/ 3 December 2012

Towards sustainable human settlements

RDP Unit in Lehae
RDP Unit in Lehae

In its Joburg 2040 Growth and Development Strategy (GDS), the city articulates the need to move away from the apartheid spatial planning, confronting the post-apartheid reality of urban exclusion and creating more liveable environments: building sustainable human settlements.

Outcome Two of the GDS calls upon the city to provide a resilient, liveable, sustainable urban environment – underpinned by infrastructure supportive of a low-carbon economy. This vision is also aligned to the national imperatives, namely the Breaking New Ground Policy which sought to move government away from providing RDP houses in the outskirts, away from economic opportunities and other socio-economic amenities.

The shift has begun. The City of Joburg's housing department already has a number of projects under the mixed income/use development programme. These developments offer a wide range of housing opportunities, from fully subsidised houses (RDP), rental stock, gap market targeted bonded houses and open market bonded houses.

Lehae mixed-income development

The Lehae Phase 2 development is situated along one of the main transport corridors of the city, the Golden Highway, close to the Trade Route Mall neighbouring Lenasia. This development will yield 5344 housing opportunities consisting of RDP units, bonded and rental units once completed.

Different typologies have been used for this development ranging from semi-detached units, row units, stand alone, clusters and walk ups, breaking the monotony of previous developments.

The socio-economic amenities in line with developing liveable cities – where people live, work and play – will yield six community facilities, two secondary schools, two primary schools, four crèches, eight religious institution sites, two taxi ranks and four business sites.

Lufhereng mixed-income development

This development, launched in August 2010, is the biggest housing development undertaken in Gauteng to date, with a yield of 24 000 housing opportunities. This project is situated south-west of the Johannesburg central business district and was developed as a natural extension of the greater Soweto residential complex.

It is targeted at reducing the housing backlog in the southern Johannesburg townships and residents of the greater Soweto area.

With the aim of creating sustainable human settlements, this project's location and packaging ensure that the community is located close to economic opportunities. On completion it will provide residents with social and economic amenities such as schools, crèches, religious sites, clinics, recreational facilities and parks as well as several business nodes.

The development is also set to foster social cohesion by providing housing for the poor, affordable housing for other low income households and fully bonded products for middle-to-high income groups.

Fleurhof mixed-income developments

Situated along Main Reef Road toward the south of Johanneburg's central business district, this development creates sustainable human settlements as envisioned by Joburg 2040.

It offers fully subsidised houses, bonded and rental units.

On completion Fleurhof will yield 6 000 units, four mixed-use business centre sites, seven crèches, five religious sites, a community centre, three school sites and public open space.

Housing Department, 222 Smit Street, Braamfontein 011 018 6772/6772 (t) 011 018 6761 (f)