Joburg City Parks makes a clean sweep at the UN-endorsed LivCom 2007 Awards in London

The City of Joburg celebrated a landslide victory at the United Nations endorsed Livable Communities awards in London, winning 4 Gold Awards, 1 silver, 1 bronze, sharing 2nd position in the Whole City category and winning the only bursary of the competition for the 2010 Greening Soweto Legacy Project, which will go towards installing a play park for children with physical challenges in Soweto.

Johannesburg City Parks, the custodians of greening in Joburg was a finalist among 46 communities and 23 nations to win gold awards for 1st and 3rd position, for the Dorothy Nyembe Environmental Education Centre in Dobsonville, Soweto and for the recently unveiled Ivory Park in Midrand respectively. Gold merit awards in the same category were also awarded to the 2010 Greening Soweto Legacy Project, and the Thokoza Park/Moroka Dam Wetlands Rehabilitation Project, both of which were spearheaded by the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Councillor Amos Masondo.

Johannesburg City Parks faced tough competition from countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Malta, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Bulgaria, Iceland, Germany, England and the USA, who had reached the finals in the Natural Projects category for communities in excess of 750 000 residents.

The Diepsloot Memorial Cemetery won a silver award and Johannesburg City Parks obtained a bronze award for its Environmental Management Strategy, as well.

Johannesburg City Parks competed against the likes of cities in Russia, Canada, Slovenia, Soho in London, Agra in India, Ekurhuleni in Gauteng, Broadland in the UK, Fayetteville in the USA, and such luminaries to win the only c ash prize of the competition for the 2010 Greening Soweto Legacy Project to develop a play-park in Soweto and, added to the evenings tally, by securing a prestigious 2nd position together with the City of Arriyadh in Saudi Arabia, for the overall, Whole City Award.

Luther Williamson the Managing Director of Johannesburg City Parks who led the presentations at LivCom, was ecstatic at receiving the recognition from one of the leading authorities on the environment, stating that “there are so many new cost effective and inclusive developments happening in the global arena and that as city planners we have a moral responsibility to keep up with new environmental trends, to develop sustainable communities and to advance the future,” adding that the win in the highest density category confirmed that Johannesburg City Parks was on par with its counterparts from more developed and better resourced nations and that City Parks will continue to strive for the best possible outdoor experience, to benefit all of Joburg’s people. ENDS

Issued on behalf of Luther Williamson
Managing Director of Johannesburg City Parks

MEDIA ENQUIRIES;
Jenny Moodley
Spokesperson: Johannesburg City Parks
Tel: (011) 712-6615 or 082 8030 748
Email: jmoodley@jhbcityparks.com