Deutsche Bank announces Urban Age Award finalists

4 Apr 2012

The Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award, which recognises and celebrates creative solutions to the problems and opportunities of city dwellers, has announced the eight finalists selected from the 254 entries received, reportedly the highest number in the history of the award.

The jury convened 20-22 March 2012 to adjudicate the submissions and tour the City of Cape Town to meet some of the projects. They unanimously identified eight projects to shortlist, which are, in alphabetical order:

Bicycle Empowerment Network (BEN) (city-wide)
Masiphumelele Community Library (Masiphumelele)
Mothers Unite (Lavender Hill)
Regeneration of City and Soul (Retreat)
Rocklands Urban Abundance Centre (Rocklands, Mitchells Plain)
Social Justice Coalition (Khayelitsha)
Thrive Recycling (Imizamo Yethu/Hout Bay)
VPUU - Violence Prevention through urban upgrading (Khayelitsha)

VPUU – Violence Prevention through urban upgrading

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Social Justice Coalition

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The winner will be announced at an award ceremony on 19 April 2012.

Reflect the rich reservoir

The jury believes the submissions reflect the rich reservoir of organisations, talent, energy and grassroots leadership across all segments of the city, a diversity of activism that bodes well for Cape Town's future.

The three international jurors were prof. Ricky Burdett, director of LSE Cities; Tony Williams, former mayor of Washington DC and Enrique Norten, renowned architect based at TEN Arquitectos, Mexico/NY.

Thrive Recycling

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Rocklands Urban Abundance Centre

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Capetonian jury members were Nomfundo Walaza, CEO of the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre; Malika Ndlovu, poet, playwright and performance artist; Andrew Boraine, CEO of the Cape Town Partnership and jury chair prof. Edgar Pieterse, director of the African Centre for Cities at UCT.