cities

Safety and Peace through Urban
Upgrading
Introduction
Urban regeneration aims to reverse the economic, social and physical decay of an area. Research has found it
is important to consider not only the physical but also the social and economic regeneration of the area
(Kitchin and Ovens, 2008). Partnerships between the public and private sector, community and civil society
organisations, and involving the affected community leadership are critical to successful regeneration. In most
countries, regeneration focuses on declining inner city areas. However, in South Africa, disadvantaged areas
are usually on the city’s periphery.
In 2003, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality established the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) as
a special purpose development company responsible for urban regeneration in the metro. In 2007, the MBDA
extended its focus beyond the inner city to include areas such as New Brighton, Uitenhage and Helenvale.
Situated in the northern suburbs of Port Elizabeth, Helenvale is a township established in the 1950s as a result
of the Group Areas Act. It is home to approximately 21 000 people and has high levels of density and
informality, and a poor quality of life. Over half of the population is unemployed (MBDA, 2014a) and nearly
70% (69.6%) of people living in the area are under the age of 35, of which 40% are unemployed.
Map of Helenvale
Source: SPUU Helenvale: Inception Report and Master Plan
In 2006, Helenvale was declared an urban renewal area and became part of the National Urban Renewal
Programme. In 2011, the Helenvale Urban Regeneration Programme (HURP) was moved to the MBDA,
following approval of R70-million funding from the German Development Bank (KfW) for the Safety and
Peace through Urban Upgrading (SPUU) programme. This programme’s interventions are aimed at creating a
safer Helenvale through implementing both physical and social infrastructure.
370 State of South African Cities Report 2016