Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa May 2013 | Page 46

SMART MOVES

The Sky Is
The Limit

BY ANGELIQUE REDMOND

For Gauteng’s Airport City

M

any city airports have become airport
cities, with the rapid expansion
of airport-linked facilities such
as commercial buildings, warehouses and
transport: the 21st century has embraced the
concept of the ‘Aerotropolis’. Dr John Kasarda,
a world renowned figure for his work on airport
cities, is considered the leading developer of
the Aerotropolis concept, an idea that was
named one of the ten ideas that will change the
world by Time magazine in 2011. He explains,
“The Aerotropolis, like any other traditional
city, consists of a central core with rings of
development permeating outwards; unlike a
traditional city, however, the city’s core is an
airport and all neighbouring development

supports and is supported in turn by the airport
industry. Several airports around the globe have
organically evolved into these airport-dependent
communities, generating huge economic profits
and creating thousands of jobs.”

Breaking ground in South Africa
In the Ekurhuleni municipality, which is the
local authority and government for Gauteng,
plans are underway to create an Aerotropolis
around OR Tambo airport. The Aerotropolis
concept was approved by Ekurhuleni in April
2007 and reviewed and approved in 2011.
Since then council off icials have worked
towards making this a reality. The Ekurhuleni
Aerotropolis enjoys national status and forms

part of the 2050 national strategic infrastructure
programme.
The land use for what the metro calls Region
A has been approved. This region includes the
areas closest to the airport like Kempton Park,
Germiston and Boksburg central business
districts and some industrial areas. At this stage
only 21 per cent of the land use in this region
is for residential purposes and 23 per cent is
industrial areas like Isando, Spartan, Sebenza
and Anderbolt.
Region A will be built on the strength of the
airport and the manufacturing industry, which
is reinforced through aviation activities. The
Aerotropolis will eventually form the basis of the
economic growth of Ekurhuleni and freight and
logistics will strengthen the road network and
railway links.
It will influence land use and zoning, as well
as the way people conduct business in the
metro. Urban development and plans to adapt
this also featured the development of corridors
between developed nodes in the metro and

44

May 2013 SA Real Estate Investor

www.reimag.co.za