The following text presents a summary of the Future Cape Town presentation and submission to the City of Cape Town as part of the IDP (Integrated Development Plan) 2016 hearings.
Recommendation 1 :
The creation of a Public Spaces task team and ultimately the creation of a metropolitan public space agency
The development of a Public Spaces Task Team would be imperative to promoting importance of public spaces, in turn making the city great. The main aims of such a task team would be to bring together inputs from different city departments, private sector role-players, investors, designers and civil society. Furthermore, the task team should galvanise the efforts of the different role-players, promote innovation and also recognise and promote the efforts of the City in developing public spaces.
Outcome :
If we aim to become a forward-looking, city of innovation that also embraces technology, we need to start with new, interesting, unusual partnerships, fully embracing the ideals of making progress possible, together.
Recommendation 2 :
The creation of an office/department for Long Term Planning, Sustainability and Resilience
Planning the future of the city moves beyond and between political terms of office. It is important that the City uses data and evidence to clarify its long term view/ goals and position on critical spatial planning, environmental and urban development issues. What is still lacking is a vision to which residents and citizen can relate to, understand and be inspired by. Past vision processes have often lacked resonance and been reduced to mere mentions in the introductory sections of various reports.
Outcome :
If the aims to plan and attract investment in the long-term it must make clear and give more certainty to its plans and approaches, in particular where this relates to the future environmental security (water, food) and large scale planning processes or development imperative.
Download the full submission here.