Cape Town will change drastically over the next 30 years, with shacks and landfill sites being completely eliminated from the metropolitan landscape – if ambitious targets in the city’s long-term plan now being formulated can be met.
The targets are among those set out in the city's Development Strategy for Cape Town 2040 which aims to provide a “collective vision” for the city for the next three decades.
In the next few months, residents from across Cape Town will be asked to give their views on how to shape this vision.
At its core are the reduction of poverty, responding to technological changes and adapting to a world with a changing climate. Crucial to achieving the vision will be ensuring sustainable water and power supplies for residents.
The strategy document was discussed at Tuesday’s mayco meeting,
Work on this long-term plan started in 2010, and there was feedback from academics and business leaders.
Late last year, a tender was issued for a service provider to assist the drawing up of the document, and the successful tenderer was appointed in January .
At a mayoral committee meeting on Tuesday, mayco member for environment, economic and spatial planning Belinda Walker said the city would be meeting “opinion formers” one-on-one to discuss the vision, and there were also focus groups planned across the city.
“The first results of these should be available in the next few months.”
The goals are to “expand employment and services” while improving how the city is managed, and the strategy will “drive Cape Town and its residents towards a prosperous future”.
It says this a tool used by other South African and overseas cities. Several cities have adopted 30-year plans, with Johannesberg also developing its strategy.
The document stresses that although a city is expected to lead the process, local ownership and inclusion is “essential”.
After the mayco meeting, Walker explained:
“We can’t forsee the future, but we can make long-term plans.”
The document notes that an increase in migration will have a big impact on plans, with Cape Town’s predicted urbanisation causing a major growth in the city’s population over the next three decades.
Demetri Qually, mayco member for corporate services, said figures showed that more people were living in cities than in rural areas.
A long-term plan meant not simply reacting, but “taking some control”.
One of the definite targets was the goal of completely eradicating shacks, she added.
“By 2040, there should be no more shacks. This is the target.”
There should also be no more landfill sites, with a city-wide move towards recycling.
Public spaces should also be transformed into hubs where people could gather and socialise.
Walker emphasised that the plan was not “rigid”.
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