...Cape Town Discussion

[Diggerdog]

Eastern Boulevard was bland. No problem with the change. Jan Smuts is fine, he was a politician of his time - he did some nation building, he did some good.

If we are going to go back in time and exclude politicians and 'great leaders' from history because they also did some bad stuff, we would have no one left!

[hsark]

damn we might as well re-name south africa to nelson mandela country considering everything is being named after him it's now ridiculous

[briker]

^ I agree. From a square, to bridge, roads and even a city with a bay! Fortunately Table Bay would be safe then, but wait: what about that island in the bay?

[Eduan]

When street (or town, city or whatever) names are changed, there are actually two very different questions to consider:

• Which existing names is worthy of change and why (e.g. offensive, factually wrong, etc)?
• which new names are worthy of being commemorated?

By saying a name like Eastern Boulevard should not be changed to Nelson Mandela because the existing name is not offensive, we are confusing the two considerations with each other, and I think they should be kept separate, i.e. we don't need to pick a necessarily offensive name to replace with Mandela's name.

As far as I'm concerned, Eastern Boulevard was a bland, boring, non-name for a major city road that has been begging for renaming, and therefore serves as a nice clean 'canvass' for adding Mandela's name to. Further, it will be best if all new 'worthy' (and potentially controversial) names be given to roads that currently have boring (noncontroversial) names, and existing controversial names be changed to noncontroversial, even 'boring' new names. That way the two issues are kept separate and unnecessary public backlash and hysteria is avoided.

[Eduan]

Hsark and Briker, we (in CT) were never going to get away not naming something after Nelson Mandela. I suspect in other countries you will find the same phenomenon where one person is named over and over - maybe 'Washington' in the USA. We are just going to have to live with Nelson Mandela Blvd, Square, Bay, Bridge, Uni, etc.

Really, it could have been worse - in fact, at one stage we basically had the same situation with Verwoerd!

[briker]

haha, thanks God CT had been spared Verwoerd. Botha as in Bothasig is another story though...I think every CT mayor should be honoured tho, even that Mfeketo woman (CT's largest sewerage perhaps?)

[Lydon]

Apparently dhk Architects have run into some financial troubles...hopefully they don't go under as they're one of few local firms whose designs are remotely interesting.

[Urban Rambler]

Originally Posted by annman

Think about who has exerted the most influence over South Africa's direction in recent history? It is doubtlessly Nelson Mandela! What is the highest profile entrance to the city, that 1/2 of the Cape Metro population use to access the CBD and all foreign visitors use from the airport.

It's Eastern Boulevard, that's why.

When you put it like that, I have to agree that it is the most appropriate road for the name.

[trumpi]

Originally Posted by Urban Rambler

We’ve had the Jan Smuts debate here before. The jist of it was that he was “great” because he wrote the preamble to the UN Charter and was less racist than some of his peers. The fact is, he may not have been involved in apartheid but he still had a racist outlook.

Eastern Boulevard is completely inoffensive. A renaming would perhaps work if combined with a renaming of Western Boulevard to FW De Klerk Boulevard, symbolising two politicians from opposing sides meeting in the middle, the CBD. It should be the other way around though because when facing north, west is on the left and east is on the right. De Klerk is on the right of the political spectrum and Mandela is on the left. So it would have been more appropriate to rename Western Boulevard to Nelson Mandela Boulevard. I jest, of course, simply pointing out the silliness of this particular renaming. In my opinion, Hertzog Boulevard should have been renamed to Nelson Mandela Boulevard. The whole foreshore needs to be looked at – a map of the foreshore reads like a Who’s Who of apartheid.

I absolutely love the idea of renaming Western Boulevard to FW de Klerk!

[Nostra]

Originally Posted by briker

Just dont name places, streets, airports etc after people. Name them after our animals, plants, uniqueness & locations in different languagues, so one gets offended. Mind you, does anyone know who Jan van Riebeeck was? He is actually more important to the city of Cape Town than Nelson Mandela!

WTF! Are you for real??

[Urban Rambler]

Originally Posted by trumpi

I absolutely love the idea of renaming Western Boulevard to FW de Klerk!

I really didn't mean it!

[annman]

Originally Posted by Nostra

WTF! Are you for real??

Briker, Nostra. Please don't get into that fight. Jan van Riebeeck was significant in the founding of Cape Town, Mandela for the advent of freedom and democracy for the South African people. Both are significant figures in our history. Let's please not open such a senseless debate, please.

[ToxicBunny]

I think that rests brikers case unfortunately Nostra.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_van_Riebeeck

But I agree with annman, both are important. I just do get somewhat despondent about the way the history of this country is being treated these days.....

[Nostra]

I will not say anything further cos I respect you...

[Mo Rush]

Brazilians visit to pick up World Cup tips ahead of 2014


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Shaun Benton
Cape Town has been teaching the Brazilians a few off-the-field tricks ahead of the South American giant’s hosting of the Fifa World Cup in 2014.


At a “networking breakfast” on Friday organised by Wesgro, senior federal, state and local government officials from across Brazil met their local counterparts who were directly involved in the World Cup last year.


Cape Town’s 2010 provincial coordinator, Dr Laurine Platzky, the City of Cape Town’s 2010 director Dave Hugo, and chief project manager of the Cape Town stadium, Dr Andre Lambrechts, were among the leading officials who gave presentations on the lessons Brazil could learn from their experiences.
They were joined by Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariette du Toit-Helmbold and Nils Flaatten, the chief executive of Wesgro, the Western Cape Investment and Trade Promotion Agency.


Platzky told the Brazilians that the organisers of the Western Cape leg of the World Cup focused on a few key priorities, including taking a sustainable development approach to the building of infrastructure, local skills and related entrepreneurial development, as well as ecologically friendly “green goal” practices.


Part of the green goals experience, which was presented by the city’s green goal manager, Lorraine Gerrants, was the mitigation of 95% of the carbon emissions of the World Cup, according to a Wesgro statement.
These included the electricity used at the Cape Town Stadium and Fifa Fan Fest that Gerrants said came from renewable sources, along with 65% of the waste in the stadium that was recycled, while 53% of fans used public or non-motorised transport, instead of cars.
Platzky told the Brazilian delegation that it was important for the operational teams in each host city to work closely together.
The relationships that were built during the event between the national, provincial and city authorities, the police, Metro police, traffic services and emergency services created a strong security legacy for Cape Town


“If we have any major crisis in Cape Town now, we can mobilise a response team within hours with a strategic plan to address the problem,” Platzky said.


Other long-term benefits come from extra rescue helicopters, ambulances and emergency personnel that were brought in, along with the development of sports facilities and sports development programmes across the province and the opening of township community centres.


Then there was the integrated rapid transport system, which is still being rolled out across the city, and Cape Town’s revamped airport.

[Andrew_za]

How Cape Town's city centre is being reimagined

Cape Town is open for business. This was the message that ran through the presentations of three panel members at the Central City Partners' Forum this month.

Hosted by the Cape Town Partnership, the Central City Improvement District and the South African Institute for Black Property Practitioners, the gathering heard from Wayne van der Vent of the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), Gerhard van der Merwe of dhk architects and Rashid Toefy of the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

They spoke about their respective developments in the V&A Waterfront, Culemborg Quo Vadis Precinct and the CTICC.

All three projects are changing the face of the city and integrating the Foreshore with the rest of the city. Together they represent a substantial collective investment in the CBD and its immediate surrounds.

The PIC and Growthpoint recently bought the V&A Waterfront for R9.7 billion and will begin to develop and redevelop facets of the property.

Van der Vent said the project hoped to be a catalyst, and called on property developers to propose ideas for the reshaping of the precinct over the next 10 to 12 years.

Toefy gave a presentation on the new Urban Regeneration Project funded by the City of Cape Town, the provincial government and the CTICC. The project is due for completion at the end of 2014 or beginning of 2015.

"Already the only convention centre in the world to show profit, the expansion is happening in response to a need for further space to accommodate the booming conference and expo business it currently does," said Toefy.

Culemborg Quo Vadis was the third project on the agenda and promises to transform this windy corner of the city into a thriving business hub over eight blocks. The project is at the planning and urban design stages, but the developers hope it will become the new "gateway to the city".

All the project developers spoke of a need to ensure that their projects were sustainable and integrated with the CBD. Links into the IRT public transport system, pedestrianised hubs and green spaces were of common importance.

The improvement district's chief operating officer, Tasso Evangelinos, said the integration of the northern Foreshore and Waterfront areas promised to further entrench Cape Town's standing as the country's premier CBD.

"Cape Town continues to attract developers who are impressed by the cleanliness, safety and social development track record of the city centre and this is translating into real business for the city," he said.

"Companies are increasingly recognising the benefits of the CBD lifestyle, and now public transport too, as motivating factors when appointing their offices."

Cape Town Partnership chief executive Andrew Boraine said: "We have experienced very successful public/private partnerships in the city and we are hoping to continue this trend, with public transport and pedestrian infrastructure supporting these new developments. The systems must sustain the whole as we move towards a more liveable city for its citizens and visitors."

[Mo Rush]

I saw that and wondered why they took 2 weeks to write an article about it...

[briker]

good one. Culembourg needs urgent attention

[Mo Rush]

Originally Posted by briker

good one. Culembourg needs urgent attention

More Foreshore than Culemborg.

[Andrew_za]

Originally Posted by Mo Rush

I saw that and wondered why they took 2 weeks to write an article about it...

It's the same story with the Brazilian delegation. Theres so much more to it then what's written in the article.