New focus on Braamfontein

BRAAMFONTEIN, as a key inner-city node, is to be prioritised by the City of Joburg in the new financial year to strengthen the pedestrian link between the Metro Centre and Park Station and increase investments in the Metro Centre precinct.

The future of Braamfontein was in good hands and looked bright, said Funzela Ngobeni, the city’s member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for development planning, addressing a workshop attended by the Braamfontein Regeneration and Innovation Steering Committee (Brisc) to look into the future of one of the city’s most important precincts.

According to Ngobeni, this also means concluding the Braamfontein traffic and transportation study to provide critical evidence for determining the impact of key interventions put forward by groups of Braamfontein stakeholders who have invested their time and efforts in looking at the future of the precinct through the “Walkable Braamfontein Project”.

He said that as far as the operational urban management was concerned, a third Pikitup shift, additional peace officers focused on by-law enforcement and a refocused informal trading approach were expected to have major positive impacts on safety and cleanliness in the precinct.

Ngobeni acknowledged the beginning of improved engagement between the Braamfontein stakeholders and the city through work streams or subcommittees.

“I would like to see a work stream dealing with inclusivity and the community to be instituted, and that all of these work streams report back at the proposed quarterly Brisc meetings. I am committed to chairing these meetings as often as I can,” he said.

According to steering committee member Ndumiso Davidson, Brisc will take stock of where Braamfontein is currently and formalise the partnership between the city, residents, users, institutions, business and developers.

“Under the direction of MMC Ngobeni, the committee is mandated to guide planning and development in the broader Braamfontein area,” Davidson said.