The Johannesburg Development Agency’s proposed upgrades for the Randburg CBD will make the suburb an attractive residential option for people working in Sandton and Fourways.
In a bid to build a robust, liveable, walkable and safe central business district (CBD), the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) is maximising the use of existing infrastructure and public transport facilities to reposition the heart of Randburg.
The JDA’s extensive Randburg CBD upgrade is focused mainly on place identity and creating a high-quality public environment to support the investment the city will make in the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit service, to connect Randburg to Sandton.
This public environment urban renewal will include upgrading streets, sidewalks, parks, lighting, paving, bollards, bus shelters, pedestrian guard railings, and squares. The renewal plans also include planting street trees and installing benches and bins.
The JDA intends to produce a safe, attractive, liveable environment; promote improved social cohesion; and encourage further investment and upgrades in the area.
Important projects include upgrading the Bram Fischer and Jan Smuts intersection and renovating Bordeaux Drive, which is parallel and adjacent to Jan Smuts.
The Bram Fischer and Jan Smuts intersection is a priority area in that it needs to cater to vehicles and pedestrians. According to the 2010 Randburg CBD Urban Development Framework, the Bram Fischer upgrade will improve the mobility function in the area.
The pedestrian mall just off Bram Fischer Drive has also been earmarked for renovation, to include larger pedestrian walkways along the retail edge, and linear landscaping. The mall’s pedestrian crossings will also be upgraded.
Streets surrounding this intersection have also been highlighted for refurbishment. Streets will have an identity and be widened; street trees will be planted; street furniture will be installed; and the area will possibly cater for cyclists with dedicated cycle lanes.
Randburg’s CBD will be an ideal residential area for people working in Sandton and Fourways. The JDA expects this upgrade to stimulate economic development, as more businesses realise the value of being close to such an important transit node with constant foot traffic.