Report on state of areas to help in future plans
City to inform residents of challenges, needs and opportunities in eight districts
THE City is gearing up to engage with communities about the review of the spatial development frameworks (SDFs) for the eight planning districts across Cape Town. They are: Table Bay, Blaauwberg, Southern District, Northern District, Cape Flats, Helderberg, Tygerberg and Mitchells Plain.
Mayco member for spatial planning and environment Marian Nieuwoudt said: “We are currently updating the plans with the latest available information about the state of the population, environment, development, economy, and property market in these districts.
“All of this information will be included in a Baseline and Analysis Report (BaAR) for each district, inclusive of the challenges, needs and opportunities on a local planning level.” The report informs residents about the status quo of the district they live in. It will provide crucial details such as the size of the population, number of households and densities, the average household income and the employment rate.
It will also note the state of the natural environment, the status and trends of residential, industrial and retail developments, location of vacant, undeveloped and underutilised land and the applicable zonings, public transport, commuter patterns, road infrastructure, infrastructure for the provision of basic services such as water, sanitation, and electricity, the supply of and demand for housing, the typologies, tenure status, opportunities and constraints, and public facilities such as libraries, parks, recreational facilities, clinics and courts.
“If all goes as planned, we will present the BaARs to the residents in each district from November to mid-December. We will host meetings where officials will explain the details, and where residents can comment on what is being presented in the BaARs,” Nieuwoudt said. She encouraged residents to participate in the process.
The spatial development frameworks will be finalised during a second round of public participation in 2020/2021. Once approved by the city council, the SDFs will guide future decisions about developments, land uses and interventions to create integrated and inclusive communities across Cape Town.
“Simply put, the SDFs will be the City’s response to manage urban growth on a district level and in a manner that is sustainable, resilient and equitable. It will determine how we should intervene on a local planning level to mitigate against constraints and to enhance opportunities that will improve residents’ quality of living,” Nieuwoudt said.