Building Cities that Work

When you drive around our cities, you cannot help but notice the dilapidated buildings and infrastructure, the filth and waste, the looted and hijacked buildings that generate income for criminals and corrupt officials. Our cities are not working.

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There are people loitering around due to sky-high unemployment rates and an education system that leaves much to be desired. Neighbourhoods are amassed by illicit trade, criminal networks, illegal goods, and illegal people who thrive in communities that support “alternative economies”. From ‘Amaphara’, now a thriving community able to transfer their ideas, beliefs, values, and ways to others who find this lifestyle worth emulating, to city leaders making poor choices and uneducated guesses with tax money. Our cities are unhinged.

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Across many developed economies, one can walk through parts of the city for hours, shooting content on a phone or having conversations with friends without feeling unsafe. I love watching TikTok videos of people walking through their cities, giving live tours of their facilities and neighbourhoods. They do it with so much pride, shooting hours of content without fear of being harassed or robbed. Unfortunately, this cannot be said regarding South African cities. Let us not forget that a couple of years ago, a journalist was mugged while live on air! Never mind that the criminals were arrested, but how many citizens get mugged without any cameras to capture the moment? No one wants to invest in or live in unsafe spaces. In 2023, Nelson Mandela Bay stood at approximately 78,33 murders per 100,000 people! This earned the city a spot in the world’s top 10 most dangerous cities. Fear is not a great community builder! With citizens engulfed by fear of being hijacked, mugged, raped, or kidnapped, who will want to do business with us? Where to from here?

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Solutions to dealing with the broken walls of our cities

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1.??? The mindset to build: Social capital is at the centre of Cities that Work. Building cities that work will require competent leadership teams, synergistic networks and partnerships and devoted citizens and communities, all possessing the mindset to build. We need to increase productivity and performance in our cities so as to encourage economic growth which will then assist in the creation of more jobs for people.

2.??? Optimum management of resources: Money, infrastructure, resources, and people need to be managed more effectively. There are many SMART cities in the world (e.g. Singapore and Helsinki) which can be used as models. It is not just about the technology and artificial intelligence; it is also about the people (human resources) that run the cities and live in these SMART cities. We must transform our societies so that they reflect the values of model societies that work. Technology in the wrong hands will not work.

3.??? Prioritising Security and Safety: Ensuring that citizens and foreign investors feel safe and secure is fundamental to city development. Our spaces need to work for us. We have plenty of space but insufficient safe spaces. If people cannot move around safely, and efficiently then they cannot trade and do commerce. If we cannot guarantee safe travel across our metros, then we will continue to lose business.

4.??? Data literacy: without an understanding of the facts that are out there regarding our cities then we cannot engage in meaningful data analysis and profitable decision making. Leaders need to be knowledgeable, and they also need to implement data driven strategies backed up by credible policies, research, and experts. In the right hands, data can produce insight, lead to more sustainable developments and also prepare cities for the future.

5.??? Having a Vision for Cities that Work: Leaders need to develop and communicate a clear and compelling vision for what they want our cities to become.

6.??? Curbing Fruitless and Wasteful Expenditure: City leaders ought to make criminals and corrupt officials uncomfortable with misappropriation of funds. This can only happen with a working criminal justice system that does not do favours for the rich and powerful.

7.??? Refocusing on Ethical Leadership and Ethical Citizenship: Promoting and advocating for positive organisational citizenship behaviour and moral regeneration will lead to societal reforms that will guide the country and its citizens to rebuilding and revitalising our cities.

8.??? Encouraging everyone to Build within Their Reach: Fixing what is within one’s reach e.g. cleaning the neighbourhood or picking up papers in front of us may not make the whole city clean, but it will surely make a difference in a specific neighbourhood.

9.??? Rebranding and Relaunching Ubuntu: Ubuntu has now become a catch phrase for any act which we deem to be good. This cannot be correct. Ubuntu is not ethical relativism. It is a set of actions and values that espouse a deep consideration for others and oneself. We need to rethink our understandings and applications of the principle of Ubuntu. One aspect would be for us to reemphasise community over individualism.

10. Communicating a Transgenerational Vision: Ensuring the next generation understands and continues the vision of rebuilding our cities. A city vision should not die with its founders.

11. ?Addressing Injustices of the Past and Present: Taking steps to correct historical and ongoing inequalities. We cannot shy away from the fact that many of our citizens across South Africa are still wallowing in poverty. We need to reinforce efforts to curb inequality by creating opportunities for the people to rebuild their own lives. Without stable incomes, people cannot rise above poverty.

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By focusing on these solutions, we can transform our cities into thriving, safe, and efficient communities that reflect the values of a society that truly works.

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REFERENCE

https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/727500/the-most-violent-cities-in-south-africa-2/

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Mojalefa Daniel Maluka is a writer, researcher, life coach and PhD Candidate in Management Studies (HRM Stream).