Media Release: Future Cape Town Urban Design Policy Workshop Proceedings
On the 11th of May 2013, Future Cape Town co-hosted a discussion along with the Cape Town Institute for Architecture on the newly released for commentary Cape Town Urban Design Policy. This afternoon session took place at the offices for the Cape Town Institute for Architecture and included urban design and architecture professionals from local government, planning, development and architecture organizations, as well as researchers from Future Cape Town.
Media Release: Future Cape Town urges a firm stand and leadership against urban sprawl
On the 2nd of May 2013, Future Cape Town hosted its first Summit on the topic of Urban Sprawl in Cape Town. This mid-morning session took place at the at the Protea Breakwater Lodge Hotel, and hosted a small gathering of local government officials, urban developers and planners, as well as academics. The aim of the Summit, in light of recent developments in the city, was to create a forum to discuss the contentious issue of urban sprawl, and formulate a way to facilitate sustainable spatial urban growth in the City.
Insights from the African Urban Summit
The Urban Intelligence Unit of Future Cape Town recently attended the Africa Urban Infrastructure Summit held in Cape Town on April 22-23. Our researchers report back on their insights on the conference presentations and the ideas discussed during the summit.
Media Release: Lower Main Road Turned into a Playground
On 25 May 2013, between 13:00 to 17:00, Lower Main Road from Main Road in Observatory to Malta Road in Salt River was closed off to cars and opened to people to experience their street differently. The opening ceremony was completed by a group of children who signed their names on the street in chalk, endorsing the Open Streets Manifesto. This invites everyone to treat all who use our streets with respect; to actively create inclusive public streets and to find ways to bridge the social divides of our city.
City Development Update: Touchstone House
Portside and 22 Bree seems to have been a catalyst for new developments in Cape Town’s growing foreshore. Work has started on Touchstone House, a newly launched sectional title office development in lower Bree Street, diagonally across the road from both Portside and 22 Bree. The scheme incorporates the old Touchstone warehouse facade, built in 1895. The warehouse occupied the site until it was gutted in a fire a few years ago. The estimated cost of the development is around R200 million.
Let’s get children playing in the Mother City
If children are the future, we seem to be very short-sighted when it comes to urban design. Very little, if any at all, of the current discourse on the type of cities we should be building in a democratic South Africa truly considers whether these cities will be child friendly. So how do we include children into the fabric of the city?
Media Statement: Wescape and the future of Cape Town
Future Cape Town was party to a packed meeting hosted by the African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the Cape Institute for Architecture (CIA) on Wednesday night at which Wescape’s defenders were able to take questions from professionals of the built environment.
Media Alert: Vote with ‘Your City Idea’ on Church Square
[ May 17, 2013; 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. ] After another satisfactory run at Cape Town International Airport, the bright yellow ballot box will return to the CBD area where citizens can come and take a minute or two of their time to vote on two urban issues. On Friday 17 May, members of the public can make their way to Church Square ,situated at Spin Street and Parliament Street between 9am and 3pm .
Resourcefulness, not resources, key to driving South Africa’s economic growth
[ May 14, 2013; 10:00 am; ] Key takeaways from a recent presentation from Dr. Maphai and Dr. Akinyemi’s at Accelerate Cape Town on job creation, development, and innovation in Cape Town.
