About the CJP: Overview

Since its establishment in 1992, the Central Johannesburg Partnership (CJP) has investigated international and local trends in urban renewal. In 1998 the CJP was restructured as a private, non-profit company focusing on the revitalisation of the city. This independent Section 21 company focuses on serving business – their primary client – with exceptional quality as well as forging a close working relationship with the City.

One of the most successful interventions pioneered by the CJP has been the establishment of City Improvement Districts (CIDs). If you want to invest in the inner city then these are the areas to pay attention to:

  • Retail Improvement District consists of the main retail area in the inner city
  • Central Improvement District includes the landmark Carlton Centre
  • South West Improvement District characterised by corporate head offices and financial institutions
  • Braamfontein Improvement District, the most recent district in the city

These improvement districts have over the years contributed to a more positive urban experience and enhanced sense of place with the result of improved sales, rents and increased property values. To elaborate, a CID 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.

Over the years, the CJP has created jobs for the homeless; acted as catalysts for strategic development in the inner city - such as the Constitutional Court and Gandhi Square; acted as advocates for inner city policy and informal trading by-laws; been urban managers, particularly in establishing improvement districts; been consultants and communicators, in particular for the crime video cameras project, and Community Police Forums; and finally, been an employment empowerment generator.