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The City of Cape Town invites the public to collaborate with us in refining the local spatial development framework (LSDF) for the CBD, which is to strategically shape the area’s future growth and development. The intention of the LSDF is to guide decisions about land use and development, density, transportation and urban design. It is also intended to inform public investment in infrastructure to ensure that the CBD transitions into a more sustainable, equitable, inclusive, liveable and resilient space to the benefit of current and future generations of Capetonians.

‘Once approved, the LSDF will guide us towards the CBD of 2040, the City of Hope where land use and spatial planning facilitate sustainable economic growth and the investment needed to create more jobs. This must happen while we are investing public money to improve access to the formal economy and social opportunities. The provision of affordable housing opportunities are key, while we are also cementing the CBD’s potential as a choice destination for remote workers with professional skills.

‘The LSDF intends to transform the CBD into an environment that is more people-centred with urban design interventions to improve mobility and access for pedestrians, efforts to optimise heritage areas, a public land programme to inform land release in support of affordable housing opportunities, and an appropriately scaled urban form and interface to encourage mixed use intensification. With mixed use, we mean development that accommodates multiple uses such as business, retail, and residential opportunities for existing and new buildings.

‘Thus, in short, we need the CBD to be accessible to all Capetonians, safe, attractive, and inclusive. The LSDF must guide development decisions to accommodate the growth in the property market, facilitate mixed-use and residential intensification, while leveraging the character and traditional urban fabric opportunities. 

‘There is no doubt that the CBD is key to Cape Town’s future resilience and economic health and that there is an opportunity to fully optimise the CBD’s existing characteristics such as its unique sense of place with the Atlantic ocean and Table Mountain, its diverse cultural heritage, and vibrancy. I encourage residents to collaborate with us to refine the draft LSDF that is now available for public comment,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews. 

Study area

The study area is the core economic area of the CBD, bounded by Helen Suzman Drive/FW de Klerk Boulevard to the north; Nelson Mandela Drive and Sir Lowry Road to the east; Mill Street/Orange Street to the south; and Buitengracht Street to the west. 

The study area is divided into eight precincts, each with its own characteristics, constraints, and opportunities namely: 

• De Waterkant
• Convention District
• Mid-City
• Company Gardens
• East Foreshore
• Cape Town Station
• East City, and 
• Lower Gardens

The draft LSDF provides development guidelines for each precinct in terms of its urban form, approach towards height management, and character assessment.

Implementation framework

The draft LSDF includes a proposed implementation framework that identifies priority precincts and a programme of action for City departments to implement. This includes public investment priorities on public transport, roads, and non-motorised transport to improve mobility; upgrades to public squares and streetscapes; and proposed projects to ensure the CBD’s appeal as a tourist and investment destination, amongst others.

Existing policies informed the draft LSDF

The draft LSDF is informed by existing policies, such as the Table Bay District Spatial Development Framework (DSDF) of 2023; the recently approved LSDFs for District Six and Bo-Kaap; newly approved policy for Designing Quality Places, the City’s Climate Change Strategy and action plan, and Tall Buildings Policy. 

The Table Bay DSDF and Municipal Spatial Development Framework support higher densities for the CBD area, and the intention of the LSDF is to determine the appropriate building heights taking into account the view of key landmarks such as Table Mountain and Signal Hill, public spaces, and the interface with heritage buildings, cultural resources, and residential areas. 

Context

It is estimated that the CBD will have to provide residential opportunities to an additional 50 000 people by 2040. This projected demand translates into a specific urban form that needs to be managed through spatial and land use policy and regulation

The CBD is attractive to business thanks to its unique setting and character that drives the land value. The LSDF will assist in land use regulatory improvements to facilitate development while providing guidelines to protect heritage resources 

Access to and from the CBD from the rest of Cape Town is poor. The resurrection of passenger rail as the backbone of public transport is key

The CBD is still dominated by vehicles. Interventions are needed to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment and public spaces with greening to give workers and residents relief and escape from the urban environment

Private and public precinct management contribute to investor confidence in the CBD, and as more visitors are drawn to Cape Town the demands on the public realm, public transport, precinct management services, as well as land use will increase

The draft LSDF elaborates on the spatial constraints and opportunities, among which alternative modes of public transport such as trams, upgrade of public open spaces and the creation of new green areas in the vicinity of the Foreshore, for example. 

As for the public realm, the LSDF proposes a pedestrian-friendly CBD that links Table Mountain with the Atlantic ocean through key public spaces, each with their own identity, and more green recreation spaces; the upgrade of squares such as the Grand Parade, Civic Square, Riebeeck Square, Greenmarket Square, and Harrington Square that is currently the focus of a feasibility study. 

As for mobility and access, a key priority is the implementation of an integrated transport solution for the Foreshore. Road restructuring projects are proposed along Philip Kgosana Drive to link Vredehoek, Zonnebloem and District Six, and the possibility of closing Long Street at night between the intersections with Dorp and Green Street to facilitate nightlife activity along this popular stretch. A parking strategy is proposed for the CBD to support its transition to a people-centred environment. The role of an efficient passenger rail service, supported by the MyCiTi bus service and minibus-taxi services; bicycle facilities and recreational e-mobility form part of the draft. 

The LSDF looks into nodal character areas, or places which contribute to the unique sense of place and in some instances, include important heritage assets. In an effort to rationalise the heritage protection overlay zone, the LSDF identifies enclaves of existing historic building fabric to be retained and enhanced, and where detailed heritage management provisions are to be developed for inclusion in the Development Management Scheme.

The draft LSDF is available on the City’s website at: www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay  

How to comment:

• Go online www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay
• Submit comments by 31 October 2024
• Attend the public information days 

‘I encourage residents and property owners to be part of this process, to submit comments and attend the information sessions. It is in everybody’s interest to get involved and contribute to the discussion. Your input matters, and we will take this into account as we finalise the draft LSDF once the public participation process has been concluded,’ said Alderman Andrews. 

Issued by the City of Cape Town