At a community stakeholder meeting in 2019 held with representatives of various communities within East PoS, residents expressed many concerns about their communities and how to address these. A vivid common message emerged from the session, a message both powerful and timely. In short, it was clear that we need to “bring back the love”.

Love of self, love of community, and a turn away from individualistic behaviours were the common thread shared by the participants. Simple, yet profound, and with direct implications for the East PoS regeneration strategy.

Community bonds are formed and developed in the public meeting spaces. The streets, squares, parks, recreation grounds, community centres, and other public places are crucial to the development of a community’s social capital, and therefore the links that connect people together

Interventions in the public realm are therefore aimed to create places that are clean, inviting, safe, sustainable, resilient, and designed for people at the human scale. Too often our development goals for communities in East PoS and nationwide have placed the needs of the automobile over the needs of people, turning our public spaces into thoroughfares rather than destinations, thereby killing public life and the value of community, and at worst, taking away the dignity of the people forced to use these spaces.

Love of self is also intimately tied to dignity of surroundings and living conditions. Here, efforts aim to improve the standard, and increase the availability of housing across all income levels and meeting the needs of evolving demographic realities.

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Charlotte Street with a Face-Lift and Pedestrianisation. Drag left and right to view the results. Illustration: Dover Kohl

GOAL ONE

Ensure an acceptable standard of community infrastructure and service provision throughout East PoS

STRATEGY
01

Upgrade Public Infrastructure

Infrastructure in the form of access roads, paths and steps, drains, and sidewalks must be at an acceptable quality for humane living and to attract investments.

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STRATEGY
02

Upgrade Utilities & Sanitation

An acceptable standard of living conditions is integral to people’s sense of worth and dignity and increased investments.

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GOAL TWO

Increase resilience, sustainability, & livability in East PoS

STRATEGY
03

Ensure Adequate Housing Provision

Affordable and decent housing that is not overcrowded, is of solid structural integrity, and provides essential amenities; and a sense of security in tenure is vital to ensuring livability in East PoS.

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STRATEGY
04

Create New Public Spaces & Enhance Existing Ones

A public realm that is inviting, beautiful, and functional, may then become vibrant and a source of individual and communal pride and sense of ownership.

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STRATEGY
05

Improve the Pedestrian, Bicyclist, & Public Transportation User Experience

In order for these spaces to be inviting and therefore host a diverse array of people and activities they must be pedestrian-friendly.

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STRATEGY
06

Ensure an adequate provision of community, health, sporting, and recreational facilities

East PoS is a highly populated area and requires a certain level of health, recreational, sporting, and other community facilities and social services for its residents.

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STRATEGY
07

Increase Cleanliness, Sustainability & Resilience of Built & Natural Environment

Sustainable environmental management practices and designing for resiliency are key to hazard & disaster mitigation.

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