CAPE TOWN, 16 June 2015
- BLOK apartment developers has partnered with Future Cape Town on placemaking initiatives in the Atlantic Seaboard of Cape Town.
- The Future Cape Town placemaking team is led by senior researcher, Brett Petzer
- Future placemaking interventions being explored include the Sea Point library square and Sea Point Promenade.
BLOK apartment developers has partnered with Future Cape Town on placemaking initiatives in the Atlantic Seaboard of Cape Town. The collaboration aims to improve areas beyond the existing or planned property developments and contribute to the urban fabric through community activation. The goal is to encourage residents to see surrounding public open spaces as an extension of their homes, and take ownership of them.
BLOK is passionate about the future of high-density centres and embracing urban living. Their aim is to build the foundations for property investment that engages and enhances a span of clients with different needs.
The shared vision is to rethink and contribute meaningfully to the redevelopment of public space on the Atlantic Seaboard and further this into the rest of Cape Town in the future.
The Future Cape Town placemaking team is led by senior researcher, Brett Petzer, a planner and advocate for bicycle urbanism, and is supported by a small team from diverse disciplines which include urban infrastructure, industrial design, occupational therapy, architecture and finance.
Rashiq Fataar, director of Future Cape Town, says, “Our vision for the re-imagination of spaces in communities requires strong relationships and new ways of working between government, the private sector, civil society and neighbourhoods. The partnership with BLOK speaks directly to this vision, investing not only in improvement of spaces but in the dynamic relationships which support a sense of ownership, pride and sustainability of these spaces, long beyond the intervention or construction.”
Their first project is at Thornhill Park on Thornhill Road opposite Blok’s SEVENonT development, in Green Point. An open day was recently held, following a discussion by the team and residents on the research done in preparation for the revitalisation of the park. Also present at the Wednesday 20 May event was David Curran of the City of Cape Town Parks Department and the landscape designer Clare Burgess.
Future placemaking interventions being explored include the Sea Point library square and Sea Point Promenade.
Jacques van Embden, MD and co-founder of BLOK says, “We believe that as developers we have a responsibility to contribute to the neighbourhoods we develop in – beyond just our own projects. As Blok, we see Cape Town’s potential to be a world-class city to live in, and our passion for urban living and our acknowledgment of our responsibility, is what drives us to want to contribute to making it better. Therefore, our decision to collaborate with FCT was easy – they are true urbanists and we grabbed the opportunity to partner with them. Their understanding of urban living and resources are the complementing skill set we need at Blok in order to bring our dream neighbourhood projects to life. So far we have found that the two companies have a great synergy, aligned by the same beliefs and vision.” van Embden added.
ENDS
For more information please contact kelsey@futurecapetown.com or the head of the Future Cape Town placemaking team, Brett Petzer at brett@futurecapetown.com
Blok Sales
087 752 6677
Blok Communications
Kelly Atherton: kellya@ampliconpr.com
021 421 9176
Notes to editors:
- Future Cape Town is an independent non-profit organisation promoting democracy, sharing inspiration and working in collaboration to improve our future cities. Read more here:
- BLOK is a luxury apartment development company that focuses on urban apartment living.