Cape Town for World Design Capital 2014
The City of Cape Town is bidding to become the World Design Capital in
2014!
Do you think that Cape Town is a design city? What changes would you like to see that could make your city a World Design Capital?
The decision to bid for the World Design Capital in 2014 was motivated by several key considerations. Firstly, the vision of where the city sees itself in the next 5 to 20 years, which has inspired some vision-setting exercises for the Cape Town brand. This process has been led by key bodies like Accelerate Cape Town and Cape Town Tourism. The past few years have also seen the emergence of different state and private urban development projects that indicate how Cape Town may develop. These could inspire how you imagine this development trajectory.
Cape Town also possesses many assets that would enable the city to become a world design capital. It has a history of hosting big events like Africa’s internationally acclaimed design asset Design Indaba, the World Economic Forum and Cape Town Jazz Festival to mention a few. There are many creative industries that are concentrated in the city - with a high level of design related companies and design leaders. There is a new infrastructure left by the 2010 World Cup: the new international airport terminal, a new train station, a new stadium and the beginnings of a more efficient public transport system.
There is broad recognition that the answer to Cape Town’s development challenges lie in the DESIGN of the cityscape itself as well as the design of its processes. We have witnessed this in projects like the IRT transport project, the Oude Molen eco village, Sinking the Cape Town Station, the Reclaim Camissa initiative and others that encourage Capetonians to engage with the process of redesigning the city. Furthermore, there is a strong desire to foster an environment where innovation thrives in initiatives such as East City Design Initiative, Cape Town Activa, Bandwidth Barn and Silicon Cape.
World Design Capital is the beginning of a process aimed at transforming perceptions about the city. As part of changing this perception the city of Cape Town, Mayor Dan Plato is sending a senior delegation to Seoul where they will participate in the World Design Cities’ Summit. The summit forms part of Seoul’s celebration of its designation as World Design Capital 2010.This senior delegation comprises Alderman Felicity Purchase from Mayor Plato’s Economic Development and Tourism office; Bulelwa Makalima Ngewana, deputy CEO of Cape Town Partnership and Lianne Burton, Marketing Director of Cape Town Tourism.
If you have thoughts around the notion of Cape Town as a design city, you now have a blank canvas on which you can show us what this design city could look like in 2014.
Make your contribution at www.capetown2014.co.za
Also be sure to visit the World Design Capital stand at Design Indaba Conference from 24-26 February.
What is World Design Capital?
This prestigious status is designated biennially by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) to cities that are dedicated to using design for social, cultural and economic development. This title will give Cape Town a chance to showcase its achievements and aspirations through a year-long programme of design-led events and activities as World Design Capital designees Seoul and Helsinki will do in this year and in 2012 respectively.
For more information on World Design Capital, please visit www.worlddesigncapital.com
To find out more about Cape Town’s bid for World Design Capital, please visit www.capetown2014.co.za
Do you think that Cape Town is a design city? What changes would you like to see that could make your city a World Design Capital?
The decision to bid for the World Design Capital in 2014 was motivated by several key considerations. Firstly, the vision of where the city sees itself in the next 5 to 20 years, which has inspired some vision-setting exercises for the Cape Town brand. This process has been led by key bodies like Accelerate Cape Town and Cape Town Tourism. The past few years have also seen the emergence of different state and private urban development projects that indicate how Cape Town may develop. These could inspire how you imagine this development trajectory.
Cape Town also possesses many assets that would enable the city to become a world design capital. It has a history of hosting big events like Africa’s internationally acclaimed design asset Design Indaba, the World Economic Forum and Cape Town Jazz Festival to mention a few. There are many creative industries that are concentrated in the city - with a high level of design related companies and design leaders. There is a new infrastructure left by the 2010 World Cup: the new international airport terminal, a new train station, a new stadium and the beginnings of a more efficient public transport system.
There is broad recognition that the answer to Cape Town’s development challenges lie in the DESIGN of the cityscape itself as well as the design of its processes. We have witnessed this in projects like the IRT transport project, the Oude Molen eco village, Sinking the Cape Town Station, the Reclaim Camissa initiative and others that encourage Capetonians to engage with the process of redesigning the city. Furthermore, there is a strong desire to foster an environment where innovation thrives in initiatives such as East City Design Initiative, Cape Town Activa, Bandwidth Barn and Silicon Cape.
World Design Capital is the beginning of a process aimed at transforming perceptions about the city. As part of changing this perception the city of Cape Town, Mayor Dan Plato is sending a senior delegation to Seoul where they will participate in the World Design Cities’ Summit. The summit forms part of Seoul’s celebration of its designation as World Design Capital 2010.This senior delegation comprises Alderman Felicity Purchase from Mayor Plato’s Economic Development and Tourism office; Bulelwa Makalima Ngewana, deputy CEO of Cape Town Partnership and Lianne Burton, Marketing Director of Cape Town Tourism.
If you have thoughts around the notion of Cape Town as a design city, you now have a blank canvas on which you can show us what this design city could look like in 2014.
Make your contribution at www.capetown2014.co.za
Also be sure to visit the World Design Capital stand at Design Indaba Conference from 24-26 February.
What is World Design Capital?
This prestigious status is designated biennially by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) to cities that are dedicated to using design for social, cultural and economic development. This title will give Cape Town a chance to showcase its achievements and aspirations through a year-long programme of design-led events and activities as World Design Capital designees Seoul and Helsinki will do in this year and in 2012 respectively.
For more information on World Design Capital, please visit www.worlddesigncapital.com
To find out more about Cape Town’s bid for World Design Capital, please visit www.capetown2014.co.za