Cape Town - Council approved the City’s new policy for designing quality places to improve the quality of Cape Town’s neighbourhoods, streets, and public places.
The quality design improves residents’ health and well-being by providing useful, attractive, sustainable, economically viable, and socially equitable spaces, while also promoting local identity and place sense.
Mayco member for spatial planning and environment, Eddie Andrews, said the quality of the cities, towns, neighbourhoods, streets, and public spaces has a significant impact on residents lives.
“We have all experienced it before when you arrive in a place – it could be any city or neighbourhood, or even a street – and it just feels good to be there, works well, and makes you want to stay longer.
“Given that most of us are not professionals in urban design, we would not even realise that it is often how these spaces look, function, and fit together that makes us feel that way.
“Design should be centred around people and communities and can transform spaces and give them purpose, relevance, and meaning. In September and October last year, the City gave the public the opportunity to comment on the revised Policy for Designing Quality Places.
“We used these comments to further refine the policy that has now been approved by Council and will guide the City’s Development Management Department in assessing development applications and inform city-led projects,” Andrews said.
Andrews further added that the City’s Integrated Development Plan pursues a Cape Town that is resilient, more spatially integrated and inclusive, and efficient.
“The newly approved Policy for Designing Quality Places sets the criteria to ensure the city's spatial vision as articulated in the Municipal Spatial Development Framework is realised in our local neighbourhoods where we live, work, socialise, and access community facilities and amenities,” he said.