Cape Town's CBD is an accessible and popular pedestrian zone for residents, office workers and visitors. This is why the Cape Town Partnership announced that it would be facilitating the enhancement of this experience through the City Walk - a community place-making project in the heart of urban Cape Town - in November 2014.
Cities all over the world are now embracing the notion of multipurpose, livable streets that prioritise pedestrians from young kids to the elderly and disabled, from headphone-wearing individuals to boisterous families, from joggers and performance artists to photographers and traders. The City Walk is a long-term project that is aimed at surfacing and enhancing what already happens in the CBD as well as adding a layer of regular activity to the space.
The City Walk connects significant places and offerings at the core of Cape Town's city life, starting in the Company's Gardens, continuing down St George's Mall to Waterkant Street, and progressing up the Fan Walk to St Andrew's Square. The district will be delineated through way-finding signs and supporter decals, and will feature public art, walking tours and retail offerings to bring these public spaces to life.
The Cape Town City Walk will seek similar energy to that which ignited happenings such as First Thursdays, Moonlight Mass and Open Streets by giving the citizens of the city a platform through which they can participate and contribute.
Unlike these events, the City Walk Cape Town is not limited to a specific date and time, although the monthly City Walk Saturday will act as a flagship to invite the public to come into and celebrate their city proactively. In addition, the route will be a test zone for extending business hours in the central city beyond daytime trade and boosting the district's economic potential.
Cape Town Partnership's CEO, Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana, said: "The Cape Town City Walk is not a complete work, nor does it belong to the Cape Town Partnership, we are just initiating and activating the idea. The streets of a city are the ultimate public unifier; the base unit of public space that belongs to every single citizen. We recognise that Cape Town still often presents its history in ways that many of its citizens don't identify as their own.
"The City Walk will see us surfacing the different storylines to create a more inclusive city, acknowledging the important role that history and memory plays in the life of our city, and helping citizens to find spaces to share their own stories and interact with each other. In addition, we hope that this space will be a test zone for extending business hours in the central city and boosting the district's economic potential."
To celebrate the launch, Cape Town Partnership, @IGersCapeTown and @IGersSouthAfrica will host an Instawalk on 18 April during the inaugural City Walk Saturdays event. All Instagrammers from novice to pro are invited to join the #walkCapeTown Instawalk to explore the route and enjoy the various activities that will take place. The Instawalk starts at 11am on the lawn in front of the National Gallery in the Company's Garden. The owner of the best photograph on the Instawalk will win an iPad Mini.
Capetonians and visitors will be able to experience the City Walk in a number of ways:
For more, go to www.capetownpartnership.co.za.
