Sustainable urban development of metropolitan Johannesburg: The lessons learned from international practice

• Main Authors: Mosha A.C., Cavrić Branko I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Architecture, Urban & Spatial Planning of Serbia 2004-01-01
• Series: Spatium
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/1450-569X/2004/1450-569X0411021M.pdf

This paper consists of an overview of programmes supporting sustainable planning and management in the City of Johannesburg one of the most important social and economic hubs of the transitional Republic of South Africa. Following from this is an analysis of the experience identified as most appropriate for Johannesburg City and its metropolitan region (Gauteng). This case study is used to highlight efforts and lessons learned from the international project "Designing, Implementing and Measuring Sustainable Urban Development" (DIMSUD) which have intended to contribute to new solutions for sustainable urban development through a collaborative multi-disciplinary, and participatory approach combining research, urban design, and capacity building. DIMSUD (http://sustainability.ethz.ch) is carried out jointly by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), University of Botswana, University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) and the Catholic University of Santiago de Chile. Another partner was the United Nations University (UNU) at Tokyo. The project has enabled a global overview of core problems, providing a synthesis of realizable strategies and offering both a scientific forum and an "urban field laboratory" for joint learning. The strategies developed will not only help improve the conditions in the case study cities (Gaborone Johannesburg, Santiago de Chile), but will also provide working examples so that other cities can learn from and adapt and adopt appropriate "best practices".