Black Balance Projects - Changing the face of Mandeni2016-04-28 Generally, the first entry into a public space, either greenfield or brownfield will be the public sector. This is evident in the rehabilitation of KZN's small towns. The KZN Provincial Department of Co-operative
Governance and Traditional Affairs as well as the National Treasury, through their Neighbourhood Development Partnership Grant (NDPG) have provided strategic spatial programmes and funding for the revitalisation of small towns in urban areas.
The Mandeni Municipality is an administrative and service centre for a substantial rural hinterland. The Municipality is also a vital node as a part of the Primary Development Corridor between the ports of Richards Bay and Durban as identified within KZN Provincial Spatial Economic Development Strategy. For the above reason and for the commitment and buy-in of the leadership in Mandeni, the Municipality has been a beneficiary of the NDPG since 2010. The municipality has prioritised the development of the Mandeni Town Centre (also known as the Sundumbili Node Area) in terms of nodes identified in the Spatial Development Framework for the area. As part of the Development Concept and Urban Design Framework various projects have been identified and packaged in a manner that stimulates and accelerates investment in the poor marginalised neighbourhood. The programme has considered the strategic balances through public and private partnership arrangements, with the primary focus being to improve social integration and contribution to the upliftment of all the residents and their livelihoods. One of the programme objectives is to improve and strengthen the socio-economic and physical link between the respective precincts within the town. This programme comprises the following strategic urban landscape improvement projects, namely:
economists, social facilitators and environmentalist was managed by spatial planners who provided project management skills for achieving this vision. The lobbying of key infrastructure and funding government departments as well as regular feedback on demonstrated progress also ensured that departments could confidently report on expenditure. In addition, the programme manager ensured that all planning approvals were achieved upfront so that once projects reached construction phase there would be no delays to implementation. The planning phase of the project was a fine balance between time management and respective planning processes. Not for the faint hearted! As we move to finalisation of the remaining project, some key observations are beginning to emerge. Mandeni Municipality, like many other urban centres, will be confronted with the challenge of capacity to manage the improved urban space. The concept of a 'urban improvement precinct (UIP)" is being implemented in others parts of the iLembe District and the eThekwini Metro. Essentially a management structure that is constituted of both municipality and local business that jointly ensure the management and upkeep of the UIP is required. This approach is currently being considered and has already found favour among business within the town centre. Black Balance Projects info@blackbalance.co.za www.blackbalance.co.za |
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