Redesign Johannesburg
Ambition is part of Johannesburg’s DNA, it is embodied in our reputation as fierce competitors in all arena’s from the sports field to the boardroom. The dark side of our ambition is the violence, aggression and the “survive at all costs” mentality that allows some to succeed and others to be swept away.
The dark side of our ambition is the violence, aggression and the “survive at all costs” mentality that allows some to succeed and others to be swept away.
Privilege has divided the city into parallel universes, these cultural and economic walls are not unique to our city, but the magnitude of the scale makes them distinct. Economic pressure, the possible implosion of our education, water and power systems has created cracks in those walls.
In a city of high inequality, public spaces like the Department of Home Affairs or any public hospital renders everyone as equal. For the right price, you can avoid having to spend a lot of time in these places, but it’s pretty difficult to avoid them altogether. Eskom’s (South Africa’s national power supplier) energy crisis made it apparent that you can’t buy yourself out of all problems.
Eskom’s (South Africa’s national power supplier) energy crisis made it apparent that you can’t buy yourself out of all problems.
Inefficiencies in an ecosystem impact the entire ecosystem, in Johannesburg, we pay an indirect tax because of failing infrastructure, lack of service delivery, unemployment and poverty. The most Johannesburg thing we can do is use that “survive at all costs” attitude to sweep these problems aside.
Smart City
The Edge Effect is the point in which two ecosystems meet, like the forest and the savannah, in ecology, this edge effect is where the newest life-forms are created (Hidden Brain Podcast: The Edge Effect).
The promise of a better future attracts people from across the continent to Johannesburg in search of work and a change in fortune. Slums and townships grow to make room for this great migration. No systems exist to support these people other than the ones they, for better or worse, create themselves. Underserved communities are proving to be more organised and agile than the government that is trying to support them.
Underserved communities are proving to be more organised and agile than the government that is trying to support them.
NGOs, private security companies and stokvels (community savings programs) fill the gap between people’s needs and a system’s shortcomings. Systems that fail or fail to adapt are replaced out of necessity.
Co-defy
Despite its characteristic chaos, Johannesburg has developed into the most industrialised city on the African continent. Defiance is very much part of both it’s identity, and it is one of our unwritten laws. Defiance can be a powerful force, but this alone is chaotic. Constructive defiance requires a definition of what we want to defy.
Johannesburg CBD has been undergoing a regeneration for the last 20 years. A shift happens when faced with the bleak possibility of destruction. New York has recently emerged from a downturn, great cities have been through this cycle for centuries.
Growth is the defiance of your own limitations, it’s a belief that you can change yourself and the world around you. You need to stick your neck out and risk a certain amount of loss to move forward, but when defiance gains momentum, it brings a shift in what we are prepared to accept.
Growth is the defiance of your own limitations, it’s a belief that you can change yourself and the world around you.
Superhumans
It takes years, drive, sacrifice and luck to gain skills, but they give the holder special abilities. Architects don’t see buildings, they see intention and innovation where most see concrete and glass. A mechanic will point out how a subtle noise indicates a significant problem, and designers see how systematic breakdown results in bad software and services. Specialists are able to create solutions because they see what most can’t.
Specialised skills, however, come at a premium, and are often unreachable to the individuals and organisations who need them most. Specialists can use their skills to magnify the abilities of others and help co-create solutions to the cities most crippling problems.
JHB is rich with resources, skilled and talented individuals, it is in our best interest to nurture the growth of these abilities in ourselves and others to create a culture of innovation in the city. We can make Johannesburg the international benchmark for sustainable social, economic and technological practices.
Pique is a platform for people and organisations who are working to make JHB as a healthy ecosystem in which businesses and society can thrive. For more info please contact Graham (graham@pique.africa)
