INDUSTRY EXPERTS
INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Edison Property Group a time for integrated design
Mixed-use development in South Africa started gathering momentum in the late 1990s. It aimed to re-connect people with their workplaces, homes, shops and leisure activities, especially as road congestion continued to increase in our major cities.
With the rise of industrialisation in late 19thcentury South Africa and the introduction of governmental zoning regulations, the urban design of human settlements evolved from traditional mixed-use patterns to disconnected residential and commercial spaces.
In recent years it has become clear that this mode of development can divide communities and often discourages collaborative growth, so trends in urban development indicate a move back towards a more integrated design model. Enter modern mixed-use development, which can provide numerous socio-economic benefits and narrow the divide between people and their needs.
Mixed-use urban design offers users a blend of retail, restaurants, offices and multi-generational housing and hotels, while preserving traditional“ village” centres. Its benefits include greater housing diversity and investment opportunities, compact development, greater community spirit, and pedestrian and bicycle-friendly environments
– the starter kit for a“ smart city” of the future. Edison Property Group( EPG), a subsidiary of South Africa’ s largest black-owned power company, the Edison Corporation, is a big player in KwaZulu-Natal, and the force behind mutiple casinos and shopping malls across the country. But their magnum opus is Oceans Umhlanga – a mega mixed-use development project in collaboration with Ducatus Property Group.
“ With the current rate of development in KwaZulu-Natal, I believe the province will be the fastest-growing economy in South Africa within the next three years,” says EPG chairman and founder, Vivian Reddy.
Having carried out trend analysis abroad, EPG decided to use the 231 000 m 2 of prime land they had acquired in the heart of uMhlanga for a mixed-use development offering an affluent blend of retail, hotel and residential components.“ Oceans Umhlanga is an exclusive offering which will cater to the