On May 19 and 20 almost 600 Joburgers joined in 25 free community-led walks in 11 different neighbourhoods across the city as part of the Johannesburg Development Agency\u2019s #JoziWalks2018 weekend.<\/p>\n
Sponsored by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) in partnership with local community activists, entrepreneurs, tourism operators and heritage specialists,
\n#JoziWalks provides a platform that encourages Joburgers to explore and walk the lesser-known areas of the city together with the people who bring them to life and to share their insights, questions and new ideas about the city\u2019s neighbourhoods.<\/p>\n
City officials join #JoziWalks2018<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI am always amazed at how #JoziWalks serves to uncover the richness that already exists in communities in which we work, and to reflect on the impact of any \u201c#JoziWalks2018 has been such a constructive way to help the JDA, as an area-based development agency, understand the city and appreciate the people who City of Johannesburg officials from outside the JDA also attended #JoziWalks this year, using the platform as an opportunity to learn more about the areas they are As part of #JoziWalks in Hillbrow, youth from the Outreach Foundation Hillbrow Theatre Project led a theatrical walk through the neighbourhood to share the history \u201cInspiring and fulfilling\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Many of the hundreds of Joburg residents that joined the walks remarked it was the first time that they had visited parts of the city in which these walks were being held. Some commented that they had been prevented from exploring Joburg by safety concerns or had previously been unaware that there were so many interesting things to see.<\/p>\n Stuart Dilworth, who was one of more than 60 walkers who joined a walk in The Wilds led by artist and leader of a volunteer clean-up initiative James Delaney, Photographer Andrew Kingston praised the #JoziWalks initiative for highlighting the city\u2019s disparities and the difficulties faced in poor neighbourhoods in an accessible and thought-provoking way. Kingston, who joined a walk through Troyeville, Ellis Park and Doornfontein led by activist and artist Andrew Lindsay described #JoziWalks as \u201ca wonderful initiative to get people out of their comfort zones and to see and experience things that are challenging.\u201d<\/p>\n Other walkers said that they had been inspired by the young leaders working in marginalised communities who were finding creative ways to overcome neighbourhood issues. Liz Delmont, a guesthouse owner from Craighall Park who joined a bike ride through Diepsloot, said \u201cthe best thing of all was meeting the Place making and celebrating communities across Joburg<\/strong><\/p>\n The walks selected for the #JoziWalks2018 weekend covered a broad range of areas where the JDA is planning to run projects or already actively running projects The #JoziWalks platform was taken on by walk hosts across the city as an opportunity to showcase the challenges and triumphs of their neighbourhoods to a Walkers and their hosts all talked of the energy, enthusiasm, support and goodwill that the walkers who joined in the #JoziWalks2018 weekend brought to their Images from #JoziWalks2018<\/strong><\/p>\n This year\u2019s official photography partners were the photographer network Joburg Photowalkers who documented each walk, its hosts and walkers. #JoziWalks2018 community champions and walk hosts:<\/strong> Media requests and Interviews<\/strong> facebook.com\/joziwalks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0twitter.com\/joziwalks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0instagram.com\/joziwalks<\/a> On May 19 and 20 almost 600 Joburgers joined in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":8637,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7305],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media-releases-2018"],"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jda.org.za\/archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jda.org.za\/archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jda.org.za\/archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jda.org.za\/archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jda.org.za\/archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jda.org.za\/archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jda.org.za\/archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jda.org.za\/archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jda.org.za\/archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jda.org.za\/archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\ndevelopment projects in those areas,\u201d says Douglas Cohen, Executive Manager for Planning and Strategy at Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA).<\/p>\n
\nbring it to life. This approach elevates what are the priorities from the bottom-up which is essential in building a better, more sustainable and creative city.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nworking in.<\/p>\n
\nof the area as well as their personal stories of life in Hillbrow and the challenges they face. It was attended by the MMC for Development Planning Reuben Masango,
\nStakeholder Manager Poppy Cynthia Louw and Director of Strategy in the Office of the City Manager Krishni Gounden.<\/p>\n
\ndescribed the experience as \u201cinspiring and fulfilling\u201d. Dilworth says he previously had no idea how beautiful and safe the park was and that the walk was a valuable
\nopportunity to \u201clisten to the people leading change, learn from them and work with them\u201d. Dilworth says he plans to return to the park with friends soon.<\/p>\n
\nyoung people involved in these walks. Amazing, motivated, dedicated, passionate, focused, and such pleasant young people. I left so impressed and enriched.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nincluding: Hillbrow, Sophiatown, Fietas, Newtown, Johannesburg CBD, Troyeville, Doornfontein, Ellis Park, Diepsloot, Soweto, Orange Grove, Alexandra and Orange
\nFarm. They highlighted a variety of themes from art, music, literary culture, theatre and youth empowerment to cycling, heritage preservation, land rights, recycling and the rehabilitation of public parks.<\/p>\n
\nwider audience, to pursue ongoing collaboration and interaction with the JDA and to form partnerships with other organisations working in similar areas.<\/p>\n
\nneighbourhoods. As Ayanda Mnyandu, an entrepreneur and skateboard tour operator working in the inner-city, says \u201cit brings communities together to celebrate
\nwhat they have and share it with other people\u2026 and it’s an opportunity to share your passion and neighbourhood with outsiders\u201d.<\/p>\n
\nFind a selection of #JoziWalks2018 Press Images here<\/a><\/p>\n
\nHillbrow Youth Walks:<\/strong>\u00a0The Outreach Foundation – Hillbrow Theatre Project
\nWalk Soweto with Notes:<\/strong>\u00a0Tshidiso Setshogwe from His and Hers Jams
\nTownship into Towns (Alex):<\/strong>\u00a0Maboneng Township Arts Experience
\n#BikesMustRise (Diepsloot):<\/strong>\u00a0Lucky Nkali from Black Bite Productions
\nHoning in on Hope (Troyeville):<\/strong>\u00a0Andrew Lindsay from Spaza Art Gallery
\nCity Skate Tours (CBD and Newtown):<\/strong>\u00a0Ayanda Mnyandu from City Skate Tours
\nWalk The Wilds:<\/strong>\u00a0James Delaney
\nOrange Farm Walk:<\/strong>\u00a0In-Touch Youth Development & Community Justice
\nThe Underground Booksellers of Johannesburg (Joburg CBD):<\/strong>\u00a0Griffin Shea from Bridge Books
\nDe-Tour: Living Landscapes after Forced Removals:<\/strong>\u00a0Salma Patel from Fietas
\nMuseum and Tshepo Letsoalo from Sophiatown The Mix
\nTime Flies and the Spruit of Braam\u2019s Fountain (Orange Grove):<\/strong>\u00a0Dr Myer Taub<\/p>\n
\nPlease contact Melusi Hlatshwayo at<\/strong>\u00a0walkmyjozi@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n
\nIssued on behalf of the Johannesburg Development Agency by Johannesburg In<\/em>
\nYour Pocket City Guide.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"