NGO hopes to get us dancing in the streets

Organisation intends giving life to normally dead Sunday city roads, a la Bogotá

BREE Street will be turned into a pedestrianised playground tomorrow, as part of a global movement aimed at increasing the number of people- friendly places in cities across the world. Locals already love the street, which offers a host of restaurants, coffee shops and other interesting stores.

Tomorrow, the entire 1.4km stretch of street will be closed to cars from 7am to 3pm for the event, called Open Streets, which promises a very festive atmosphere.

Open Streets director Marcela Guerrero Casas, a Colombian who has lived in Cape Town for the past four years, founded the non-profit organisation here.

She imported the idea from her home city of Bogotá, which is home to nine million people.

She recalled going with her father to Ciclovía, a “temporary network of car-free areas and routes throughout the city”.

It started 41 years ago in Bogota and presently takes over 120km of streets there every Sunday.

Casas said it had become the “biggest recreational programme in the country”, and was now government funded.

Since its launch in late 2012, Open Streets here has held three events, two in Observatory and one in Langa.

Its goal is to “build shared places that embody respect for all, and help bridge the social and spatial divides of Cape Town”.

Casas said Open Streets had shown her “there are many people who are passionate about living in this city”.

“The response has been incredible and positive. We invite people to occupy the space and share their activities with the public. Anybody can come on the day and host an activity on the street.”

She explained that there were plenty of benefits associated with increasing pedestrian spaces in cities.

“It brings people together to create safer, cohesive communities. There’s safety in numbers. The more people you have on the street, the more eyes you have on the street.

“When you take cars off the street, you create safety, and you can get on the street with a bicycle or walk without fear of being knocked down by a car. You also spend more time experiencing the street.”

Casas said pedestrianised cities also encouraged citizens to be more active, as they move around differently without driving a car.

“There are opportunities to engage people in healthy lifestyles. Tomorrow you can expect bicycle riding up and down the street. We will have skateboarding obstacle courses too.”

Socialising along Bree Street tomorrow will bring some entertainment too.

As Casas says: “Streets can become platforms and stages for people to express themselves. We will have small groups doing the tango and yoga; the Cape Town Opera will perform, as will a choir from Langa; a graffiti artist will be doing a piece; a gallery will be showing their work. It’s an experiment.”

There would also be a “children’s corner with games for kids and people playing board games.

“We encourage people to come on the day, pick a corner and start doing it.

“If somebody wants to come and play the guitar, they can do that.

“You can even just create a little lounge, a space where people can sit down and watch the street,” said Casas.

Open Streets also intends to foster business growth by having more people engage with the city’s offerings.

Jeremy Coetzer, co-owner of Issi coffee shop in Bree Street, said they had been in business for seven months, and wanted to “create connections” tomorrow. “Open Streets exposes businesses to people coming in. It will help us.

“We as businesses are also getting together and shaking hands.

“We are reaching out to people to get involved. It’s a big community building exercise. We can do with more of that.”

Coetzer said South American cities appeared to have a “lively street culture”.

“We see carnivals and a community feeling. We will benefit if we own the streets a bit more, and get out and about. We all like being in the street. We like walking and talking,” he said.

“If you associate a city with a pedestrian feel it’s seen to have a warmer, social feel with human contact. It appears to be a fun city. We can also do with less cars and more walking.”

However, a number of Bree Street business owners interviewed will close their doors tomorrow because it’s their day off work.

Jason Lilley, owner of Jason Bakery, said: “We are open six days a week and we rest on Sundays.

“But I’m going to pop by and see how it goes. I like the idea and also that’s it’s on a Sunday,” he added.

“It will show people Bree Street. We need things like this. This city is not just about beaches, the mountain, parks and gardens. We need street life too.”

Lilley set up shop in Bree Street six years ago “when everything was dead.

“It’s been developing and has grown. Bree Street is prime real estate now. There are new developments going up. It’s going to keep growing,” he said.

Lilley attributed the growth to “more people living in town”.

“The city is expanding, but apartments in town are generally small. A lot of people are using restaurants as their kitchens and places to socialise. The cost of eating out and cooking at home can be similar,” he said.

Bree Street now boasts everything from quality restaurants to lawyers’ offices and tattoo parlours.

“Whenever another restaurant opens on the street, it increases numbers that come here,” Lilley said.

PICTURES: YAZEED KAMALDIEN TAKE TO THE STREETS: Bree Street will be closed to traffic from 7am to 3pm tomorrow to make way for Open Streets, an initiative that promotes the pedestrianisation of city streets.

PEOPLE-FRIENDLY: Marcela Guerrero Casas, director of Open Streets, believes streets with more pedestrians lead to safer, happier cities.

REVVING IT UP: Jason Lilley, owner of Jason Bakery, says Bree Street has developed over the last seven years into a hub where property has become highly sought after.

COFFEE FIX: Jeremy Coetzer, co-owner of the coffee shop Issi in Bree Street, hopes Open Streets will foster a healthy relationship between businesses and locals.