Cape Town - Residents and business owners have been encouraged to collaborate with the City in refining its draft local spatial development framework to improve access within the CBD and interventions to make the area more pedestrian and cycle friendly.
The draft framework is open for public comment until October 31.
It proposes interventions at pedestrian hot spots to manage conflict with vehicular movement and improve pedestrian safety.
The spatial policy document is also intended to shape the CBD area’s development guidelines in terms of its urban form approach towards height management and character assessment.
Once approved, the framework will guide decisions about land use and development, density, transportation, and urban design.
It will inform public investment in infrastructure to facilitate the CBD’s transition into a sustainable, equitable, inclusive, liveable and resilient space to the benefit of current and future generations of Capetonians.
Mayco member for spatial planning and environment Eddie Andrews said: “The local spatial development framework intends to transform the CBD into an environment that is more people-centred with urban design interventions to improve general mobility and access for pedestrians.
“Also, efforts to conserve heritage areas, a public land programme to inform land release in support of affordable housing opportunities, and an appropriately scaled urban form and interface to encourage mixed use intensification.”
Along the Foreshore Freeway precinct, a transport analysis showed the current freeway viaducts carried up to 7 000 vehicles an hour in both directions in the morning and afternoon peak periods.
The new framework is set to develop an optimum transport and land use solution to facilitate long-term investment and economic growth.
Andrews said the CBD was key to Cape Town’s resilience and economic health.
He said the primary objective as it related to pedestrians and cyclists was to, ideally, arrive at a “car-free” CBD in the future where the motorways, major mobility routes and minor mobility routes facilitate vehicular access to and from the area, and where the innergrid of lower-order streets gives priority to pedestrians and cyclists.
“This will not happen overnight as public transport and passenger rail in particular will have to be fully functional and efficient.
“However, it is important to keep this objective in mind as we are refining the spatial vision for the CBD of 2040,” said Andrews.
Ward 77 councillor, Francine Higham, encouraged residents to engage and submit their comments.
To submit a comment, visit www. capetown.gov.za/haveyoursayor send an email to CBDTransition.LSDF@ capetown.gov.za
Cape Argus