“I’m Rory Williams and I support Cape Town for World Design Capital 2014.”
Rory Williams is a transport planner with Arup, committed to the idea that only an integrated city can be a liveable city. He writes with Mokena Makeka about urban design issues in the Cape Times, in the hope of stirring up debate about what makes a good city.
How can design help Cape Town become a better city for all?
I believe that the urban places we occupy should be designed to suit the activities of our lives, and that if we fit comfortably in these spaces, we will feel freer to interact as community. If design creates a more humane environment, we just might treat each other with greater respect. With interaction and respect, we can build a participative democracy.
What examples of design make Cape Town a better city?
There is a short little street in Green Point that has been converted for pedestrians only. Nobody knows about this street except the children of a nearby school, who spend lunch breaks there, skipping and lounging in the winter sun. It’s public, it’s inviting and it’s safe; and it gives these youngsters an hour of happiness each day.
