The VIBE TheVibeMagazine_170727 | Page 9

Florida Rd is ready to grow its primarily operational focus , and just as the collective voice of the UIP was needed to get Florida Rd to this point , so we need all the cogs in the Florida Rd wheel from the UIP ; City ; community groups and private sector to collectively focus their efforts on shaping the future of the place . Here ’ s how we will do it :

The Collective Place-Making Committee

SIGN UP HERE :

Email us at : signup @ floridard . co . za

The Florida Rd Development Forum

Extending the operational service of the Florida Rd Urban Improvement Precinct ( UIP ) the Florida Rd Place-Making Committee ( FRPC ) is tasked with delivering the brand vision and activating the Florida vibe , boosting the road as a key destination within the Durban mix .

While supported and strengthened by the UIP ’ s operational , communication and management role , the Committee ’ s membership extends beyond the property owner , encouraging businesses , residents and community structures to create a Florida Rd with functionality and vibe while at the same time ensuring it remains safe , clean and welcoming to all .

This can ’ t be done without local input and energy and the committee thanks the early adopters and current members of the committee : 167 Florida Rd ; Alan Burke ; Butcher Block ; Butcher Boys ; Cubana ; Drop Kick Murphy ’ s ; Florida Park Hotel ; House of Curry ; KFC ; Next Chapter ; Spar ; Spiga d ’ Oro ; The Benjamin Hotel , and Vacca Matta .

But we need more member welcomes more members and more input ! It ’ s as simple as signing up for the R1 000 p / m marketing contribution and responding to calls for input , ideas and sharing !

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Using the findings of the brand DNA process , a cross platform effort is underway with urban architects , city planners , the transport authority and engineers collectively working behind the scenes to align detailed designs for a new urban framework plan for the road .

The Florida Rd Development Forum led by the eThekwini Transport Authority with support from the Economic Development Unit , has been set-up as the platform through which the City ’ s planning and development bodies can engage on all things Florida Rd , in particular , the Urban Development Framework . The private sector and the interests of the Florida Rd community will be represented through the Florida Rd UIP and the Florida Rd Place-Making committee .

Like everything else on the Florida Rd journey none of this is possible without collective support , and that means from you ! So if you have technical expertise and skills that you could offer into this plan and the road , please don ’ t hesitate to contact us .

This moment , in which Florida Road wins her first researched and professionally crafted identity and vision for the future , might not make a mark on history , but through the advancement of the road , built on the foundation of this Florida Rd signature , this icon of Durban will be carried into the future . This tolerant and resilient Precinct has not only withstood , but has embraced and enhanced the changes that have taken place over the history of our Warm City . It captures an integrated rhythm that affects all who visit here and with the base of a clean and managed public space laid down , Florida Rd is ready for the next step . As chairman of the Florida Rd Place-Making Committee , I speak on behalf of a diverse group of people who have recognised the rich value of Florida Road and the surrounding precinct and have invested in it with their time , effort and resources . Together , we applaud this renewed and collective Florida Rd identity , and more importantly the vision behind it that looks to tackle the challenges we have as we work to deliver an enhanced experience and offering on Florida Rd ”.

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Mike Holland – Chairman of the Florida Rd Place-Making Committee and owner of Next Chapter

Image credit : ApeAutomotive Photography

Florida Rd is a special place , with a special history and appeal in the life of the City . It is also a place that holds painful memories for my team at eTA , since a life of one of our own was lost there . We are fully committed to collaboration with like-minded individuals and organizations like the Florida Road UIP and Place-Making Committee , in co-creating the future that represents the best of who we are as a people and City . eTA is co-ordinating the formation of a Florida Rd Development Forum that will bring key agencies within the City together to engage with the private sector on making our collective thinking a viable and sustainable reality .”

The transformation of Florida Rd ’ s public realm over the past 3 years is a testament to the impact of a public private sector partnership whose collective efforts have delivered a vastly improved public realm to the benefit of all stakeholders . Not only has this partnership approach stemmed the urban decay that was gripping the road , but it has fundamentally changed the future vision for Florida Road , the Berea and possibly Durban , unlocking economic opportunities , boosting investor confidence , and demonstrating what can be achieved through collaboration . Funded by the Municipality and the UIP , with strong support from Florida Rd ’ s property owners and businesses , the place-making process and related Urban Development Framework will stand as a replicable pilot for our shared City and will fundamentally shift the way we view and use the public realm .”

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