Gaborone's new CBD: A design or a management problem?

| Tuesday May 28, 2013 00:00

Laurel and Hardy came in handy when I started to write this piece about the seminar and my general feeling of distress after a few hours. I remembered some old movies and in one, Hardy finds Laurel dressed for a party but sitting on the home verandah with tears in his eyes:'Why are you sitting here, nicely dressed and weeping?' 'I have nowhere to go. I'm not invited!'

Let us ponder upon this:  Nowhere to go, not invited - a dilemma for us? Who is supposed to invite us, even reluctantly despite our latest fancy dresses? We have a small ball together with our SADC friends but those far away must follow a settled protocol long sincewritten by Big Brother (more about this at another time). South Africa is well recognised despite our high beauty rankings by international polling stations.  Of course, investors, designers and realtors know (or should know this) but are pointing to authorities for help.

I call this situation self-inflicted. Internationally, bankers were (and still seem to be) sure of bailouts by tax money here and there in the West. We see the same happen here, albeit on a more 'civil' scale. And in such a situation, the Gaborone CBD is implemented as per the master plan. 'Food for thought' - an expression the director of ceremonies used often.

And it is not a bad assumption that they will have their losses paid via some survival kit as has happened here before and after entering a risk situation with open eyes and all risk factors known. The usual fingers pointing to authorities are good indicators of this. In other words, the usual neo-liberal economic life and the way out of the trap is expected.

On the other hand, the move from next-to-perfect to perfect offices for many high-class corporations and government departments might over time let in the small businessman at the end of the rope, which is also necessary in a creative society. My opinion is let the risk taking, top commercial entities face the loss of some money (and they can mostly take it). There are ways to turn the dilemma into a half-win with some creative thinking (when it obviously can't become a win-win).

The seminar tried to make the CBD issue a design problem. I suppose Noero and Mosienyane did their best to correct this misunderstanding. Some made it a parking management problem. Unfortunately most comments insisted on magic solutions, which is a common approach today. Hope replacing analysis and intellect! These are sad times indeed, and as global as modern neo-economics. Where is old Mr Keynes? My interest in the seminar evaporated here.

I've said this in various writings before and I must repeat - the CBD we have so far is designed as a small fancy dress party and is aesthetically embarrassing.  But at least it can function, if some consideration could be made for pedestrians walking around in their spare time or a Saturday afternoon to admire the wonders. This is possible because something was done about speeding traffic on the many highways that were built. But this is limited to Gaborone West, which is totally cut off from the 'heart' of the city.

This is a problem that, for the sake of the CBD, must be attended to urgently, and I don't think that more 'flyovers' will be the answer. Let me quote from my installment in the Seminar Brochure that was handed out at registration: 'Thirdly - what to do now, and that's why you are here!  We have this CBD and quite a number of 'secondary centres' that the market (has) been forced to come up with when the planned CBD was idling - waiting for the right price of land and investors.

'Not an easy equation at all - but I think that some old ideas must be revived now, when the old uncertain economy is back. Most important is that the CBD cannot be a Gaborone West matter only. A new town/city centre must be genetically part of the whole, functionally speaking. More flyovers will not solve the situation. The ... railway must be dug down from Bull and Bush to Old Naledi and become a subway with public transport functions.That's an old idea frequently presented in our papers - to no avail. That's how it's done in other cities with the same problem.

'Expensive - yes, but not paid by Council or GoB where there is no money, we know. Many perfect development areas on top will pay for it - that happened when the Central Station was covered in Stockholm some years back and it will happen here if we want. And then the City of Gaborone is a whole! And the West and East can meet even by feet. We now have an opportunity to go from quantity to quality!' Because Botswana Railways is currently interested (seemingly) to go into real commerce, and we have economically matured stakeholders in the CBD, this should become a reality within a relatively short time. I end with another quote from Laurel and Hardy:Stan:  'I was dreaming I was awake, but I woke up and found myself asleep.'

In conclusion, I think the driving force behind current development in the CBD is not so much the need for the city for more commerce. However, there is probably a need for the financial market and investors to find 'bankable' projects that are very scarce today. This has obviously resulted in afterthoughts, confusion and design skepticism. This, in my view, was the real reason for the CBD Executive Seminar. But I also think that the best and most bankable project - the covering of the railway and the station - should be a feasible subject for positive investment and of great functional impact for the city. Of course, it is not an easy task to grow from a kind of 'suburbia' to a fullblown city!