Wilgeheuwel Extreme Park

About Wilgeheuwel Extreme Park

In 2007 the City turned an empty piece of land into a 1.22 hectare park with landscaping, children's play area, mini soccer field, a fountain and trees - in similar fashion to television series that have made extreme makeovers, albeit of homes or gardens, so popular on television – into a park.

In other words, 200 odd employees of the city descended on the piece of land and transformed it in just hours – one day, to be exact.The park lies out near Little Falls, Roodepoort, where a spate of recently built townhouse complexes have turned this part of the city into something of a concrete jungle, with little greenery or open space for recreation. Now, on the corner of Florin and Krugerrand streets, is Wilgeheuwel Extreme Park.

There are other parks that have gone up in similar record time, as part of the Extreme Parks model, modelled on the popular television series Extreme makeover Home. These include: Diepkloof, Protea Glen, Claremont, Pimville and Mongameli Park. The concept, in the form of Diepkloof Xtreme Park, won the City Parks a gold in the United Nations' International Liveable Communities awards.

On the flip side of the coin, however, during the rainy season the park becomes flooded, which affects nearby homes. The park is apparently built on a natural wetland thus acting as a sponge for water that should flow straight into the river that runs through the park. Many of the surrounding townhouses are built below the city's flood line.

The park is close to the major road, Christian De Wet, that brings traffic out to this part of Johannesburg, not far from Clearwater Mall.