FUTURE CAPE TOWN | Top 20 articles of 2015

1. Why young urbanists made their own city plan for Helsinki 

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Future Cape Town editor Rashiq Fataar speaks to Timo Hämäläinen, a planning activist and Urban Finland blogger based in Helsinki. Read it here.


2. Africa in 2015: The fastest, tallest, largest and newest 

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The tallest, newest, largest and fastest developments in Africa in 2015. Here are some to keep an eye on. Read more here.


3. After Eskom: How can South African cities power their future 

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Almost 8 years after the last major load shedding in South Africa, the Eskom debacle has once again dominated the national debate. But within this so called crisis how can South African cities start to lead and invest in new ideas and innovation to power their long term future. Can the cities afford to take a backseat? Read Catherine Luyt’s article here.


 

4. A vision for a new port precinct in Cape Town 

A bold new vision for re-establishing part of the city’s links with the sea – will it be implemented, and if so, how will it work for all Capetonians? Read about it here.


5. The trains for future of South Africa’s cities

The first new PRASA commuter trains produced at Alstom’s Lapa plant in Brazil will be ready by the end 2015 to start service some of South Africa’s 2.3 million rail commuters. That number is expected to double within the next 20 years. Read more here.


6. Will ideas competition improve informal trading conditions? 

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The City of Cape Town has launched a global ideas competition to improve the conditions and opportunities for the informal trading sector in Cape Town. Read more here.


 7. Can a game help plan the future of a township? 

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A group of  local stakeholders in Cape Town, aim for collaborative solutions by engaging with design of the Khayelitsha Business District, using a game called Play Khayelitsha. Read Charlotte Scott’s article here.


 

8. 3 ideas to expand the South African National Art Gallery in Cape Town 

Young architects at the University of Cape Town present design concepts for expansion of the South African National Gallery in Cape Town. View the projects here.


 9. The future of the Newlands pool: What is the real question?

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With the Newlands pool back in the news, Rashiq Fataar wonders whether we are missing the real question, in tackling the challenge of sports facilities in Cape Town. Read Rashiq’s article here.


10. Transforming Maitland train station as part of densifying Cape Town 

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How can ‘Dense City’ become a tool for an inclusive and sustainable Cape Town? Brittany Morris interview Ali Saad, principal architect on the Maitland Station Density Syndicate team. Read more here.


 

11. The future of Woodstock: A review of the Change by Design workshop 

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Claire du Trevou reports from the  ‘Change by design’ workshop hosted by Architects Sans Frontiers UK and Development Action Group (DAG), which put the regeneration of Woodstock under the microscope. Read Claire’s report here.


 

12. PRASA upgrades the old apartheid concourse at Cape Town station 

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The construction phase of the Parade Concourse project started in October 2013 and reached practical completion by end March 2015. Read about the project here.


 

13. South Africa’s hopes of planning better cities and communities 13. reblockingexample

Sizwe Mxobo has been awarded the Young National Planner of the year award in South Africa. Rashiq Fataar sat down with Sizwe to hear more about his vision for Cape Town, the projects he has been working on and why planning has failed the city and its people. Read more here.


 14. Ideas for the future of Paarden Eiland 

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Future Cape Town asks Twitter how the industrial neighbourhood of Paarden Eiland can reinvent itself to contribute to the future of the city. Read the tweetchat here.


 

15. Interview with young architect Tosin Oshinowo 

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Ayo Denton heads to Tosin Oshinowo’s design studio to have a chat about upcoming projects and grand architecture in Lagos. Read this interview here.


 

16. How mapping public transport can help commuters 

GoMetro have created an innovative interactive mapping and schedule system in Bellville that looks set to become a showcase for South African cities looking to answer the ‘information gap’ surrounding public transport. Read more here.


 

17. How to co-design the future of public space? A case from Milan. 

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Milan, Piazza Castello: a rendering of #nevicata14, the pedestrianisation experiment that is currently taking place during Expo 2015. Read Andrea Pollio’s article here.


 

18. How a building can communicate the spatial and social violence in South Africa CSVR Render Jaun van Wyk 003

A young architect confronts the social and spatial inequality that still plagues the city by proposing an evocative experience through design of the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation. Read the article here.


 

19. What does the future hold for the iconic wetland, Princess Vlei? 

The proposal to build a mall at Princess Vlei was overturned over a year ago by the City of Cape Town. But what has happened since? Rifqah Naidoo visited the site to find out what the future holds for this iconic princess. Read Rifqah Naidoo’s article here.


20. Planning the Cycling City 

When one realises that a cycle lane barely wide enough for a car can move as many people as a four-lane highway – and in total silence – it is hard to think of sprawling, car-dependent societies as a utopia of personal freedoms. Brett Petzer shares his experiences and thoughts on planning the Cycling City. Read Brett Petzer article here.