The Walkable Network is a partnership-based package of interventions that target streets and public spaces to create a clean, safe and welcoming Inner City experience. The focus of the initative is improved walkability along streets and in other public places through various forms of placemaking, such as pedestrianisation, public art, street furniture, lighting, landscaping, signage, safety and cleanliness interventions through partnerships with public, private and civil society stakeholders from the property, design, security, waste management, academic, food production and other sectors.
The City of Joburg has incorporated the Walkable Network as one of the key Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) projects in the Inner City Transport Master Plan currently underway.
Background
The Walkable Network was conceptualised by the JICP Inner City Think Tank in February 2020. The Think Tank is made up of representatives including but not limited to ABSA, Anglo American, Citiq, CoJ, FNB, Gauteng Province, Harambee, Ithemba, Divercity, JICP, JPOMA, South Point, Standard Bank, Transnet, TUHF and UJ. Following two stakeholder workshops, the streets to form the network were agreed upon.
Selection Criteria and Phasing
Walkable Network routes were selected by stakeholders in workshops in March and July 2020 based on a set of criteria:
• Protection of key mobility routes
• Optimising pedestrian flows between key Inner City origins and destinations
• Alignment to public transport facilities and routes
• Linkages to public & private projects and key places of interest
A Pilot route was selected by stakeholders to initiate the project, covering Main and Fox Streets (East/West) and Joubert and Rissik Streets (North/South). The selection of Pilot routes was due to the significant number of existing urban management initiatives across the route with existing, and potential for ground floor activations. The Pilot route already has a strong pedestrian presence, with some pedestrian focused projects currently underway, including the Johannesburg International Transport Interchange (JITI), the High Court precinct, the Literary District and Main Street Pedestrianisation. The intention is for the pilot to integrate with and support existing interventions along the route.
The intention is to start with Phase 2 of the network, once adequate progress has been made in achieving the Pilot targets and then over the longer term to complete the entire network and to link with the wider metropolitan public transport transport systems as envisaged by the Inner City Transport Master Plan.
Working Group and Task Teams
A Working Group is being established to coordinate stakeholder engagement along the pilot as part of the public participation process, and to determine phasing along the extent of the Pilot with associated timeframes. Three task teams will assist the Working Group with the following specific areas of intervention;
• Security, traffic and emergency management
• Community cleaning, recycling, upcycling, repairs and maintenance
• Placemaking and development activation
Each team will define it’s purpose & composition and work according to a work plan to achieve it’s targets. Projects will be identified by the task teams, with some immediately implementable, where substantial funding and authority approvals are not required. Funding for projects and operations with a cost component will be sourced from the public, private and civil society sectors.
The Working Group and three Tasks Teams are open to involvement and input from any stakeholder along the pilot, there are no membership costs involved. Should you wish to find out more or get involved, please contact the JICP at operations@jicp.org.za