Working groups at OSCT help guide our work to challenge the paradigm of urban mobility and space in the Mother City. Email info@openstreets.co.za if you are interested in joining any of the groups below.
A group of volunteers founded Open Streets Cape Town (OSCT) in 2012. And, though we have been able to secure funding, we continue to rely on volunteer contributions. This is most evident at Open Streets Days when everyone brings something to share on the street. But our aim is to change streets on a permanent basis and towards achieving that, we carry out additional campaigns.
Indeed, OSCT has its roots in street action, as well as research, and has grown as a dynamic and organic movement of street-minded citizens. We are looking for people who share our passion and who would like to volunteer their time and expertise to developing these working groups.
1. Low-Carbon Transport
Are you a public transport user? Do you have ideas how we could, as a city, reduce our carbon emissions and thus our impact on the planet? Do you enjoy designing experiments to elicit feedback from people? If so, this working group could be your ticket!
With the support of the WWF Nedbank Green Trust, in 2016 we started to develop a series of campaigns to promote low-carbon transport. Under the banner of the AtoB Challenge, we hosted Cape Town’s first low-carbon transport race, as well as the Travel Diaries campaign. Both sought to engage residents in a fun and interactive way. This year, we are turning our focus to public transport and would like to incorporate as rich a range of perspectives as possible.
2. Pedestrian Safety
Do you feel that pedestrians in Cape Town are “a hunted species”? Do you have ideas how our city could improve its infrastructure to ensure universal access? Are you outraged by the number of pedestrian deaths in South Africa? If so, this is your working group!
In 2015, OSCT experimented with its first strategy around pedestrian safety. Sponsored by the Western Cape Government, Streetiquette was very successful and has served as the basis for a strong relationship with the head of the Department of Transport and Public Works’s Safely Home programme. Our aim is to develop a one-year campaign based on the learnings from Streetiquette, and to continue to look for ways to improve road safety in the Western Cape.
3. Open Streets Days
Do you think we could take Open Streets Days to more areas of Cape Town? Can you envision streets that prioritise people rather than motorised vehicles? Do you have ideas to grow the movement in our city? If so, consider joining this working group!
Our flagship programme of Open Streets Days is key to the growth of our organisation. In the short term, it is the basis for the Green Trust funding that will determine future funding. Additionally, it is the cornerstone of our relationship with the City of Cape Town and the public at large. As interest in Open Streets Days increases in different sectors, a strategy must be in place to ensure the programme is growing in the right direction.
4. Street Design
Do you have technical expertise in street or urban design, civil or transport engineering, architecture or landscape architecture, or town planning or simply a passion for it? Are you curious about how the street infrastructure in South Africa can be changed to make it better for all? If so, hop aboard this recently formed working group!
Street Design seeks to be a platform for good place making. We want to engage, interrogate and challenge current modes of practice with the view of creating the types of places that embody the spirit of Open Streets.
