Online Reporter
Online Reporter
The Harare City Council is developing a new Central Business District (CBD) Local Development Plan that will introduce mixed-use developments, allowing buildings to accommodate commercial activities, offices and residential units within the same development as part of efforts to revitalise the city centre, attract investment and create a vibrant 24-hour economy.
At present, planning regulations largely separate land uses, with buildings designated for specific purposes such as commercial, office or residential use.
City officials say the model has become outdated and has contributed to declining activity in parts of the CBD outside business hours.
In an interview, Harare’s acting director of urban planning Mr Samuel Nyabeza said the proposed changes would be introduced after approval of the city’s new masterplan.
“Immediately after approval of the masterplan, the city intends to prepare a new CBD Local Development Plan. The current plan has been overtaken by events and no longer adequately addresses present realities,” he said.
Mr Nyabeza said the new plan would permit mixed-use developments, enabling property developers to incorporate shops, offices and residential apartments within the same buildings.
“The objective is to create a CBD that remains active throughout the day and night,” he said.
Urban planners regard mixed-use developments as a key component of modern cities because they reduce the need for long daily commutes, increase economic activity, improve security through round-the-clock occupation of buildings and make more efficient use of urban infrastructure.
Mr Nyabeza said the new CBD plan would also tackle long-standing challenges including traffic congestion, parking shortages and vending.
He said the city was planning urban renewal and redevelopment projects targeting older sections of the CBD, including areas around railway infrastructure.
“We believe these measures will revitalise the city centre and encourage investment,” he said.
The proposed changes form part of a broader strategy contained in the city’s masterplan that is currently awaiting Government approval, which also seeks to address housing shortages, urban informality and public transport challenges.
Mr Nyabeza said housing remained one of Harare’s biggest challenges and that the city intended to increase the use of public-private partnerships to accelerate housing delivery.
“The National Housing Policy and National Human Settlements Strategy encourage such partnerships and we believe they will help reduce the housing backlog,” he said.
The masterplan also promotes higher-density housing developments, with approximately 40 percent of future council and State-led housing projects expected to consist of flats and cluster houses.
Mr Nyabeza said densification would not be limited to new suburbs but would also be encouraged within existing low-density residential areas.
“We are encouraging densification not only in new developments but also within existing low-density suburbs. Cluster housing developments will play an important role in addressing housing shortages,” he said.
Urban renewal programmes are also planned for older high-density suburbs including Mbare, Highfield and Glen Norah.
Mr Nyabeza said the city would also focus on formalising settlements that developed outside approved planning frameworks by providing essential infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer systems.
“There are settlements around the city that developed outside formal planning frameworks. The masterplan proposes formalising such settlements by providing roads, water, sewer infrastructure and other services,” he said.
“In some cases, structures will be regularised where circumstances permit.”
Meanwhile, Mr Nyabeza said Harare has begun transitioning towards a bus-based mass public transport system, with buses being imported by ZUPCO and private sector operators expected to start operating soon.
He said the city planned to allocate specific routes and termini to operators and would initially introduce pilot projects on selected routes where buses would become the primary mode of public transport.
As more buses are introduced, additional routes will be incorporated into the system.
“Over time, commuter omnibuses will be phased out and replaced by a modern mass public transport network capable of reducing congestion and improving mobility throughout Harare,” he said.
Mr Nyabeza said the combined measures contained in the masterplan would significantly transform the city over the next two decades.
“By 2045, there should be a significant difference between what residents see today and what they will experience then,” he said.
