SHAHID SOLOMON

1. “URBAN RENEWAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IN CAPETOWN” CITY ENERGY STRATEGY CONFERENCE SHAHID SOLOMON Director of Planning & Economic Development: Tygerberg Administration November 2003

2. Two Kinds Of Settlement Energy: MATERIAL : SUN, WATER, WIND, BIOFUELS, FOSSIL FUELS, NUCLEAR HUMAN : ARMS AND LEGS, IDEAS, SPIRITUALITY , CULTURE, BELIEF, COMMUNITY

3. The Global Crisis and Cities in the Developing World: ACROPOLIS: A new global urban order, sustainability, new ideas, regeneration, conservation, cultural fire places, social triumph. NECROPOLIS: Death, Disease, Violence, Poverty, Crime, Squalour, Despair, Decadence, Meltdown, Social Destruction.

4. Moving From Necropolis To Acropolis MATERIAL: Urban Compaction, and Containment, Public Transport, Densification, Bio Physical Resource Management, Alternative Energy Sources, Carbon Reduction. HUMAN: Empowerment , Violence Reduction, Holism, Reconcilation, Redistribution, Caring, Healing.

5. National Government Urban Renewal Programme Khayelitsha and Mitchell’s Plain, earmarked as two out of eight national urban renewal nodes by President Mbeki in 2001

6. Objectives Of The Urban Renewal Programme • To mobilise people so that they can become active participants in upliftment. • To co-ordinate and focus the three spheres of government. • To secure private sector co-operation and participation. • To reprioritise and re-align the budgets and expenditures of the three spheres of government. • To pilot inter-departmental and cross-sphere approaches to planning, budgeting and implementation.

7. Major Challenges • 33% of Cape Town: 600 000 people in Khayelitsha, 260 000 in Mitchell’s Plain. • Highest crime rates in South Africa/Cape Town. • Apartheid housing dormitories (African/Coloured) 25km-35km from the City Centre. • Both flank sensitive False Bay Coastal ecosystem and straddle aquifers. • Integrating with eachother. • Integrating with Cape Town.

8. Main Issues Identified by Khayelitsha and Mitchell’s Plain Communities: • Lack of Safety and Security (both). • Uncontrolled gansterism (MP). • Inadequate justice system and vigilantism (K). • Poor/inadequate/corrupt policing (both). • Child abuse and rape (both). • Lack of facilities for abused woman and children (MP). • Domestic violence (both). • Lack of investment and business-confidence (both). • Retail spending outside the area (both).

9. Main Issues Identified by Khayelitsha and Mitchell’s Plain Communities: • High poverty/unemployment (both). • Red-lining By financial intitutions (both). • Lack of tourism support and arts and culture infrastructure (both). • Lack of skills training (both). • Low pride and respect for African heritage (K). • Poor education quality and school gangsterism (both). • Poor sanitation (both). • High HIV/AIDS infection (K). • Insufficient doctors/health facilities (both).

10. Main Issues Identified by Khayelitsha and Mitchell’s Plain Communities: • Insufficient youth programmes (both). • Underutilised coastal resorts and degradation of coastal zone and acquifers (both). • Wasted/unmanaged open spaces (both). • Land invasions/squatting (K) and lack of housing (both). • Increased vandalism and non-payment for municipal services (both). • Lack of safety/surveillance on public transport and poor transport service (both).

11. Key Challenges for the Safety and Security Plan for Khayelitsha: • Taking care of the youth • Making homes safe • Reducing repeat offenders • Making the public environment safe • Reducing arms proliferation • Reducing crime against property • Better access to emergency services • Mobilising the community • Improving the criminal justice system • Increasing visible policing presence and effectiveness • Keeping tourists and visitors safe.

12. The Project Concept • “Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading” initiative, to form integral part of overall Urban Renewal Programme in Khayelitsha

13. Three “Safe Nodes” to be developed: • 11 nodes identified in Spatial Development Framework • Concentrated public investment and access to public transport and social facilities • Community managed • Sustainable revenue stream through rental to public agencies and NGOs of grant-funded facilities.

14. Social Development Fund: • Community managed • Used for local infrastructural improvements (e.g a playpark) or development needs (e.g a community job scheme)

15. Supporting Activities: • Civil society capacity building • Education and awareness campaigns • Skills and vocational training • Peace and Development Project: Voluntary Peaceworkers play mediation, early warning, monitoring role.

16. CONCLUSION CAPE TOWN: ACROPOLIS OR NECROPOLIS? • THROUGH THE URBAN RENEWAL PROGRAMME IN KHAYELITSHA, WE WILL: • Dramatically improve human energy management • Slash crime rates (Human energy destruction) • Reduce travel demands significantly through R 500m of economic, retail and social investment • Protect valuable non-renewal resources • Explore many valuable energy strategies

17. CONCLUSION • We will not: • Be able to move Khayelitsha 35Km closer to Cape Town • Be able to stem the tide of HIV, orphans poverty THEREIN … THE UNTOUCHED CHALLENGE!

18. Thank You