Name your Hood back in Cape Town

27 Jul 2013

The next Name your Hood (NYH) campaign features the areas bordered by Roeland, Hatfield and Mill streets in Cape Town's City Bowl. This private sector led initiative seeks to build stronger communities through interactive neighbourhood naming campaigns. The project aims to roll out across the entire country in time and will also launch in Johannesburg in 2013.

Democratic vote

NYH provides a dynamic, interactive and inclusive platform to create identities for clearly defined areas in our cities. Launched in the Cape Town CBD in 2011 and recently carried out in Gugulethu, the campaign has seen 14 new neighbourhoods named through the participation of thousands of Capetonians, using a transparently democratic process.

The campaign asks participants to explore a neighbourhood's distinctiveness, heritage and unique character and then to submit a name for it. Platforms for submitting name suggestions include a website and mobisite. The public will also be able to vote using submission forms & accompanying voting boxes distributed throughout Hood 8. The final name will be chosen by public vote using physical voting forms, SMS and via the website.

Endorsed by Premier Helen Zille, the project seeks to impart community cohesion and belonging. Submissions for Hood 8 will be open from Friday 2 August - Friday 30 August 2013, after which time a shortlist of the best names and motivations will go to a public vote. The winning name for Hood 8 will be announced on 25 October 2013.

Increase tourism

In his endorsement of the campaign the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, MEC, stated, "The possibility for this project to broaden the tourism spectrum of the Western Cape and develop civic pride and ownership is encouraged and endorsed by the Ministry."

Local businesses are also showing their support, with Digicape, Province Lighting, Leaf Capital, Stor-Age and Food Lovers Market, as well as smaller neighbourhood establishments on board.

Bruce Good, MD of Name Your Hood commented, "We're celebrating everything Cape Town has to offer - its landmarks, history and culture. We have pulled in local heroes, architects, historians and city planners to create new, easy-to-navigate city hoods. Now it's up to everyone to get involved - anyone could potentially name one of the neighbourhoods and leave a legacy."

For more information, go to www.nameyourhood.co.za.