Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa Real Estate Investor Magazine - November 2017 | Page 28

MIXED-USE
Residential Property In
Mixed-Use Developments
The case for investors
S
NICHOLAS STOPFORTH
Managing Director of Amdec
Property Developments
“
The sad truth of it is
that the way most
people in the country’s
urban centres are living
is, through no fault of
their own, wasteful and
isolating
“
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hop, relax, live, work, play. These five
words together sum up the philos-
ophy behind an important global
trend in residential property development,
and one that is gaining significant traction
within the South African context. Known
as new urbanism, the idea that people
should (and would want to) live in areas
within close walking distance of the plac-
es where they shop, relax, work and play
is coming at a critical juncture for South
African cities. time lost in non-peak commutes. This is
a week lost that could have been spent
contributing to the country's GDP, or
resting and re-charging to remain produc-
tive. It could have been spent taking care
of family or building a small business that
contributes to employment and ending
poverty.
The sad truth of it is that the way most
people in the country's urban centres are
living is, through no fault of their own,
wasteful and isolating.
Urban centres around the country are
notoriously congested. More people than
e