability

•

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY #15 Clearly articulate development potential and priority sites

•

Identify, categorize and map properties by development method based on market and absorption principles (semi-done); Prioritize 3-4 one-block sections for redevelopment (semi-done).

•

#16 Foster leasing demand by creating new attractions

•

• • •

•

Find temporary uses to activate underutilizes spaces to fill the area with formal activity. Develop alternative and mixed building products (smaller units, shared spaces, etc.). Enhance amenities (walkability/public realm, experiential retail, activations such as social/cultural/educational programming, market street/container park, urban ag, etc.). Seed new businesses (entrepreneurs/start-ups, makers space, vocational centers, university partnerships, indie

Modernize vacancy tax policy from non-developed property to not-in-service (>50%) and to allow eminent domain of habitually underutilized properties (land banking). Set-up database for building owners to report total and in-service floor space. Hire private firm to monitor and enforce vacancy tax.

#18 Establish comprehensive framework for redevelopment •

• •

Policies and schedule for public release (standardized process, RFPs and contracts). Policies and schedule for land consolidation/assembly. Policies for public incentives for new types of building products (taxes and/or subsidies). Promote and connect developers to low-cost funding sources (concessional loans, grants, crowdsource/mezzanine equity, etc.).

#19 Package projects • • •

Test-fit scenarios to determine minimum viable development massing (IRR). Solicit input by private developers on constructions costs. Spread affordable housing

•

units across market-rate housing projects. Public space and bulk infrastructure responsibility of private developer including O&M. Explore developer as programmer models. Determine variability gap funding required by public sector.

Create leaders and institutions that wholly own the implementation • • • • •

Mainstreaming unit to work across silos (steering group). Set-up small projects/programming unit. Streamline and enhance property acquisition/assembly capabilities. Development corporation. Special purpose vehicles.

DEVELOPMENT MARKETING Lead generation • • • • • •

Pitch presentations with renderings with high-quality urban design. Specialized website. International and domestic journals. International and domestic road shows. Tenant registry/match-making Hire leasing company.

Lead closing • • •

Public tenders Quarterly investor roundtables 1:1 investor meetings

Plan Durban

Focus on the Super-block

Quick wins at the Super-block Milena Ivković

What is a Superblock? The area in the focus of this chapter is made of several urban blocks between the Dr.A.B. Xuma Avenue and the Margaret Mncandi Avenue, on the north border of the Durban Marina. At this moment, the area is representative of the problems that are plaguing the CBD and Inner City in general: despite a good grid of streets and avenues, and some remarkable historic and modern buildings, the decline in economical livability, quality of public space and perception of safety and security is present. Area’s central position just between the Marina waterfront and the major public square with its markets and civic life, makes it an important start point of the urban renewal efforts. By focusing on a wide array of coordinated and inter-dependent actions, revitalization of this “Superblock” can initiate more and more renewal-related projects in the whole Inner City. Superblock can serve as an example, a living lab, and a proof that efforts in finding the new energy in the downtown Durban can happen.

Area with a potential to become a pilot area for new interventions

The potentials of extending the downtown BRT to a circular line Milena Ivković

As mentioned in one of the recommendations, Superblock and the integration of the BRT line with the Superblock are among the potentially most beneficial planning action for the renewal of the inner city of Durban. The first recommendation proposes a closer look to the possibility to form a Circular BRT Line, rather then realising only the terminal (end) station. In many respects, BRT can play a major role in creating and revitalizing the public realm. Although BRT generally involves greater investment then that of conventional bus service, it also generates more permanent infrastructure, benefitting streetscapes and creating more walkable, accessible environment.

Durban Marina

Another argument for creating a circular BRT line is that the public realm will not be activated at only one spot (the terminal station) but spread along the inner city district. All other micro-locations in the Superblock (or at its edges) that are now facing a downward spiral of development (due to issues of safety, security or vacancy) can be connected with the BRT stations. In this way, the possible generation of income is not concentrated only on one place (terminal station) but more evenly divided

Road design for BRT (NACTO_BRT)

Plan Durban

Inspiring examples from Rotterdam and Brussels

Building a Lifestyle Community of Rivertown Milena Ivković, Živilė Šimkutė

Cleveland, BRT Wide Green profile

over the whole Superblock trajectory. In terms of spatial and land-use upgrade, this strategy would enable creating more complete streets (not dominated by cars only) and open the possibilities to develop the Superblock BRT corridor as a linear park, using some clear landscaping solutions. Quick Win possibilities along the circular Superblock corridor Many of the streetscape improvement projects are difficult to fund when they are conceived as “stand alone” projects. Even when the budgets are found for the quickwin streetscape upgrade, they usually cover only for the realisation, with little means over for a long-period maintenance. By connecting them and incorporating them in a larger project, such as the BRT, the streetscape improvement projects have more chance for success and longevity. On a political level, integration of the transit (and public transport) infrastructure and public space improvements conveys a clear message on commitment to wider, inclusive urban renewal and regeneration. In return, this message can attract private investment and increase the interest in revitalization of the existing inner city neighbourhoods. The following short –list of quick win interventions can be used as a guideline on how to demonstrate strong dedication of the Municipality to achieve quality in the inner-city and shift the development in the positive direction: a/ use good design on the small scale – street furniture and BRT stops design should be more then just technical solutions, but also serve other purposes.

b/ deploy more public art, in a integrated way. Make as much as possible use of the visual quality of public art for wayfinding, advertising or general neighbourhood branding, and for “loosing the grime”. c/ make use of “native” landscaping: reserve enough space for green elements, which should be unique and belonging to the city, not a “copy-pasted” or imported solutions from other situations which require high maintenance. Understanding and designing the quick fixes within the Municipality is usually not enough to make them “implementation-ready”. There is usually a long trajectory of getting relevant stakeholders involved as well. How to get the stakeholders onboard to adopt the Superblock quick-fixes? a/ get the support of property owners (especially from the vacant property) and small/medium size business community as soon as possible. Present simple “transformation road-maps” and ideas which can rather inspire then come over as a threat. b/ pursue partnerships with non-profit stakeholders, even when it is clear that the majority of the transformation will be carried put with the support of the commercial stakeholders. c/ get a team of strong “champions” of the quick-fix measures, ideally from both the for-profit as well as from the non-profit sectors.

Revived area along Hofbogen train-line in Rotterdam, NL

Hofbogen, Rotterdam (NL) The Hofbogen area in Rotterdam lies just outside of the city centre, in the vicinity of the Central Station. The area has a long history of a shattered image – unsafe in the evenings, small, mostly social housing apartments, oversized empty parking lots, and unattractive, mostly vacant office and storage space. It was a shabby, no-go area, divided by a rail viaduct of the Hofplein Rail Line, more then one-and-half century old connection to The Hague. When the last railway service was abandoned in 2006, the abandoned Hofplein Station and the viaduct with its archways (“bogen” in Dutch) started its slow transiting to decay, dragging adjusted neighbourhoods along. The strategic location of the Hofplein Station, however, was enough for several urban development parties to recognize the potential for redevelopment. With the idea to “pioneer the new Hofplein Station” and make a stronger neighbourhood of the Rotterdam North, two housing corporations (owning the majority of the social housing in the Hofbogen neighbourhood and in Rotterdam North in general) formed a new real estate development company called Hofbogen BV. The transformation of the area can be taken as exemplatory tale for the transformation of Durban’s Rivertown: a/successful renewal need to be institutionalized and b/ investment should be allocated

according to a flexible, yet strategic plan, starting with most useful assets, and guided by a team of diverse real-estate experts. From the beginning of the Hofbogen renewal it was obvious that the transformation of the spaces under the viaduct and the overall area redevelopment will not be an easy task. Although the Hofbogen BV became the owner of the spaces under the railway line (the arches) the old tracks (and the roof of the viaduct) are still belonging to the railway operator ProRail. Although ProRail was eager to sell this piece of property, no other public or private party was interested in buying just a roof of a viaduct structure, some 3 km long. The complicated ownership didn’t stop the development of the area, but it did require a special team of experts. To be able to successfully steer their property, Hofbogen BV employed a transformation process managers, marketing managers, and several real-estate specialist. After more then 10 years since the termination of the rail service, the viaduct itself and neighbourhoods are finally turned into one of the Rotterdam’s hotspots, for both tourists and the residents.

Plan Durban

Park-farm

Before

After

Tour & Taxis masterplan (By Vincent Callebaut) Bergweg Station before

Bergweg Station after

The initiating point of the renewal was the reconstruction of the Hofplein Station itself, and its first 7 arches. They were the closest to the city-centre, and therefore the most visible part to the general public. The approach set from the start of this renewal was to make the structure attractive to the pioneering entrepreneurs, rather then larger commercial parties. The uses and programmes strategy focused on the creative craftsmanship in every sense of the word: from restaurants to fashion to design to free time activities. Large murals and street arts were encouraged, as well as experimentations in surrounding public space. Due to the complicated ownership structure, the roof of the viaduct is allowed to host only temporary functions – such as summer festivals, and other outdoor activities when the weather is good.

The Hofbogen BV made sure that there is an interesting mix of businesses, initiatives, and (subsidized) social programmes in the arches, championing the model of “complementary” rather then “exclusive” uses.

Next important step in the Hofbogen success story was the activation of another abandoned station along (node) the line, the Bergweg Station. Hofbogen BV applied for a European subsidy for the renovation of the decayed and dilapidated station. When the interiors of the station were cleaned and upgraded, a surprisingly large amount of the interested parties applied to rent the renovated space. Right now, the station hosts a variety of functions, from an inexpensive pizza-restaurants chain to the artisanal food stores.

During the course of the next 7 years, the redevelopment and the successes of the Hofbogen have spread to the neighbourhood. Although there were no major re-developments of the build structure along the viaduct, the general living conditions in the neighbourhood were generally improved, and there is still enough space for other creative visions.

Park-farm, Brussels (BE) No longer than 5 years ago, Molenbeek area in Brussels, Belgium was a major head ache for planners and the local government. Territory was known for crime, inadequate integration of immigrants, bad quality of the urban environment and high unemployment. It was essential to do something about the area as new investments were planned to flood to the neighbouring Tour &Taxis territory which was planned to be transformed into a mix-use area with a strong residential component for mid and high-income residents. A valley was chosen for an intervention in Molenbeek, that was situated between two slopes that were connected with a small bridge. Uphill – traditional Brussels row housing area, mostly rented by immigrant families. Municipality of Brussels decided that conventional topdown approaches to address local problems of the area will not work, thus took a different approach. A local community group was formed which together with architecture and urban design professionals and artists initiated a “Park-design” project. Project had a very strong participatory element where local community was empowered to decide what will happen in a green valley that was, at that time, used to get rid of trash.

A bunch of ideas were generated and implemented. Theme of the park: urban farming. Ideas for interventions ranged from community gardens, oven to bake bread, community table with herbs in the middle, light installations. The jewel of the initiative: glass greenhouse that was a temporary space for the community to gather, learn about different cultures and about urban farming. After project was implemented, there was a lot of criticism about the future of the installations. Nobody believed that such a fragile structure of a green-house would survive more than a week in such a troubled environment. Its 2019, 5 years after the implementation of the community ideas, the glass green-house stands with not one glass broken. Park-farm became an important place for the local community to spend time, meet, learn about urban farming and at the same time. Just a few meters away from Park-farm project - a major redevelopment site of Tour & Taxis. Built between 1902 and 1907, Tour & Taxis was a major complex for customs clearance with warehouses, river gates, roads and railway infrastructure. Later it was no longer used and abandoned.

Plan Durban

Focus on the Drive-In Site

A New Economic Engine for the Inner-City Jacob Babarinde

Park-farm: Before

Park-farm: After

First redevelopment scheme for Tour & Taxis was approved in June, 2008. Scheme was prepared by Belgium urbanists â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ateliers Lion + MSAâ&#x20AC;?. Scheme explored different possibilities how the site could be transformed into a liveable neighbourhood, identified urgent works that needed to be done for the redevelopment and suggested a financing plan. Plan development process included various stakeholders and engaged public. It was essential to come to an agreement with all parties so that each partner knows their exact role in the redevelopment. Now, a third of the territory is either redeveloped or has new buildings such as an office of Brussels environmental agency, commercial spaces, offices, housing.

In the context of Tour & Taxis, Park-farm was important to generate confidence in the future of the area. Local problems were addressed and thus it will no longer threaten future investors and residents about the uncertainty of the area. Gentrification will not be avoided, immigrant families will be pushed out eventually, but it is important to identify the benefits of the renewed local culture that this small but powerful glass intervention brought to Molenbeek.

The old Durban drive-in site, south of Sandile Thusi Road and west of Sylvester Ntuli Road, has been earmarked as one of the sites for a social housing development in the inner city. The site was previously used as a drive-in to Hoy Park but is currently vacant. It is well serviced with good roads and enjoys close proximity to important landmarks such as medium-density housing, Moses Mabhida Stadium, Suncoast Casino and cool beaches, e.g. Bay of Plenty and North Bay all of which will enhance effective demand for housing projects. Site is within walking distance from several parks and quality housing areas.

Moses Mabhida Stadium

Suncoast Casino

Dive-in-site

The City currently plans to develop the site for affordable social, gap and market housing within a mixed-use model. VISUAL/PHYSICAL INTERVENTIONS In a nutshell, our considered vision and proposition for the Drive-In-Site is for the city of Durban to re-use existing buildings and add infill buildings that would enhance the bottom line for the revitalisation of the site and rescue struggling retail centres around the site through addition of infill housing in the form of mixed-use developments that offer energy conservation potential and transportation convenience.

Durban Station

Drive-in-Site location

Ultimately, the large expanse of the presently dormant area that was previously used for outdoor activities including parking can be turned into a combination of attractive open spaces with more buildings added to bring the redeveloped site to a critical mass acting as a magnet for city enhancement in the long term.

Park-farm area redevelopment

For this vision to be achieved, the city would require a practical architect on the project who can complement existing architecture and create an exciting place by complexity of some sort using graduated density zoning without being a slave to it. Graduated density zoning may be achieved for the site by keeping the zoning on the periphery of the Drive-In-Site at the same approximate density and intensity as the adjacent property, but as one progresses toward the centre of the site, gradually increasing the density. This strategy can help the city to add density while minimising neighbourhood objections e.g. NIMBY. In this way, if there are interior areas of the

Site image: Drive-in-Site

Plan Durban

site that are not required for parking, the city can build more. Even if the city contemplates using all the empty grounds for surface parking, it should reconsider whether a parking structure would not allow it to add density that would be beneficial to the community overall. Usually, the cost of the parking structure often can be justified on the basis of the greater revenue derivable from developing an additional building. More specifically, the city of Durban should approach redevelopment of the Drive-In-Site well determined to make some strategic additions and subtractions, re-imagine how spaces and buildings can be used, address the tough challenges by enlarging its circle of public and private sector partners (PPPs), and work assiduously to reap concomitant benefits from the investments. At this juncture, three particularly relevant investment strategies that may be considered for the Drive-In-Site are as follows: CONCENTRATE ON CREATING JOBS Why should Durban concentrate on creating jobs in the inner city? A situation analysis indicates that the answers are not farfetched. First, poverty especially among black South Africans is concentrated in the inner city. Based on some previous studies of inner cities in the United States (e.g. Porter, 2011), targeting poverty in the inner city allows wholesale rather than retail approach to poverty eradication. Inner city may be defined as an area of a large city with poverty rate 20% or higher, or an area where two of three other criteria are met, namely: (i) Poverty rate 1.5 times or more than the MSA (ii) Median household income 50% or less than the MSA and (iii) Unemployment rate 1.5 times or more than the MSA. In South Africa, a typical inner city has a younger and more diverse population than the rest of the city and it is also an important site for businesses owned by the locals. It is believed that the inner city of Durban has experienced a net job loss over the past decade. “Creating jobs anywhere” would be a bad policy because inner city residents cannot access jobs in the rest of the region. Consequently, the correlation between regional and inner city growth is very low (e.g. 20% in the USA where 82% of inner cities have performed worse than their regions). Therefore, inner cities require specific strategies for economic growth and job creation and inner city jobs strategies must match the skills of inner city residents. Hence, there is the need for Durban to adopt cluster-based approaches to economic and job growth. A cluster is a group of related firms suitably located in close proximity to one another to enable them to share the gains of agglomeration economies. Clusters are a major driver of competitiveness and economic performance and two other drivers are the business environment and the individual firms. In terms of clusters, the Drive-In-Site may be designed as an Innovation District serving as an Incubator for jobs creation, such as ICT, robotics, health and medical jobs.

“ Clusters are a major driver of competitiveness and economic performance and two other drivers are the business environment and the individual firms.”

Clusters are very important in jobs creation because of several reasons (Porter, 2011). First, they increase productivity because they enjoy efficient access to specialised inputs, services, employees, information, institutions, training programs, and other “public goods.” Second, clusters encourage new business formation as easier commercialisation of new products and greater opportunities for starting new companies are possible owing to availability of skills, suppliers, etc. Third, cluster policy leverages policy investments over numerous companies, as a result of which investments in training, information, export promotion, etc., will benefit many companies across a range of industries. Fourth, cluster policies are less distortive than those aimed at individual firms or industries. Finally, cluster policy does not pick firm or cluster winners. Achievements are considered by the group as joint benefits of collaboration, which further motivate strong clusters to drive regional economic performance. Therefore, Durban City should endeavour to build on existing and emerging clusters rather than chase hot fields. The city should also realise that economic diversification usually occurs within clusters and across related clusters. PROVIDE MIXED INCOME HOUSING The above cluster jobs creation strategy has the potential to stimulate large-scale residential and mixed-use real estate projects, such as hundreds of mixed-density apartments on three floors, over street-level retail space as implemented recently by Phoenixville in the Philadelphia region, USA (Copeland, 2018), where a six-building apartment complex with 349 rental units is currently being leased. Since 2014, 625 new residential units have been built or are in the pipeline, and an additional 2,000 units are planned. An estimated increase of 2,900 residents since 2010 represents a growth rate of 20%. In addition to a formidable growth in housing units, the Phoenix Borough’s property tax base grew by $200 million from 2004 to 2014, amounting to a 21% increase in assessed property valuation. However, as experienced in Phoenix, the attendant success was disrupted by the unintended consequences of city growth and its costs. In economic and human terms, housing affordability

Street view of Sylvester Ntuli Road

may become an issue as the heated real estate market displaces lower-income residents in the form of gentrification that has plagued many inner cities around the world. Increased traffic congestion and downtown parking problems are also concerns being addressed by Phoenixville and as the city enters a new stage in its now mature revitalisation, its challenge presently is to manage the impacts of growth with the same proactive approach that led to its success. IMPLEMENT UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WITH SURROUNDING BLOCKS Most residential developments require dividing an undeveloped parcel of land into smaller pieces or lots in addition to provision of roads and utilities. For this reason, local jurisdictions often adopt subdivision ordinances that provide design and construction standards that developers must meet to obtain project approval by the local planning authority. These standards regulate the dimensions and geometry of lots, dimensions of all setbacks, and amount of buildable area. They also regulate the dimensions and geometry of streets, curb and gutter design, infrastructure design for storm water management, and utility placement and design. For example, the Town of Carbondale in Colorado, USA, passed its official Unified Development Code (Title 17 of Carbondale Municipal Code) effective from May 9, 2016. The six purposes of the Code are as follows: (i) to lessen congestion in the streets (ii) to secure safety from fire, floodwaters and other dangers (iii) to provide adequate light and air (iv) to avoid undue concentration of population (v) to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks, and other public requirements; and (vi)

to promote energy conservation, the use of solar energy and environmentally sensitive development. The Code takes into account the character of each zoning district in the municipality and its peculiar suitability for particular uses. It also seeks to conserve the value of buildings and encourage the most appropriate uses (Highest and Best Uses) of land throughout Carbondale. In addition to the combined zoning classification and subdivision ordinance (i.e. unified development program) requirements for Durban’s Drive-In-Site, the city must consider the needs and characteristics of surrounding properties or blocks, as their development potential can substantially influence the market value of the Drive-In-Site. There must be an assurance that the surrounding land will be developed for uses that complement the master plan for the Drive-In-Site. The character of all contiguous properties or developments must also be evaluated (Kone, 2006), although regional or provincial tolerances may vary in South Africa for the degree of uniformity of properties surrounding a project site, such as the Drive-In-Site.

Roswell City’s Unified Development Code (2014)

Plan Durban

WHO ELSE HAS DONE IT? Many other cities in the USA (e.g. Lafayette, Englewood, Tacoma, Coburg, etc.) are already implementing the unified development program. For example, in the City of Arlington in Texas, the program became effective on July 10, 2014, and is based on a careful implementation of the Unified Development Code (UDC). The code consolidates all development-related regulations including zoning requirements, subdivision regulations, design and development standards, and review procedures. In Georgia, USA, Roswell City’s Unified Development Code (UDC) is a single (“unified”) tool that addresses contemporary development and zoning practices in a format that is consistent and easily understood by administrators, developers, and community members. The UDC for Roswell includes a new zoning document and map. The effective date of the UDC was June 1, 2014. The Unified Development Program, under the legal framework of the Unified Development Code (UDC), has several advantages over maintaining separate zoning and subdivision ordinances. First, it avoids overlapping, conflicting, or inconsistent requirements by providing one source for all standards and approval procedures. Second, the UDC is simpler for customers to use since they only need to become familiar with one set of standards. Finally, by integrating all types of development, the UDC program offers a more flexible and comprehensive approach to design, which leads to a more consistent treatment of different types of development. These advantages have huge potential economic and financial benefits for Durban. HOW TO FUND IT? Several approaches to funding inner city regeneration are possible. “Impact investing” is an innovative financing method that Durban can adopt for the development of the Drive-In-Site and other inner city projects. Impact investing is a double bottom-line investment approach that looks to generate a competitive rate of return while investing funds into projects that will have a positive social, economic or environmental impact (http://icic.org/ blog/innovation-within-impact-investing-space-driving-inner-city-revitalization/, accessed on 19 July, 2018). For example, there are presently at least $114 billion worth of impact investing assets under management, according to a recent survey conducted by the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), a group of charities, banks, foundations, insurance companies and asset managers dedicated to increasing impact investing. The potential for innovation in the impact investing space has made its growth such a game-changer for inner city economies. Two organisations that are leading the way for innovative impact investing in inner cities are the Calvert Foundation and Living Cities. The Calvert Foundation is considered an impact investing pioneer,

directing many of these investments into inner city revitalisation efforts. Calvert offers investors opportunities to support their local communities through several innovative investment initiatives. Through these initiatives, Calvert has channeled an estimated $1.5 billion into smaller social and economic development efforts since 1995. One such program, Ours to Own, offers a low barrier to entry for community members and residents hoping to invest in their community – Ours to Own accepts investments as small as $20. The Ours to Own program is currently active in four U.S. cities: Denver, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Baltimore and Chicago. In Baltimore, the program is focused on investing capital in affordable housing, public education, and community development. One of those efforts includes supporting Seawall Development’s mixed-use project along Remington Avenue in Baltimore. Seawall Development acquired nearly two whole inner city blocks with an ambitious strategy in mind. The site – which once included a tyre shop, filling station and Walter Shock’s ice house – is located in the midst of row houses, warehouses and auto-body shops. “There’s a sense in Remington you are enjoying something bigger than yourself,” says Matt Pinto, a member of the Seawall team. “There’s a bit of mystery. There’s a bit of grit,” he says, but there’s also “a feeling of authenticity and that things are happening.” The Blended Catalyst Fund stands out from other social impact investing funds because of its structure. The fund includes a combination of philanthropic and commercial dollars that also includes a combination of equity and grants (hence the name “blended”). The dual approach allows Living Cities to make long-term, patient investments in inner city projects while still delivering returns to investors along the way. The Fund provides

Drive-in-Site

term loans, lines of credit and equity investments and below-market rates to public, private and nonprofit organisations whose projects are aimed at economic development, income inequality, small business development and other social issues. Durban can definitely glean from these viable funding examples and adapt Impact Investing to fund its inner city projects. A more conventional funding strategy that Durban may also try for developing the Drive-In-Site is a Partnership with the local authority through the development of job creating industrial property and the redevelopment of the site, and then taking for the community a share in the profits of the land which they can control (Fraser, 1984). They can do so by selling or leasing land for its full market value and by active participation in the equity of development. In addition, by retaining an ownership interest a local authority can more actively control or influence the form of development than is possible by the use of its physical planning powers alone. However, the active participation of Durban municipality in development projects can result in problems of conflict of interest between the parties as the objectives of local authorities are more complex than those of the profit-oriented developers and financial institutions. Yet, a local authority also has the right to benefit from commercially viable schemes in this era of dwindling public budgets due to global economic downturn, and also because of the beneficial impact that a successful new development will have on surrounding blocks or properties, and the city as a whole. In all of these options, there is the need to ensure that mutual trust, goodwill and cooperation between the parties are optimised for the success of the projects. Hopefully, Durban will not be restricted by the federal or

provincial government from borrowing, particularly to undertake commercial schemes that could well be developed by the private sector. Mechanisms for leveraging private finance and investment into inner city regeneration are increasingly important given worsening budget cuts in the public sector (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 1998). Therefore, Durban is advised to explore the motivations, risks and returns of private investors with particular focus on the following: (i) short term development finance funding by commercial and merchant banks to create property assets in which the rates of interest to be charged reflect the nature of the project, the quality of the scheme and the financial status of the developer/borrower (ii) longterm development finance funding by insurance companies, pension funds and to a lesser degree property unit trusts, charities and private investors which is normally less expensive than short-term finance (iii) Land (site) assembly including the process of parceling of land and property to be regenerated (iv) Pre-lets/letting, which is a risk reduction measure for securing key or anchor tenants for developments within the regenerated Drive-InSite; and (v) Exit strategy/route - another risk reduction measure which enables the investor to capitalise on the investment. HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN? Once the Unified Development Program is adopted by Durban, miscellaneous updates would have to be made on an annual basis to eliminate unclear language, correct errors, and update content based on interpretations and practices of the custodian department. These would translate to careful internal planning, actions and decision-making by Durban City and its project partners.

Street view of Sylvester Ntuli Road

Plan Durban

References for the Drive-in-site

ÎLE DE NANTES Île de Nantes - The Île de Nantes project has transformed warehouses into places for cultural events. The Île de Nantes regeneration project aims to transform a 337-hectare industrial area into a sustainable living and working environment. There is a strong emphasis on preserving the industrial character of the area. Another objective is to attract creative industries firms to a creative arts district to replace the local shipbuilding industry, which closed in 1987. A public redevelopment company known as SAMOA oversees the Île de Nantes project, which will be completed in 2037. Innovative place making strategies are being developed to create a sense of place connected to the area’s industrial past. The project includes a lot of consultation and consensus building with urban stakeholders.

Lessons from France Jacob Babarinde

Urban regeneration can be defined as a holistic approach characterised by external engagement, consensus-building and cost-effective marketing aimed at revitalising under-used areas of the city. However, it is commonly associated with the related challenges of gentrification, rising property values, and displacement of low-income groups. Inner city regeneration projects do not always achieve a sense of place because the regeneration of inner-city areas is a global challenge. For example, in France, inner cities certainly have their problems, but the nation also has a good record of successful major urban regeneration projects (http://theconversation. com/france-has-a-unique-approach-to-regeneratinginner-cities-what-can-we-learn-from-its-success-91652; accessed on 18 July, 2018). French cities have much higher densities than South African or Australian cities. For instance, Paris has 10,000 inhabitants per square kilometre, which is more than five times the population density of Sydney’s 1,900/km2. Higher density and more accessibility to public transport are important for successful urban regeneration. However, this is not the only explanation for its success in France. With the post-industrial society, new approaches are emerging to solve planning challenges in France. Since the nation began decentralisation in 1982, local authorities have gained more power to implement planning strategies. At the same time the multiplicity of urban stakeholders makes decision-making difficult. Since the 1990s, legal obligations to consult with residents have increased. Regeneration projects have to follow general planning principles but must also allow some flexibility to enable the local community to have an input. At this juncture, we can use three French examples to illustrate and understand what factors contribute to good inner city regeneration success (http://theconversation. com/france-has-a-unique-approach-to-regeneratinginner-cities-what-can-we-learn-from-its-success-91652; accessed on 18 July, 2018)

Urban development study (By: MDP, Herzog & de Mauron

LYON CONFLUENCE Lyon Confluence - is the largest urban regeneration project in Europe with 150 hectares of land having been redeveloped since 2003. The project is led by public redevelopment company SPL Lyon. It is 89% owned by Greater Lyon, a metropolitan institution made up of 59 local authorities. SPL Lyon is able to set up strict planning and urban design principles. Developers are required to integrate these principles into their designs to be part of the project. SPL sells the land to developers at a fixed rate. Developers need to win design competitions to be part of the project and not just offer the best price for the land. Lyon Confluence has attracted foreign investors, such as Japan’s NEDO, and became a model for smart positive energy buildings, which produce more energy than they consume.

This new city is a model of social mix. It intends to eventually accommodate 10,000 new homes and thus double its population: 25% of social rental housing, 25% of affordable housing to accommodate families. There will be shops, services, a mix of activities and residences. What is missing now.

“This new city is a model of social mix. It intends to eventually accommodate 10,000 new homes and thus double its population: 25% of social rental housing, 25% of affordable housing to accommodate families. There will be shops, services, a mix of activities and residences. What is missing now.” PAYS DE LA LOIRE

34 %

of social housing when complete

54 %

of surface area dedicated to the service industry

Concept of Ile de Nantes regeneration project (Source: uapS)

PARIS RIVE GAUCHE Paris Rive Gauche – The Paris Rive Gauche project is one of the most important regeneration projects in the city. The 130-hectare site is located in the east of Paris, on the banks of the Seine. Paris Rive Gauche means Paris Left Bank and refers to the Paris of an earlier era. The aim is to redevelop industrial wasteland located around the Austerlitz train station. A publicly owned local development company, SEMAPA, manages the project. The concerted development zone, or ZAC (zone d’aménagement concertée), was launched in 1991. Works included the construction of the François Mitterrand National Library (BNF), which began in 1991 and was completed in 1995. Despite being overseen by one leading agency, the project is based on strong public involvement and the program has been modified. Powerful local associations went to court as there was not enough public space and the density was too high. In 1997, to prevent further revisions, SEMAPA developed a meaningful public involvement process to ensure the intentions of community stakeholders are incorporated in this large-scale project; developers are obliged to integrate these intentions. The role of the development agency is to select developers through a competitive process to achieve the best design outcomes. Paris Rive Gauche is not just another business district like La Défense, but a real urban neighbourhood developed around existing urban landmarks. It combines a mix of uses (offices, housing, local retail and services, green spaces) and good access to public transport.

The Paris Rive Gauche project site (Author: Ph.Guignard)

Plan Durban

Focus on Centrum Precinct

Combining Public Facilities with New Attractions Steven Segerlin

Paris Rive Gauche zoning plan (Source: SEMAPA)

WHAT DO THESE THREE FRENCH PROJECTS HAVE IN COMMON FOR THEIR SUCCESS? The three regeneration initiatives presented here are all led by a single development agency financed with public money. This type of governance allows for clear leadership, which is essential to complete projects with a 30-year lifespan. Development agencies ensure through a public involvement and engagement process that these initiatives reflect local community aspirations. The creation of the ZAC as a planning instrument allows for the project’s objectives to be modified as it evolves. Development agencies have the financial capacity to sell the land below market prices and to subsidize housing for low-income households. The French planning instruments and financing mechanisms associated with public involvement in decision-making contribute to successful urban regeneration. This approach is known as “transactional urbanism”, reflecting the increasing negotiations between the development agency and the community. Above all, inner city regeneration programs are only proven to be successful when proactively sustained.

Paris Rive Gauche, Urban balcony (Source: Workshops 234)

References 1. Copeland, G. (2018), How Phoenixville was able to rise from the ashes – and what other towns can learn from it; Philadelphia Business Journal, Apr 6, 2018. 2. Fraser, W. D. (1984), “Principles of Property Investment and Pricing,” Hampshire and London, UK. 3. Impact Investing; Available Online at: http://icic.org/blog/innovationwithin-impact-investing-spacedriving-inner-city-revitalization/ (accessed on 19 July, 2018). 4. Inner city regeneration: Lessons from France; Available Online at: http://theconversation.com/ france-has-a-unique-approachto-regenerating-inner-citieswhat-can-we-learn-from-itssuccess-91652 (accessed on 18 July, 2018). 5. Joseph Rowntree Foundation (1998), “Attracting Private Finance into Urban Regeneration,” Joseph Rowntree Foundation, The Homestead, 40 Water End, York, YO3 6LP, ISSN 0958 620072, UK 6. Kone, D. L. (2006), “Land Development,” Tenth Edition, BuilderBooks.com, National Association of Home Builders, Washington, DC 20005-2000. 7. Porter, M. E. (2011), A Cluster-based Approach to Inner City Economic Development, Inner City Economic Summit, October 4, 2011, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, ICIC, USA

The Centrum precicnt presents a once in a lifetime opportunity to shape Inner-City Durban. Currently, just a series of parking lots, the eThekwini Municipality’s 2016 Local Area Plan proposed the zone to be transformed into a modern high-density mixed-use development. These facilities would be supplemented by an expanded public park and new amenities and offerings such as a 21st-century library and community center that would convert the area from an empty lifeless space into a busy foyer to the Inner-City where residents of all races and ethnic background could congregate and grow a new Durban—together.

Durban Station

It is an incredibly rare for a large metropolis like Durban to have such a large undeveloped parcel available within the Central Business District (CBD). Making the situation even more unique is that the land is wholly owned by the municipality. This gives the city government an incredible amount of leverage to guide its development and use for economic and social objectives rather than purely private interests. The Centrum precinct also happens to also be located at the crossroads of Durban’s transport infrastructure and major attractions. The future Go Durban BRT Line 1 (opening 2020) will connect the Centrum precinct directly to Durban’s trendy inner-suburbs and to Bridge City while the Berea Central Rail Station, a short 5-block walk away, connects to sub-centers across the KwaZulu-Natal province and Johannesburg. Additionally, within a 5-block radius of the Centrum precinct is Durban’s world class-beach and harbor marina, City Hall, and major performance theater, but also the International Convention Centre—dubbed Africa’s finest conference space—that has hosted 15 million visitors since 2007 including major global events such as the World Urban Forum. Nearby there additionally is an abundance of retail such as the brownfield Workshop Centre and the Dr. Pixley Kaseme retail street. In appreciation is the Centrum precinct’s potential the eThekwini Municipality of Durban has prioritized the property to become the heart of a revitalized Inner-City. To make these ideas become a reality, eThekwini Municipality envisions the creation of a modern six-block midrise neighborhood with building heights between five and twelve stories with street front retail on the ground

Durban ICC

City Hall Centrum precinct location

Land ownership (Source: Inner City LAP Nov. 2016) Government

Municipality

Parastatal

Plan Durban

floors. This area will become an extension of the superblock district that houses the majority of the Inner-City’s large employers—banks and call centers—whose economic vibrancy currently stops abruptly at the City Hall. As part of the mixed-use development plan, the eThekwini Municipality is also considering the site to become the location of a new City Administration Campus. This effort would consolidate up to 20 local government buildings that eThekwini Municipality currently leases and must renew every three years at increasingly higher rental rates. Republic of South Africa (RSA) law does not allow municipalities to sign long-term lease agreements. This situation puts significant financial pressure of the city budget. Constructing city buildings on property owned by the local government could potentially save eThekwini Municipality up to $10 million annually over the next ten years during the construction period. After the construction costs are paid off for the City Administration Campus the municipality could save up to $10 million every year afterwards. These significant savings could be re-invested into other social and economic development activities or services that will continue to make Durban the “Most Livable City in Africa.” The City Administration Campus would provide a substantial gain for the city to not only improve their financial standing and balance sheet, but also increase the social equity by locating public offices and services in the most accessible part of the Metropolitan region to all its residents and businesses. The present decentralized configuration of public offices makes it very complicated for citizens to navigate and some locations can be difficult or even out of reach without ownership of a private vehicle. While the opportunities and attractiveness of the Centrum precinct are seeming infinite, the costs to deliver this redevelopment agenda are high, likely exceeding

mand. This is a challenge for the Central Business District of Durban which has high vacancy rates office space that has led to high amount of illegal squatting by low-income residents needing housing. There are also concerns that the retail market is already close to its peak saturation level with the Workshop Centre and Dr. Pixley Kaseme retail street being so close-by to the Centrum precinct. Therefore, the city needs to think creatively and carefully about alternative uses that will increase the number of visitors, residents, and footfall. This will help make more commercial office and retail space financially viable. This could be accomplished by creating unique attractions or by developing niche commercial office and retail products that are still in low supply across the city region. Visualization: a birdseye view looking towards the existing centre (Source: Inner City LAP Nov. 2016)

the financial resources that eThekwini Municipality has available. This has led the local government to consider alternatively financing mechanisms such as Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to fund the construction of the public buildings component of the project. PPPs are not uncommon South Africa, but they are new in the real estate sector. However, they are strongly supported by the RSA government and there are numerous technical assistance resources available at the national level to support local governments considering using a PPP model for project with public benefits. This arrangement would require the city to solicit a private partner who would finance the construction of the buildings with their own debt and equity. The municipality would then repay them a flat annual payment for a fixed period, usually around 10-20 years. During the payment period the property would be owned and maintained by the private partner, but after annual payment schedule is complete the building owners would transfer to the city. The annual payment to the private partner under this model would likely be the last cost to the municipality then they are current annual lease payments. Annual payment would also be text over a long-term rather than variable or rising as it is now with the leasing model.

UNIQUE ATTRACTION Unique attractions could include a 21st century library concept that is more than just books, but a community center with a variety of flexible spaces that can support social gatherings and civic forums, registrations for public services, educational seminars and vocational trainings, small business collaborations, and even artistic exhibitions and performances. The library should be meticulously programmed with events 365 days per year from sunrise to sunset. Other attractions that can be major trip generators could include a children’s museum with a large outdoor playground or a modern interactive arts center with an outdoor “splash” water feature for kids and adults to play in on hot days that can also become an iconic “selfie moment” that expresses the images of a revitalized Inner-City.

other location in Durban with a high concentration of Prime and Grade A office space is in Umhlanga, nearly 30 mutes outside the CBD and only accessible by car. Other niche office categories might include small office spaces—sometimes called micro units—or shared wall-less office space with high-class communal amenities. These alternative options can be more attractive to small businesses who can’t afford traditional office space, but still want a high-quality working environment. Niche commercial retail space might be focused around a specific food and beverage (F&B) experience such as an upscale indoor/outdoor cafeteria occupied by small businesses selling fast casual meals that are freshly and celebrate locally grown products. There should be a mix of expensive, mid-priced and affordable offerings and they should be required to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner to ensure there is activity throughout the day and night. There could also be an array of small selling upscale clothing and furniture with large displays promoting the food market visitors to window shop. The stores could be organized in a square on the perimeter of Gugu Dlamini Park with shared outdoor patios with covered seating mixed amongst a field of trees connected by overhead string lighting. JOINT DEVELOPMENT MODEL

A niche commercial office space paly might be Prime or Grade A office space. Vacancy rates in this category hovers near 3% whereas vacancy rates for Grade B and below can be as high at 15-20%. Additionally, the only

For these commercial facilities, Durban should not sell its land to the private sector and rely on zoning laws to define the space. Instead, they should take a greater role by developing them using a second PPP model popularly called Joint Development in the United States, whereby the city government would sell the development and leasing rights to the project through a competitive procurement process to the bidder that offers the eThekwini Municipality the highest annual ground lease rate for the facilities on the site and/or the highest profit share of leasing revenues.

CRCLR House - Co-working space in Berlin (Source: CRCLR House)

Factory Berlin - startup campus in Berlin (Source: Factory Berlin)

NICHE COMMERCIAL OFFICE AND RETAIL PRODUCTS

eThekwini Municipality should consider adding non-public uses on top of the city administration building, possibly as a bonus to lure developers, but also to try and reduce the annual lease payment that’s required. Depending on the financial model results, it is possible that the income from commercial or residential units could cover all the public’s contribution to the project.

Centrum site - birds view

Separate from the public buildings, eThekwini Municipality wants the Centrum precinct to become a major employment zone by introduction commercial office and retail space. These facilities are expected to be financed, constructed, and leases by private sector businesses. These stakeholders are inherently risk averse and will only support this concept and invest resources if there is demonstrated and substantial unmet market de-

Plan Durban

“TEST FIT” SCENARIOS FOR CENTRUM PRECINCT The potential for activations of the Centrum precinct are vast and selecting the final development program will be very difficult. To facilitate the decision process, the city government should produce some “test-fit scenarios” using different mixes of uses, development massing and density to identify the most financially viable project design that generates greatest revenues with the lease development costs. Durban should also think about the phasing development of the Centrum precinct starting

with the public buildings and unique attractions first and then once they have had some success then build-out the office and retail one block at a time. This approach will ensure that eThekwini Municipality prioritizes and achieves the highest and best use of incredibly valuable property and opportunity to infuse some new blood into the heart of the metropolitan area. It will also allow the projects on the Centrum precinct to evolve as market demand for its offering grows over time.

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Establish an internal cross-governmental working group that meets and reports monthly. Organize a public office consolidation plan to determine the number of employees and gross floor area (GFA) requirements for the city administration campus. Produce test-fit scenarios of the mixes of uses, massing, and density that are based in a detailed market demand analysis. Prepare preliminary estimates of construction costs and lease revenues for each of the proposed building projects individually that includes the expenses for public infrastructure upgrades. Evaluate the financial feasibility of each building individually and for the build-out of the site a whole. For the public buildings, additionally consider any savings it could generate for the city government from the reducing its expenditures on leasing other private properties off the site. Estimate the economic, and fiscal impacts of the development of the Centrum site (e.g. jobs created, increase sales activity, increased tax collections, etc.). Identify the requirements for rezoning the site to allow different uses and densities. Hire a Transaction Services Advisor to accelerate the planning and procurement of the Public Buildings PPP and the Joint Development PPP. Their payment should be on a brokerage basis—such as a percentage of the total private investment amount. Hire a Development Manager or Owner’s Engineer to oversee the quality of the workmanship, schedule, costs and expenditures of the private partner for the PPPs.

Cultural buildings as catalysts for development Živilė Šimkutė, Mindong Ni

Seattle Central Library Location: Seattle, USA

ACTIONS FOR ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY TO ACCELERATE THE PROJECT: Internal Government Planning and Coordination

References for the Centrum precinct

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication • • • • •

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Create project website, fakebook Instagram page, and twitter handle. Post project updates on the internet and in newspapers at least monthly. Invite residents and business members to guest post on the website. Elect a group of community ambassadors for the project. Survey developers if they think there is enough market demand for the mix of uses and quantity of dwelling units or gross floor area (GFA). Establish a sign-up list for interested residential and commercial tenants to better appreciate the market demand for the facilities. Organize roadshows and roundtables presentations of market demand analyses, test-fit scenarios and financial feasibility results with investors, developers, and leasing agents. Publish a Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) for private partners for each of the PPPs to better understand the potential to get a quality partner and bid amount. It can also include questions to get feedback about the design of the project and the contract terms. Organize an international design competition for the unique attractions—library, children’s museum, arts center—to ensure the city receives the most innovative and creative project.

Seattle Central Library, a project designed by Dutch architecture office OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) strives to redefine the library as an institution. Architects challenge the notion that library, as an institution, should be exclusively dedicated to the book. Building design aims to create a place as an information store where all potent forms of media – old and new – are present equally and legibly. Layout and the functional program in the building is designed in such a way that allows multiple uses and multiple user groups to enjoy the space. Seattle Central library serves an important social role in the downtown of Seattle. It is a new kind of space and a new kind of quality in a city that, at the time when building was completed, had a lot of problems with homelessness and other social problems. It became a safe place where one can feel comfortable to come seek for information, look for a job, read newspapers, communicate, attend community events.

Interior space - Seattle library

The architecture of the building is spectacular and has become the second icon of the city. First one being the Seattle Space Needle. Complex configuration of the building that is aimed at providing social function as well as be an architectural landmark is an interesting case for any city considering opportunities to catalyse developments in socially sensitive locations.

Architect selected through an international architecture competition in 1998 • Finances: public (Real Estate Excise Tax, Library Levy ) • Budget for the construction: US $169.2 M •

Exterior space - Seattle library

Plan Durban

Conclusions

Durban needs a clear and dynamic process architecture

Ningbo Museum Location: Ninbo, China

Guy Vloebergh

With its deepwater seaport and long history as a trading centre, Ningbo is the engine of China’s east-coast economy. Ningbo is the fourth largest port city in the world, the economic centre of the south wing of the Yangtze River Delta, and was the cultural capital of East Asia in 2016. In the wake of the economic boom, Ningbo’surban development has expanded to the Yinzhou district, making it the setting for a new history museum. The Hangzhou-based practice Amateur Architecture Studio, let by architect and 2012 Pritzker Prize laureate Wang Shu, won the international design competition for the museum in 2003.

The UPAT-team started with an analysis of reports and plans. The team members then talked with a multitude of stakeholders and they visited the site, in order to make a quick SWOT. The team discovered soon that there are many comprehensive studies and framework plans on the inner city of Durban, which were developed from different viewpoints, i.e. on housing, mobility, economic activities, public services, real estate, etc. This compact, yet in-depth analysis allowed to understand that a lot of work has been done whereas an integration of different visions is generally absent. Also, the complete lack of strategy is a fundamental problem. The site-visit strikingly demonstrated the large gap between existing plans or ideas and the implementation. Choices have to been made, and priorities have to be set.

The museum as a building has become an attraction in itself because of its pronounced and daring concept. The museum itself takes root in its native place, and as its exhibits and activities are closely related to Ningbo’s history and culture. The museum building itself deeply embodies Ningbo, a cultural city with a history that goes 7,000 years back. The museum exhibition tells the story of Ningbo as one of the first port and trading cities of the Maritime Silk Road, as well as the Eastern Zhejiang culture, Buddhist culture, business group culture, and its library culture.

Ningbo museum interior

The collection of buildings that shape the Ningbo Museum carries rich cultural information. The concept of “Half Mountain and Half Building” reflects the landscape south of the Yangtze River, recreates the atmosphere of Ningbo’s historical and cultural district and refers to the concept of China’s garden architecture. The exterior walls of the museum are covered with Ningbo Cicheng tiles and reused bricks of demolished villages. These walls emphasize the “collected history”, reproduce Ningbo’s tradition and history and respond to the natural environment, local history and customs.

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The very interesting, yet at times also tough or even emotional discussions with many different stakeholders taught the UPAT team that enhancing capacities in making strategic choices would be needed to address this gap. It was a pleasure to experience the passion and love for the city from the participating stakeholders, in many cases organisations and institutional stakeholders. More problematic is the relation with citizens living and/or working in the city. There is a big distance between their day-to-day needs and the very ambitious plans for the future of the city centre. It seems to be difficult to pro-

vide adequate places for different users in the future city centre, although they are really a visible part of it at this moment with their street activities. Looking for ways the set up co-creating trajectories is an important issue to turn the centre of Durban into a humane, user-friendly, safe and lively city. The scheme (Figure 1) illustrates that a healthy process generally finds a balance between making plans, implementing them, involvement of specific stakeholders as well as a broader range of users and inhabitants. Such a balanced approach requires spatial strategies to facilitate development and investments, but also a clear idea about how to steer these processes. When we keep this in mind, the development strategy for the centre of Durban can lead to sustainable, resilient and human places. DURBAN NEEDS A CLEAR AND DYNAMIC PROCESS ARCHITECTURE From the results of the UPAT-workshop to develop a futureproof Inner-City, there is still a way to go. To achieve goals you need a strategy. As presented at the final presentation, a three-track approach ( Figure 2) could be the framework for that process. The rationale for the division into three working tracks lies in the different objectives and character of the planning activities, and the differ-

Plans

Average Stakeholders

Architect selected through an international architecture competition in 2003

Implementation Involving People

Ningbo museum

Figure 1. Development processes

Plan Durban

ent and complementary skills to be used in the process. The three working tracks, which can be seen as sub-processes are: • a first track for the elaboration of a strategic plan (a framework, a long-term program and a short-term action plan); • a second track “to manage everyday life, extinguishing fires, scoring points, and creating trust by solving problems through actions on a very short term” • and a third track for the involvement of the key actors in the planning process. The proposed tracks should not be viewed in a purely linear way, but rather as a permanent, often incremental interaction of sub-processes in specific places and specific contexts. The context forms the setting of the planning process, but it also takes form, and undergoes changes into the process. A strategic framework makes long-term planning possible and is also very important for the private sector, because visions and concepts create an image of a dynamic future and give a meaning to isolated issues, problems and opportunities. Often a commitment relating to short-term actions is difficult and the discussion endless. This proposed territorially based and integrated approach capitalizes on challenges in the social, political and physical fields and on the fact that authorities do not succeed in successfully tackling specific local circumstances with generic and global policies and measures. The approach can be understood as part of the planners’ response to changing conditions. The approach focuses on: • the selection of (strategic and feasible) key issues; • the necessity of co-production of the main actors (authorities, civil society, private sector, etc.); • coping with a growing awareness of complexity; • dealing with very diverse interests; • the specific versus the generic; • the development of specific instruments (policy

Figure 2. a three-track approach

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agreements, territorial envelopes), spatial concepts and projects; the implementation of policies.

The work of the ISOCARP-UPAT workshop can be used to make a much more strategic plan for the Inner-City of Durban. The presented three track planning methodology as a form of ‘participatory planning’ can be used to create spatial and sustainable transformations during next decades. Next to the city planning administration there is a need for a public real estate organization that coordinates strategic projects to implement the strategic plan for the Inner-City (see example of the public real estate agency of the city of Antwerp in Belgium). Besides coordination and creating willingness and support for the realization of the strategic plan, that public real estate agency could link public to private investments, for example realizing the ‘Road Diet’ or the suggested interventions in the Superblock.

Planning documents: eThekwini municipality