( TOD ) project , calling on investors and developers to submit proposals for the freeway and the surrounding land that would address the traffic congestion and also make provision for affordable housing in the CBD . The aim was to reverse the legacy of apartheid spatial planning and bring people closer to work opportunities .
Six proposals made it through the initial assessment phase . The public was able to view these in an exhibition at the Cape Town Civic Centre in March 2017 . Some of the proposals advocate for joining the freeway ’ s unfinished viaducts , while others opt for demolition of all its existing infrastructure .
In the case of the latter , an at-grade boulevard or a tunnelled roadway could serve as an entryway into – and route through – the Central City . Along with affordable housing in the area , other ideas also include green spaces , sports facilities and public transport infrastructure that could transform the Foreshore into a vibrant peoplefocused node .
Rob Kane , chairperson of the Cape Town Central City Improvement District ( CCID ), viewed these proposals in light of international best-practise examples . These include San Francisco ’ s Embarcadero Freeway , damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta and subsequently demolished .
He says : “ A new San Francisco downtown harbour edge emerged from the rubble , one that now has huge amounts of public space , as well as paths dedicated to cyclists and pedestrians . There are also new public transport routes , which have changed the way San Franciscans interact with their city .
“ What ’ s more – and this is the kicker – there was an economic incentive for not rebuilding the freeway . According to Gizmodo , installing the boulevard that replaced it was cheaper than fixing the freeway , and the new development also increased property values .”
Could demolition of Cape Town ’ s Foreshore Freeway , as mooted by three of the proposals , result in the same for the Mother City ?
A similar project has transformed downtown Seoul , South Korea . The removal of the elevated Cheonggye Freeway reconnected the city with a lost waterway . According to Inhabitat , the area is now a “ green oasis in a concrete jungle ... that attracts 60 000 visitors a day . The restoration process has also provided huge boosts to local biodiversity and catalysed economic development ”.
According to Kane other examples include Harbor Drive in Portland , Oregon , in the US , and Rio Madrid in Spain ’ s central capital , where freeway traffic now goes into underground tunnels . All these projects have led to healthier , greener , and safer cities .
Another option , says Kane , is to go the way of the New York High Line , as mooted by another proposal . This 2km linear park in Manhattan occupies an elevated section of a disused railway spur .
“ The project , in addition to being a spectacular public space , has also catalysed development in the surrounding neighbourhoods .”
Could this be the way forward for the Cape Town CBD ? An elevated park overlooking the harbour does sound attractive .
The City of Cape Town is now evaluating the public ’ s comments on the proposals as part of a four-month process that will result in the selection of the preferred bidders for the development .
Councillor Brett Herron , the Mayoral Committee member for TDA , says the City would like to see the planning and approval processes concluded within two years . Whatever the outcome , it ’ s sure to be a new way forward for Cape Town ’ s burgeoning Foreshore as well as improve links with the fast-developing Waterfront and harbour precincts .
View the proposals at https :// youtu . e / 2COPXv0mFas .
RESOURCES
Cape Town Central City Improvement District , IOL
www . reimag . co . za MAY 2017 SA Real Estate Investor 43