Design-led innovation brings city together in solving urban issues
A new training institute puts lessons learned in Cape Town into practice, writes Richard Perez
Many people think that Cape Town, where I live and work, does not feel like an African city. This is because there are two Cape Towns — one framed by Table Mountain straddling the peninsula, sandy beaches, fashionable design quarters, the waterfront, Long Street bars and restaurants, and luxury seaside and mountain-hugging suburbs. The other Cape Town stretches away from the shadow of the mountain into the sprawling sandy plains of the Cape Flats, which are dominated by informal settlements and high-density populations. The unAfrican feel of tourist and suburban Cape Town is largely a legacy of apartheid design and planning, which was very successful in achieving its goals of dividing citizens along racial lines and excluding black communities from access to the resources concentrated near the mountain and harbour. This apartheid legacy is reflected in the continued spatial separation of communities and disparate levels of access to services and opportunities. Its consequences are s...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.