Forum focuses on sustainable housing and social challenges
Rapid urbanisation is a growing reality and Cape Town has the highest urbanisation rate in South Africa. This brings housing, infrastructure, social and biophysical challenges, but if we look for solutions across business, government and communities, we find tremendous energy and innovation to address the challenges.
This was the outcome of Accelerate Cape Town's Sustainability Forum held on 16 April.
With a focus on WDC 2014 sustainability projects, Richard Perez, head of WDC 2014 for the City of Cape Town, spoke about the World Design Capital's aim to focus on the broader sense of design's impact on urban spaces, economies and citizens. "Rapid urbanisation brings with it issues of energy and food security and we need to foster African innovation for global conversations to bridge our divide. These are key themes of WDC 2014."
Better Living Challenge
An excellent example of igniting South African ideas for home grown solutions is the Better Living Challenge. Funded by the Western Cape government's 110% Green Programme, the Better Living Challenge aims to find innovative ideas for affordable housing solutions for lower income groups.
Due to rapid urbanisation, Cape Town is unable to meet the demand and Fran Cox, project manager, highlighted the competition categories which include Structural Home, Comfortable Home and Connected Home. Find out more and enter your ideas before 31 May by visiting http://betterlivingchallenge.co.za/.
Another key project about community and spaces is Open Streets Cape Town. Started in 2012 by Marcela Guerrero Casas and based on Bogota's Ciclovia, Open Streets Cape Town aims to change how we perceive and use streets by opening them to people and the community to bridge social and spatial divides in Cape Town. Essentially it is connecting communities to their urban spaces in a car free environment.
Successful projects include opening up Lower Main Road in Observatory and Salt River and Rubusana Street in Langa.
