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[ WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2014 ]

[ WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2014 ]

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Apartheid not only brought ideological “discon-nects” to the City of Cape Town, it also discon-nected entire communities in terms of the supply of infrastructure and services, and in turn discon-nected them from employment opportunities and other resources.

Numerous initiatives have however developed over the past two decades since democracy, and along with organizational support, many of our physical infrastructure challenges are starting to be ad-dressed at both City and Provincial levels.

In the second of our case study sections, we outline three projects that illustrate just how the “recon-nection” is starting to take place - reconnecting people to the places they must have access to in order to experience economic opportunities and quality of life.

CASE STUDY 2.1-2.3

ReconnectingInfrastructure

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2.1 integrated Rapid transit (iRt) System2.2 Dignified Places Programme2.3 cape town Stadium and the green Point Urban Park

2.1 2.2

2.3

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FULLY integRAteDA key component of the city’s new iRt network is

to integrate all existing modes of public transport, such as minibus taxis and Metrorail services, with

all new services such as the BRt and nMt.

RECONNECTING INFRASTRUCTURE

CASE STUDY 2.1World Design Capital 2014

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INTEGRATED RApID

TRANSIT (IRT) SYSTEm

The City of Cape Town Integrated Rapid Transit System is a bold initiative to transform the public transport sector by dramatically improving the customer experience. This initiative seeks to integrate all modal options into a coherent package for the customer. Amongst the modes to be integrated are Metrorail services, road-based services on trunk routes, conventional and feeder bus services, minibus and metered taxi integration, park-and-ride facilities as well as improved pedestrian and bicycle access (Non-motorised transport – NMT – see box at end).

The principal way in which the City of Cape Town will transform the road-based public transport services is a concept known as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). BRT is a high-quality bus-based transit system that delivers fast, comfortable, and cost-effective urban mobility with segregated right-of-way infrastructure, rapid and frequent operations, and excellence in marketing and customer service. It has virtually all the performance and comfort of a modern rail-based transit system but at a fraction of the cost – typically four to 20 times less than a tram or light rail transit

system and 10 to 100 times less than a rail system.The central defining feature of BRT is its focus on customer service. Dedicated, median busways provide customers with dramatically reduced travel times. Because the vehicles move quickly in peak hour more people are encouraged to switch from private car use to public transport, which makes the whole system far more viable. The dedicated lanes also reduce operating costs so that fare levels are quite affordable.

Special attention is also given in the Cape Town model to safety and security through the presence of extensive security personnel and the use of CCTV cameras.

THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN’S MOTORISED TRANSPORT PROGRAMME

WHY CAPE TOWN NEEDS IRTIn Cape Town, a large percentage of the population relies on public transport. While rail is the backbone of commuter transport in the Peninsula, there are also 550 000 passenger trips every day made by bus

“Andrew Boraine Chief Executive, Cape Town partnership

“After the success of the 2010 FiFA World cuptM, we can now dare to image a more walkable and legible city, a safer city, a more entrepreneurial city, a more welcoming city for capetonians and visitors.”

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and minibus taxis. The disadvantages of the current public transport services are that they are:- Concentrated in the morning and afternoon peak

hours, with limited services during the day or late in the evening;

- There is no integrated ticketing system between the various modes;

- The current system has been linked to major safety issues, with women and children being particularly vulnerable when they use public transport;

- The current system is subject to inadequate regulation and law enforcement;

- It was never originally planned to be part of an integrated public transport system.

Like many other developing countries, South Africa is in the process of formalising its public transport services. A new national law, the National Land Transport Bill, spells out a plan for publicly control-led integrated transport systems and for cities to take greater control of planning, regulating, imple-menting and monitoring public transport services.

This transformation process is drawing on suc-cessful examples from countries in Latin American cities (such as Curitiba, Bogotá and Sao Paulo with similar issues to Cape Town), as well as Asia, North America and Europe, where excellent and afford-

able Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems have been established. Cape Town is one of several South African cities that will implement these road-based systems that prioritise public over private vehicles and offer commuters a fast, modern, comfortable, safe and affordable way to move around the city.

Other factors contributing to change are the phasing out of contracts between government and bus companies for subsidised services, and the formalisation of the minibus taxi industry. This includes moving from indefinite permits to fixed-period operating licences and the implementation of the taxi recapitalisation programme, which provides a scrapping allowance to encourage minibus taxi owners with old vehicles to upgrade them or leave the industry.

Finally, growing congestion on roads and concerns around air quality and long-term sustainability means that change is inevitable if Cape Town is to meet the needs of residents in the coming decades.

THE VISION OF THE PROJECTIn June 2007, the City of Cape Town approved the Integrated Transport Plan, to “provide a world class sustainable transport system that moves all its people and goods effectively, efficiently, safely and affordably”. In alignment with this vision, the City decided to investigate the development of an Integrated Rapid Transit System for Cape Town, based on the concept and principles of a Bus Rapid Transit System.

In early 2008 consultants, including highly respected international experts with experience in delivering BRT systems, were contracted to develop the operational and business plans for the Cape Town system.

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RooM FoR eVeRYonethe new Myciti buses (below) cater for

all commuters, including bicycle riders (left) who are now for the first time able

to take their two-wheeled transport mode onto buses as well.

The result is a planned integrated rapid transit system, which will operate along a network of routes and corridors, and which will be unlike any previous public transport services in Cape Town.

INFRASTRUCTURE The IRT system will comprise separate busways or bus-only roadways, mostly in the middle of the roadway. Passengers will wait in convenient, comfortable, secure, and weather-protected stations, which will provide level access between

the platform and vehicle, particularly to allow easy access to children, the elderly and the disabled as well as for bicycles.

MANAGEMENTThe infrastructure will be owned by the City of Cape Town but there will be private sector involvement, including the existing bus and minibus operators on the various routes, in operating the service. Operators will be paid on the basis of how many kilometres are travelled by the vehicles and not on

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how many passengers are carried (a problem in Cape Town with the overloading of private minibus taxis).

Fare collection will be independently operated and managed with quality control oversight by an independent entity. Based on international experience, efficient management will minimise public subsidies of the system operations.

TECHNOLOGYThe latest developments will make life for Capetonians cleaner and easier. The specification is for clean vehicles with low noise technology. There will be automatic fare collection and fare verification technology, and will be managed through a centralised control centre, with Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) such as automatic vehicle location. The BRT will also have signal priority at intersections.

OPERATING THE SYSTEMThe business model for the Cape Town IRT System is based on successful models used by Bus Rapid Transit systems worldwide. Central to this model is a public-private partnership (PPP) in which most operational components are delivered through the private sector but with the municipality responsible for oversight and quality control.

In this model private operators provide the day-to-day delivery of public transport services through a concession contract. Especially important is the full participation of the existing bus and minibus operators. As mentioned above, operators are compensated on the basis of pre-determined

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vehicle-kilometres and a range of performance-based indicators. Instead of operating only when it is profitable to do so (mainly in peak hours) and completing journeys as quickly as possible to move as many people as possible, the incentive is to offer a quality service according to a strict schedule with electronic monitoring of where each vehicle is along the route.

By law in South Africa, as in most countries, no pub-lic transport services may operate without govern-ment authority in the form of a permit, a licence or a contract. A process of formalizing and integrating public transport is currently underway, initiated in the mid-1990s. However, the strategy is clear: pub-lic transport services will be publicly managed and will be permitted where there is demand for them, in a manner that is lawful and regulated.

When the public authority, in this case, the City of Cape Town, establishes an integrated rapid transit system, it seeks private-sector partners to operate the system. The ideal is for the existing bus and minibus operators to fully participate in the transformation process. The City of Cape Town is currently undertaking consultations with the industry to form a partnership for quality public transport. Not only is the new system likely to be profitable for the operators, but those employed in the industry will benefit from formal salaries, health and pension benefits, and an improved work environment.

FUNDINGWhile the cost of establishing an IRT is capital intensive, international experience has shown that

such systems are capable of operating profitably. Each individual phase of the system has been designed to be financially sustainable independent of future development, with no significant operational subsidies expected to be required.

The costs of the initial phase which was required to be completed in time for the 2010 FIFA World CupTM was met by a contribution from national government of R995.02-million, while the City of Cape Town’s contribution was R421.14-million.

Further phases are likely to be funded through a combination of national government grants, provincial government support, and City of Cape Town sources. The City is also strongly encouraging private sector partnerships, especially with property owners and private developers.

EXPANDING THE SYSTEM IN PHASES The plan is to establish the full network, a Citywide integrated public transport system, with the remaining Phases 2 to 4 to be rolled out over a period of 10 to 12 years.

While Phase 1 focused on the City’s 2010 obligations and thereafter servicing the West Coast Atlantis corridor, Phase 2 will address the more pressing social aspects of the public transport network by extending into all areas of the metro to the south east, as well as linking the Southern Suburbs. Phases 3 and 4 of the system will then deliver services within other areas of the city, including the Northern Suburbs, such as Bellville and Durbanville, the Delft and Blue Downs areas, as well as the greater Helderberg.

WAit HeReAttractive new bus stations are being rolled out across town as part of the Myciti system that not only keep commuters safe but will offer certain other facilities, as well as limited retail opportunities in and around the larger stations.

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THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN’S NON-MOTORISED TRANSPORT (NMT) PROGRAMMEIntegral to the success of the new IRT system, is the incorporation of the City’s Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) programme, which includes all forms of movement that do not rely on an engine or motor for movement. This includes walking, cycling, rickshaws, animal-drawn carts (especially in rural areas) and rollerblading, skateboarding or skating for recreational purposes, and including special needs users (wheel chairs, prams). Ultimately, NMT encourages liveable communities - it is the most basic part of the transportation system and pedestrians in particular contribute to the vibrancy of a community.

The City’s partners in this project include both national and provincial government, as well as interested and affected members of the broader Cape Town community. It is envisaged that a budget of around R200-million would be spent on NMT by 2014.

Cape Town’s visionTo be a City where all people feel safe and secure to walk and cycle where non-motorised transport is part of the transport system, public space is shared between all users and everyone has access to urban opportunities and mobility.

An important goal in realising this vision, as set out by the City, is to:“Increase cycling and encourage walking by creating a safe and pleasant bicycle and pedestrian network of paths to serve all the citizens in the Cape Town Area.”

The primary objectives of this goal are to:- Increase cycling and enable walking as modes

of travel;- Create safe pedestrian and cycling environments

- Develop a quality, attractive and dignified environment; and

- Promote a changed culture that accepts the use of cycling and walking as acceptable means to move around in the City and elicit more responsible NMT behaviour.

Further secondary objectives that will be achieved through the successful implementation of the programme are:- Integrated land use development appropriately

suited for non-motorised transport;- The social and economic empowerment that non-

motorised transport can effect through improved low-cost mobility;

- The development of a safer streetscape that allows non-motorised transport users their fair share of the available public space in the mobility network environment.

The benefits of NMTNMT is generally recognised as a valuable component of the transportation system and the environment owing to the various numerous benefits it holds. These benefits include:

Environmental benefits: The environmental benefits of NMT are primarily gained because it results in reduced pollution. Increased NMT movement in heavily congested urban areas can result in reduction of CO2-emissions. It is also spatially more efficient as it is conducive to the development of more liveable communities. It supports effective land use patterns and results in improved accessibility and independent mobility.

WALKABLe citY the city’s nMt policy calls to develop quality

environments and public spaces that will enable people to walk safely and securely throughout the

metropole.

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Increased liveability: NMT use also increases the liveability of CBD environments and community areas. The presence of pedestrians in streets, public spaces and buildings gives life to all public areas and contributes greatly to the conditions that make a city or community liveable.

Improved health: NMT is a more active form of transportation and can result in improved societal health from increased physical activity. Health benefits can also be gained through the reduction in motorised traffic, the resulting reductions in CO2-emissions and the generally improved quality of life. The reduction in motorised traffic could also result in reduced accidents.

Economic gains: NMT is economically cheaper. It is more affordable than motorised traffic owing to reduced operating cost and the savings in parking fees. In congested urban areas it can also result in time saving for mobility.

Project milestones: NMT is an on-going programme beyond 2020 with the following milestones already achieved or in the process of being achieved:- Policy and strategy completed in 2005;- Bicycle Master Plan of 2005 being reviewed;- City Wide NMT Network Plan with prioritized

projects completed 2010;- Phase 1 of 16 prioritized projects in detailed

design and should be completed by 2012;- Cape Town Inner City NMT projects 80% complete.

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tHe RiDe oF YoUR LiFein preparation for the 2010 World cup, the city’s pedicabs received a new look

compliments of the netherlands consulate. consulate members and city councillors

were treated to the first rides through the city on the newly reimaged vehicles.

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The idea for the Dignified Places Programme developed during the preparation of the City of Cape Town’s Spatial Development Framework in 1999. The focus was to determine a realistic and implementable way to address inequality and fragmentation in Cape Town, proposing a plan for strategic, integrated public investment that could catalyse the process of urban transformation, as it was realised that vibrant public spaces were critical to the creation of a sustainable future for Cape Town – and one that could also embrace identification. Public spaces are also vital in linking communities and addressing issues of equity and social justice.

Before 1994, Cape Town was overall inequitable, fragmented and on the whole an unsustainable place. For decades there had been (and continues to be) a harsh contrast between the wealthy, well-resourced areas and the substandard quality of the spaces found in the poorer communities. The apartheid legacy saw very little public space provided for marginalised communities - any spaces that were used for sport and recreation were left-over spaces or road reserves, which were unsafe, degraded and worst of all, they were undignified for any human being to use.

RECONNECTING INFRASTRUCTURE

DIGNIFIED pLACES

pROGRAmmE

Before 1999, urban public space had never before been considered a part of Cape Town’s public City-building elements. Public space was therefore selected as a means to tangibly demonstrate post-apartheid policy. Priority was given to locations that had the potential to benefit the maximum amount of people, typically around public transport interchanges, at what qualified as existing public facilities and busy pedestrian routes. Some of the main aims were to establish a sense of permanence, safety and provide support for emerging economic activities.

But the main overarching aim of the programme was to promote a sense of dignity in the public realm, targeting the poorest and most disadvan-taged parts of the City. The objective was to provide each local area with a place where individual circumstances of poverty were not starkly visible, where people could meet, trade, gather or just sit in a space which was as attractive and comfortable as any other well-made, positive place in the City.

The first round of projects happened in a context of institutional fragmentation, at a time when public space did not feature on the City’s list of services. In order to implement the first round of projects, the planning team – a small group of urban designers - lobbied and negotiated with transport, commu-nity service, parks and other City departments to combine budgets for a range of smaller projects. The planners promoted the concept of integration linking several small projects with limited impact to form one significant project. Finally, after six years of lobbying, the numerous City departments 2.2

CASE STUDY 2.2World Design Capital 2014

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KeePing coMPAnYthe statues on Pier Place in the central city have been included to keep people “company” and make them feel that they are not alone, even when the square is not that occupied.

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neW HoPe FoR coMMUnitY SPAceSnew public spaces and facilities have been

created in a number of townships, including those areas that form part of the VPUU project

(this page) or the Football for Hope centre (below right) that was a legacy project of the

2010 World cup in Khayelitsha.

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involved assigned budget for the development of public spaces.

However, it was also realised that public participa-tion from the surrounding community needed to be an integral part of the programme, and so a project team made up of individuals from the community was set up with every project. The community project team was usually made up of women, churches, youth organisations, NGOs and the local ward councillor, and was present at concept, detail design and implementation stages of each project.

While the poor of Cape Town continue to be housed largely in dormitory townships isolated from the opportunities and resources of this economically polarised and spatially segregated City, the City of Cape Town’s Dignified Places Programme is a concerted effort to demonstrate the principles of equity, integration and sustainable development. The focus of this programme is therefore first and foremost on the design and construction of new public spaces in the poorest parts of the City as a means to improve accessibility, quality and dignity.

The network of public places today includes spaces in Hanover Park, Browns Farm, Guguletu Gateway, Washington Drive and other areas in Langa, Oliver Tambo Drive, the improvement of public spaces in Weltevreden Valley, as well as the Nyanga street markets and bathhouse, and the Manenberg Play Park. An example of a dignified public space situated at a busy transport inter-change and which also enjoys commercial activity, is the Mitchell’s Plain Interchange (explained in detail in Question 37 – Urban Design). Harare Precinct 3, part of the VPUU programme, also falls within the Dignified Places Programme.

QUALITY PUBLIC SPACES PROGRAMMEAs an off-shoot of the Dignified Places Programme, the Quality Public Spaces Programme came about in answer to the City’s question of how to combine and fast-track the infrastructure development required towards the 2010 FIFA World CupTM, the overall location of public space and accelerated delivery of the Dignified Places Programme. The concern was whether the injection of investment

“Scenario planner and trends analyst

clem Sunter

“not only is it the physical surroundings that give cape town its beauty. it is the fact that the different communitites which comprise the city are finally getting connected to one another and creating a fully integrated and sustainable economy.”

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for 2010 could simultaneously become an urban renewal initiative for Cape Town. Whilst the initial vision of public spaces did gain support early on, it soon became clear that the scale proposed for 70 to 80 public spaces distributed throughout the City by 2010 and linked through safe public transport systems could not be achieved due to limited resource capacity. It was decided to go ahead with the development of certain quality public spaces but on a smaller scale.

Therefore the Quality Public Spaces and Dignified Places Programmes had the same motive of urban renewal and the provision of opportunities for people to congregate allowing for economic activities and creating a sense of place. Twenty public spaces were identified for improvements as part of the Quality Public Spaces Programme and were fast-tracked to be ready for the 2010 World Cup.

Jetty Square and Pier Place designed by the firm, Earthworks Landscape Architects, for the City of Cape Town, were both upgraded as part of the Quality Public Spaces Programme within the Cape Town Central City, and provide just two examples of how public space has been improved.

Jetty Square is situated in the Foreshore area of the Central City, on what was for many years a dilapidated parking lot, near what would have been the original beach where the first ships anchored in Table Bay in the 17th century. The development of the Foreshore in the 1930s pushed the coastline out towards the sea as land was reclaimed for the expansion of the CBD. Today the area is completely developed and very little memory of the beach and ocean exist in the current urban landscape. The concept for the design of the square was to

ReMeMBeRing tHe SeAthe shark sculptures by Ralph Borland on

Jetty Square are used as a metaphor for the sea lost in the reclamation of land for

the Foreshore, while the cobbled paths remind us of the sand dunes, and the wave

edge that used to lap at the shoreline.

celebrate the historical connection of the site to Table Bay, by referencing the “lost” landscapes through the development of an interactive urban pedestrian project. Sculptures of skeletal sharks created by Ralph Borland are used as a metaphor for the lost marine environment. The space was intended to provide a serendipitous experience for the pedestrian urban users, a moment to stop and reflect, before rushing forth on their daily errands. The sharks move in the wind (and also when detecting close movement through infrared sensors), releasing a wind-generated sound. The paving pattern resembles a pattern of flowing water and refers to the sea that was laid dry for our feet.

The Foreshore was originally designed for vehicles, with pedestrians channelled along narrow sidewalks for safety. A site analysis identified high numbers of people walking through the disused and neglected parking lot. This project therefore aimed to celebrate pedestrians and prioritise them above cars, contributing to the sustainability of our City: had this development not taken place, the square would have been converted into a multi-level parking facility which would have encouraged even more vehicles in the City.

Pier Place is adjacent to Jetty Square, and thus the materials used in Jetty Square as well as some of its visual imagery were pulled through to Pier Place. The concept behind Pier Place was to design a comfortable urban square that commented on its contemporary users as well as inner city life in Cape Town. The original square was devoid of any life or users: it was a barren, wide open space with no place to sit or be comfortable.

The sculptures that exist there today reflect both the life in the surrounding buildings and the people

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who inhabit the streets of the Foreshore. Sculptor Egon Tania created the life-sized bronze figures, each telling an individual “story’ captured in intricate detail while the overall grouping has its own narrative. However, one of the main concepts behind the sculptures, interspersed with shade-offering trees, is to help real people feel comfortable on the square even when they are completely alone hence the realistic human figures. The curved benches in turn allude to sand dunes floating above the ground plain. Charcoal cobbles were used in a sea of white to resemble the tiny bits of marine and other debris left behind after waves pull back over a beach, and

the lines in underwater sand ripples. The “debris” or cobbles also accumulate around the sculptures like energy particles.

Both Jetty Square and Pier Place are excellent examples of City spaces transformed for human life and occupation: comfortable places to rest, reflect or have a lunch break while being exposed to art and an aesthetically inspiring environment. After all it is the simple notion of having the opportunity to sit on a bench, under a tree, in a safe environment that creates dignified and quality spaces for all that pass through them.

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RECONNECTING INFRASTRUCTURE

in HonoUR oF tHe oRiginAL inHABitAntSWith the new Stadium in the background,

the original inhabitants of this area, the Khoisan, are remembered in the new green Point Urban Park through recreations of the

huts they used to build.

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The development of the precinct which contained the old Green Point Stadium and surrounding Green Point Common has given a face lift to what was once a neglected, underutilised and largely inhospitable place for Capetonians. The upgrading has not only provided Cape Town with a landmark structure of international acclaim (known today as the Cape Town Stadium) but it has also provided the community with an open space (the Green Point Urban Park) to recreate, learn and gain insight into the history of the Green Point Common, which goes as far back to when the Khoisan inhabited the area before the Dutch settled in the 1600s.

The whole precinct provides Cape Town with a world-class all-purpose, international-standard venue, an extensive sporting and recreation precinct, and a sustainable space to learn about Cape Town’s history and biodiversity. This is a milestone project in the vision of reconnecting the City to the sea with the designed pedestrian link running through the Green Point common connecting the Central City to the Atlantic Seaboard.

The history of the Green Point CommonThe area which is known as the Green Point Com-mon used to be inhabited by indigenous Khoisan people who relied on the resources from the Atlantic Ocean to survive in the area. With the ar-rival of the Dutch settlers in 1652, the lives of the Khoisan were changed dramatically and so did the landscape of Green Point.

CApE TOWN STADIUm AND

THE GREEN pOINT URBAN

pARK

The Khoisan were forced into enslavement and the land started to be grazed by livestock and used by the new residents for recreational activities. With the abolishment of slavery in 1834, the Green Point Common quickly transformed into a space for celebration and it was this “mother of all parties” that gave rise to the annual Cape Minstrel Carnival (Kaapse Klopse Karnival) which is still celebrated today.

Over the centuries, the Green Point Common was used for a diverse range of sporting activities rang-ing from horse races, rugby, cricket, and athletics. It was even able to accommodate sailing regattas until the shallow vlei (lake) at its core dried up. During the Anglo-Boer War the Common was used by the British Military as a base and concentration camp. In 1923 King George V announced that the Common was to become a public space to be used for the purposes of recreation and sport. It was then handed over to the Cape Town City Council who have managed it ever since.

In the early twentieth century the Green Point Common flourished, mainly being used for soccer matches by local clubs and by all races until the onset of the Group Areas Act which forcibly removed any people of colour out of the area. In 1940 the first Green Point Stadium, an 18 000-seater, was built which included an athletics track but was mainly used for soccer. Later on in the stadium’s “career” it became a multi-purpose venue hosting athletics meetings, film shoots and concerts.

A new place for all CapetoniansWith the approach of the 2010 FIFA World CupTM it was realised that the old stadium would need to be replaced with a bigger one. In 2007, the old Green Point Stadium was partly demolished to allow for the development of the Cape Town Stadium which we see today.

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From the outset, the vision for the 68 000-seater1 Cape Town Stadium had been to create a landmark structure that did not dominate the natural splendour of its surrounding landscape. Not only did the designers achieve this, but they also incorporated the surrounding context with subtle design details such as the sweeping lines of the external structure which line up with Signal Hill. Careful attention was paid to ensure that the roofline of the stadium was not too high and the stadium was placed on a podium to reduce the impression of height as well as to provide an elevated lookout “deck” over the urban park.

The stadium was designed by architecture firms GMP Architects from Germany and two local Cape Town firms, Louis Karol and Associates and Point Architects. Two other local contracting firms, Murray & Roberts and WBHO, made the architects’ drawings a reality in just 33 months. Urban designer Henri Comrie of Comrie Wilkinson Architects & Urban Designers, who were involved in the overall precinct design, made sure that the stadium was not the sole focus when approaching the City as it was vitally important to them that the views towards the ocean and mountain were kept

clear. It is due to this that the stadium is set “off-grid”, to the right from the approach route.

The architects of the stadium have dubbed it “the diva of Cape Town” due to its ability to reflect the constantly changing moods of the surrounding City in varying weather conditions. The entire stadium is covered in a light, silver mesh fabric which resembles a rose-coloured bowl floating on a base when lit up at night. This material transmits only 30% of the natural light and thus significantly reduces thermal radiation and glare while still providing natural ventilation and cooling for spectators in the stadium bowl. The roof structure resembles a bicycle wheel, open in the middle, which is a feature unique to anything else in the world. A total of 72 cables link the outer and inner rings of the circle and during construction were slowly tightened to raise the roof from ground level to its present height. Another unique feature is the use of 16mm thick panels of glass which cover and protect spectators from strong winds and rain. This allows light in whilst ceiling panels made of woven PVC fabric situated below the glass softens the noise impact from within. Numerous design features take into account the comfort of spectators: for example the roof design ensures 93% shading of seats at midday and the overall design of the outer structure also encourages natural air movement throughout the stadium.

Sustainable construction and operationThe use of passive cooling (relying on natural ventilation rather than artificial air conditioners) is just one element ensuring the stadium is energy efficient. A review team appointed by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has found that the stadium meets high standards of environmental protection. Water and energy efficiency measures are an integral part of the design. When the old Green Point Stadium was demolished, 95% of the components were recycled

1. The Cape Town Stadium was originally built to house 68 000 seated for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. However after the event ended, the top tiers of seating were reduced to make it a 55 000-seater venue.

““the 2010 FiFAtM World cup gave us the platform to overturn our reputation from a no-go zone to a must-go zone.”

Western Cape minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourist

Alan Winde

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and reused by incorporating these into the layering works of haul roads. Most of the building materials were locally sourced therefore significantly reducing the stadium’s carbon footprint, and during the construction of the stadium 95% of the labour was local. The future sustainability of the stadium is vitally important – even to a maintenance scheme which will ensure that only local small businesses are used for future maintenance projects.

Appropriate water management systems are in place, such as water from the stadium roof and drainage from the pitch being pumped into ponds within the surrounding Green Point Urban Park, reducing its reliance on potable water to water both the public park and new sporting facilities. Waterwise systems have been incorporated internally within the stadium, with the ablution blocks being fitted with mechanisms which reduce water consumption. Energy efficient systems are also in place which vary from the materials used in constructing the stadium being reflective to radiant energy and as well as allowing for natural ventilation; a building-management system (BMS) allows for the efficient control and monitoring of air-conditioning and lights in the stadium; many halogen lights have been used which are 45% more efficient; and the stadium has been built close to major transport interchanges reducing the reliance on private cars and therefore cutting down on harmful emissions.

Being based close to major transport routes also encourages people to walk: the development of the Fan Walk pedestrian and bicycle-prioritised route leading from the Cape Town Central City to the stadium has seen an average of more than 50% of all event attendees walking to the stadium along the 2.5-km route, while the lion’s share of the remaining attendees use the public transport system than has been provided. This has been a success story beyond the City’s original dreams for the project, and one that is helping to instill an

important new culture among Capetonians: the use of non-motorised transport.

The stadium was designed to be used for different-sized events and it has an energy system that compliments this flexibility. For example, electrical supply to certain zones can be switched off when not in use and the air-conditioning system can be channelled for use only in specific areas.

The new Green Point Common and Green Point Urban ParkThe concept of the stadium being environmentally conscious and incorporating sustainable design follows through into the surrounding landscape of the newly revived Green Point Common. The Green Point Common is made up of facilities for seven different sports codes, a golf course, a public recreation precinct (the Green Point Urban Park) and even incorporates Fort Wynyard - the oldest structure on the Common. This military facility protected Cape Town harbour for centuries and was originally built as a gunpowder storage depot by the Dutch. The Green Point Common is rich in historical stories not all of which are visibly commemorated: Fort Wynyard is therefore a highlight for any visitor wishing to experience a glimpse into the age and history of the area.

The precinct as a whole has been designed to be integrated with its surrounds, once again ensuring interconnectivity with the City. This is achieved by

coPing WitH tHe eLeMentSeven though the Stadium has an open roof,

it has been designed to ensure maximum comfort to as many spectators as possible,

irrespective of the weather.

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WAteRWiSethe Metropolitan golf course has also

been revamped as part of the green Point common upgrade and juts up against the

stadium and the new Urban Park, sharing water resources.

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ensuring pedestrian access throughout and via the Fan Walk route, all the way through to the Central City on the one side and the promenade along the Atlantic Seaboard on the other. The new pedestrian underpass that takes walkers safely below a major traffic circle is a landmark in itself. With traffic flowing past overhead on the raised roundabout, the area below accommodates a landscaped pedestrian forecourt and access via tunnels to the new integrated rapid transit (IRT) bus station. Beneath the raised road, pedestrians can also gain access to the stadium forecourt, where a stone wall built around an old tree has already become a popular meeting place for people to sit and wait for friends before carrying on to the stadium forecourt or strolling to the Urban Park. The visual impact of the raised roundabout has been softened with the use of appropriate waterwise indigenous vegetation and the introduction of berms which also reduce the traffic noise impact within the precinct.

At the heart of the old Common area is the freely ac-cessible 12.5-ha public Green Point Urban Park – a multifunctional park of metropolitan scale. It com-prises a series of ponds, playgrounds, a biodiversity showcase garden, as well as an amphitheatre and large multi-functional lawns. Future plans include an eco-centre and tea room.

Local landscape architecture firm OvP Associates were responsible for the design of the urban park, including every minute detail of which there are many. Every element has been designed with sus-tainability in mind, from the precinct layout to the use of materials. An emphasis was placed on mini-mising energy and material consumption as well as the use of renewable materials and safeguarding of a low carbon footprint. The team at OvP Associates spent three years designing every paving pattern, tree grid, seating wall and piece of playground equipment found throughout the stadium forecourt and Green Point Urban Park.

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The landscape design of the entire Green Point Common has turned a once derelict space into a prime location – a place that Capetonians and tourists visit regularly. Major challenges faced by OvP Associates in the design process were the poor soil conditions, exposure to wind and the question of how to irrigate a park of this scale, as to irrigate with potable water was not considered to be a sustainable option. An alternative and sustainable way was achieved by sourcing water from Cape Town’s original and forgotten water source, a natural spring that has run for centuries from Table Mountain directly into the sea. The water is now gravity fed in an underground pipe to the park instead of flowing wasted into Table Bay harbour. The revitalised use of this springwater plays tribute to its history as it was once the reason settlers were originally attracted to the area.

Today, a water feature greets one on approach into the Urban Park, with the water then flowing into a channel designed on the original Dutch “lei-water” system. Two shallow steps lead down to the channel allowing dogs an opportunity to take a drink, splash around and cool off while also providing relief for hot human feet during the summer season. The ponds, which have been re-introduced in the design, act as a memory to the vleis that used to be present before the onset of urbanisation. These are interspersed throughout the Biodiversity Showcase Garden and form part of the educational landscape (in terms of water conservation) which has been designed by local team, Beyer Honig Landscapes.

Cape Town is internationally known as a biodiver-sity hotspot with many species occurring nowhere else in the world; however we also have one of the highest rates of biodiversity loss. The Biodiversity Showcase Garden is therefore a vitally important

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tool in creating awareness about the importance of Cape Town’s unique biodiversity and how to manage it appropriately. Capetonians visiting the Biodiversity Showcase Garden, situated within the Green Point Urban Park, are able to self-educate themselves about all the elements making up biodi-versity. Instead of learning by being bombarded with wordy information boards, the design of this gar-den incorporates appropriate planting schemes and visual displays that highlight the different elements of biodiversity through a combination of interpretive signage and public art provided by local artists.

The Biodiversity Showcase Garden is surrounded on three sides by water and on the forth by the Lit-tle Common. The garden itself is made up of three themed sections which are interconnected. There is the “People and Biodiversity” section which incorporates the historical and cultural elements in biodiversity. Food historian, Renata Coetzee, was involved in this section as well as Stephen Lamb (of the “Touching the earth lightly” project) who was responsible for the Khoisan inspired huts which are dramatically juxtaposed in front of the Cape Town Stadium.

One then moves onto “The Biodiversity Trail” which is an educational route answering questions such as: What is Biodiversity? What is so special about the Cape? What are the threats to Biodiversity? Instead of having to read these answers on boards, visitors are presented with a combination of specific planting schemes (according to what is indigenous and endemic to the region), accompanied by educational art such as beaded wire creatures by Streetwires (a Fair Trade-accredited enterprise providing sustainable employment opportunities for many formerly unemployed men and women) and steel animal cutouts by metal artist Roddy

McGuffog to name a few. The path then guides visitors over a bridge and either on towards the Mouille Point lighthouse which has been made a prominent feature with the strong pedestrian link connecting Somerset Road (part of the Fan Walk route) to the ocean, or one can wander into the “Wetland Garden” which is a system of three lakes where indigenous wetland vegetation has been reintroduced.

As one moves through the Biodiversity Showcase Garden one is greeted by the 360-degree views which range from the curves of the new Cape Town Stadium, to a direct visual link with Mouille Point lighthouse on the seaside and to Signal Hill with Table Mountain lurking behind. With the entire park only recently officially opened, astonished Capetonians are fast starting to discover not only just how much public green space there now is in the middle of the City, but how this makes a valuable contribution to City life.

The relationship between the different elements making up the new Stadium and Urban Park precinct and the revitalised Green Point Common is one of fluidity and connectivity. A “green gem” has been created in the centre of an urban environment, providing a vitally important space of refuge to exercise, watch sport or simply relax. This project is an excellent and exciting example of what lies ahead for sustainable development of public space in Cape Town.