A successful local economic development urban renewal initiative : a case study of the Mandela Bay development agency

Abstract

Despite the urgent need for local economic development in South Africa, Local Economic Development (LED) as area of professional endeavour/activity has largely failed to live up to this need. In this article, an alternative method for approaching urban planning, by focusing on the ‘bottom-up’ approach and urban renewal was explored. The urban renewal work of the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality is used as a case study of a ‘successful example of an LED-initiative’. By taking into account the needs of the customer (or local community), a respect for difference, a conscious drive to ensure participation of, and benefit for all affected parties, keeping the eye on the ball, a desire to learn and innovate, and a pragmatic actionorientation, the MBDA achieved success in its local economic development initiatives. The value of this article lies in the experience of lessons learned, the overall understanding of urban planning, and the necessity for urban planning to respond to the local economy of a particular city.

Ten spyte van die dringende behoefte aan plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika, het Plaaslike Ekonomiese Ontwikkeling (LED) as area van professionele strewe/aktiwiteit grootliks misluk om aan hierdie behoefte te voldoen. Hierdie artikel fokus op ‘n alternatiewe metode vir die benadering van stedelike beplanning, deur die ‘bottom-up’-benadering en stedelike vernuwing te ondersoek. Die stedelike vernuwingswerk van die Mandela-Baai Ontwikkelingsagentskap (MBDA) in die Nelson Mandela-Baai Metropolitaanse Munisipaliteit is gebruik as ‘n gevallestudie vir ‘n voorbeeld van ‘n ‘suksesvolle LED-inisiatief’. Met inagneming van die behoeftes van die kliënt (of plaaslike gemeenskap), ‘n respek vir verskil, ‘n bewuste wil om deelname van en voordeel vir alle betrokke partye te verseker, die hou van die oog op die bal, ‘n begeerte om te leer en te innoveer en ‘n pragmatiese aksie-oriëntasie, het die MBDA sukses behaal in sy plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkelingsinisiatiewe. Die waarde van hierdie artikel lê in die ervaring van die lesse wat geleer is, die algehele begrip van stedelike beplanning, en die noodsaaklikheid vir stedelike beplanning om op die plaaslike ekonomie van ‘n bepaalde stad te reageer.

Ntle le ho hlokahala ha tswelopele ya dikhoebo tsa batho bas a khoneng Afrika Borwa, local Economic Development (LED) e hlolehile ho fihlela tlhokong ena. Serapa sena se bontsha mokhoa o mongo a ho tobana le merero ya teropo ka ho sebedisa mokhoa oa ‘bottom up’ hape le nchafatso ya teropo e ya shejoa serapeng sena. Mosebetsi oa ntlafatso ya teropo ya Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) ka hara Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality ke ona o sebedisetsoeng dipatlisiso tsena ho bontsha katleho ya LED- initiative. Ka ho sheba ditlhoko tsa moreki, diphapang tsa batho, ho bona hore tshebedisano mooho e teng ho tsoa ho bohle ba amehang, ho se lahle hlooho, le ho batla ho ithuta ho ya pele hore katleho e phethahale, MBDA e phethile katleho ka hara tswediso pele ya moruo oa sebaka seo. Bohlokoa ba serapa sena bo hlaha dithutong tse fumanoeng dipatlisisong tsena hammoho le kutloisiso ys merero ya teropo le ho hlokahala ha merero ya teropo ho atlehisa tswediso pele ya meruo teropong tse ding.