The City of Windhoek is pursuing a long-term plan to revitalise its central business district (CBD) by increasing foot traffic.
The goal is to foster a thriving business environment, support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and create a more pedestrian-friendly setting.
City Chief Executive Officer Moses Matyayi highlighted that this strategy involves various initiatives, which include the introduced parking fee structure aimed at managing traffic congestion while specifically addressing concerns regarding its impact on foot traffic and SMEs.
“There will be many people who, rather than passing by in a car, can come and walk and then probably just walk in. They could have just passed by with a vehicle, but because they are walking and when they see one service, they can quickly just pop in,” he said.
He added that the City plans to leverage these measures to encourage non-motorised traffic, promoting walking and cycling to create a shared and productive urban space.
“We would like to encourage you to walk. We want to encourage you to cycle so that we can all have a common space to share. When this common space is shared among all of us, I’m sure we will be a happy City and a productive one in the long term,” Matyayi said.
Matyayi acknowledged that new measures often take time to be accepted and adopted.
“Everything new usually takes time to adopt. You need to get accustomed to it and understand the context of it, and then when you get used to it, that’s when you start realising the benefits,” he said.
In terms of incorporating the informal sector into the CBD, Matyayi mentioned plans to create a conducive environment for traders.
“We have regulations in place that regulate our traders. Unfortunately, what is not comfortable is for us to have a chaotic trading environment. We would like them to at least trade from a designated place,” he said.
Matyayi pointed out that the City provides designated trading spaces for vendors to ensure their safety and prevent conflicts between pedestrians and motor vehicles.
“We have spaces. We’ve got more than six markets currently around the city. If they can just have that vicinity and play in that space, they will be safe enough,” he said.
This comes as the City has also modernised its parking management system to “facilitate better” movement within the CBD.
“Previously, you would have those parking poles where you can put in your 50 cents. But we realised that it was becoming difficult because the residents were putting bubble-gum, they were putting trees, and they became dysfunctional,” the CEO explained.
To address these issues, the City partnered with Keyplot Investment, a company that manages parking without costing the City additional funds.
“What we have now is a contract with Keyplot Investment. They are collecting and they are paying an amount to the council, which is even better than what we used to get. It’s much easier for you to come and find a parking space than it used to be before,” Matyayi said.
