About CIDs: What is a CID?

An Improvement District is a defined geographic area within which property owners agree to pay for certain services to enhance the physical and social environment of the area. The services provided are supplementary to those provided by the local authority and usually include safety and security patrol officers, pavement cleaning, litter collection, maintenance of public space and the removal of illegal posters.

Complementary services, which are often taken on by the improvement district include: web-based communication and information systems connecting all businesses in the area; business attraction; environmental upgrades, business retention; branding and marketing the CID precinct area or events management to attract more people to the CID area.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs has been modified to apply to urban spaces. Typically the baseline 'need' that urban area has is to provide a safe and clean experience for the user. This baseline need is required prior to creating a better experience of the area. Refer to the figure below which illustrates how an area can move from an unpleasant experience to an excellent experience

. Urban hierarchy of needs

In Gauteng, applications to create a formal or legal improvement district are made to local authorities and are considered in terms of the Gauteng City Improvement District Act No. 12 of 1997 which was approved by the Gauteng provincial legislature on 9 December 1997 (refer 01). Not all provinces have CID legislation. In some areas local government may have its own CID legislation or policy. In parts of the country where no legal mechanism exists for the creation of a CID the only choice is to establish a voluntary CID. In these areas levies are voluntary.