Turning the tide: The Johannesburg Development Agency and its role in revitalising the inner city

Description

From a mining village in 1886, Johannesburg expanded rapidly to become South Africa’s undisputed industrial and commercial capital. In the 1960s and 1970s the central business district was almost completely rebuilt. Few could have foreseen that less than 30 years later, Johannesburg would be described as “a city on the verge of an abyss, slipping inexorably into ruin and decline”. This case study documents the role of the Johannesburg Development Agency in revitalising the inner city.