WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL CAPE TOWN 2014
Co Design Workshops
Wards
46 & 47
What?
Creating an Eco Park at Induland Crescent
When and where?
The workshop was held on 28 May 2013 at the Turf Hall Community Hall in Hanover Park, not far from the
Induland Crescent site.
Why?
A piece of land in Hanover Park, previously used as an informal football field, had deteriorated into a
dumping zone, with the associated anti-social behaviours - burning of tyres for scrap metal, drug dealing,
crime, vagrancy. Ward councillors expressed a desire to activate the land for an 'eco-park'.
Who?
Approximately 50 people attended the workshop, with a high turn-out from community (22). 11 City
representatives, 8 professional designers and 10 people from other organisations were also present.
What emerged?
The purpose of the workshop was to unlock and activate the potential of a vacant site previously used for
illegal dumping etc.
Click here to view images of the workshop
Overarching design principles
The park should contribute to addressing some of Hanover Park’s serious social challenges, particularly
around activities for the youth. The design should create a safe, secure place which provides an active
venue for community life.
Formal and informal opportunities for income generation would be ideal, and also help to grow community
ownership of the space.
The design should be dynamic and multi-functional, but also simple. A green garden space should be
included to provide an uplifting and enjoyable recreational space for the community. Durable and robust
materials and designs are vital for this high-use space, and should contribute to improved environmental
sustainability.
The process of design should be inclusive, and allow all stakeholders to participate, in order to build positivity
and community ownership.
The long-term vision:
Two very different proposals came from the designers but they included very similar functions: a recycling
drop-off facility, pedestrian and cycle paths, an amphitheatre, hard and soft landscaping including food
gardens, opportunities for informal trade and skills development, parking, an informal soccer pitch, a site for
a (future) crèche, a playground, a community meeting space, pop-up exhibition space and a library.
See here for visions.
Progress to date (July 2014)
After the handover from the WDC team, the designs was presented back to the monthly subcouncil
meeting to gain further buy-in from councillors to take the project forward, and to source additional
funding to materialise these ideas. The two designs were synthesised into one and a series of meetings was
held with various line departments - Parks, Solid Waste, and Environmental Resource Management as well
as with the Mayoral Urban Regeneration Project Committee (MURP). Furthermore subcouncil initiated a
partnership with a local youth development NGO, CASE, to occupy some space on the site.
The project received R200 000 (R150 000 capital and R50 000 operational expenditure) from the 2013/2014
ward allocations. This was spent on installing a fence around the NGO, purchasing and planting four large
ficus trees, and hiring a front-end loader to help clean and level the site.
An additional R200 000 was made available from City Parks and has been carried over to the 2014/2015
financial year; MURP funding of R166 000 was spent on greening the space; and R720 000 capex (ongoing)
from Solid Waste intended for setup plus R50 000 p/m opex is to be spent.
The project has unlocked other activities. For instance, City Parks has employed two local community
members to assist with the maintenance of the park; Solid Waste is to manage and operate the waste dropoff facility and recyclables; and compost from the facility to be upcycled back into the gardens on the site.