Measuring the health of business nodes

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:South Africa requires sustained economic growth in order to alleviate the poverty of itsurban population.This study is based on the hypothesis that in order to sustain the existing goodinfrastructure and secure the high-quality human resource base of our country, it isnecessary to be proactive with regard to the management of commercial/businessnodes in order to ensure that they do not deteriorate or become stifled and/orexcluded from delivering their full economic potential/contribution towards the urbaneconomy.This study contains a synopsis of the research conducted by the author on behalf ofthe City of Cape Town - Economic Development and Tourism Directorate during2003. The purpose was to develop a uniform model to ascertain and monitor theeconomic health of business areas within the Cape Town metropole. The researchwas presented to the City of Cape Town in the form of a protocol, which hassubsequently been utilised to establish economic profiles for the Athlone CentralBusiness District, Gatesville/Rylands business centre and Airport Industria.The focus and purpose of the protocol was to place tbe City Council in a positionwhereby the relative economic health of specific business/mixed-use areas within theCape Metropolitan Area can be properly assessed, selected interventions madewhere necessary and results monitored. The point of departure that was adopted fromthe outset was that the assessment need not just relate to negative trends orindications of economic distress, but that there is substantial merit in assessing nodesthat are seemingly getting it right or booming.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University