The Mayor’s Portfolio of Urban Sustainability is a World Design Capital publication showcasing how the City is designing solutions to address urban challenges.
As an African city faced with the legacy of an unjust past, and the uncertainties of contemporary challenges, Cape Town needs to respond in a manner which builds resilience and sustainability through innovative and integrated thinking. Under the spotlight of World Design Capital 2014, officials, politicians, residents, visitors and other cities will want to know how the City is designing solutions to address urban challenges.
The Mayor’s Portfolio of Urban Sustainability profiles 34 existing City projects that demonstrate project design and implementation best practice by mainstreaming sustainability principles and supporting the City’s strategic focus areas. These projects vary in scale and range from housing projects to community campaigns and public open spaces.
The publication, launched on 13 June 2014, encourages learning, collaboration and partnership forming across City line functions and also makes the argument for mainstreaming sustainability principles into projects managed and supported by the City.
Download your digital copy here
The objectives of the Mayor’s Portfolio are to:
- Embed sustainability principles into the DNA of City operations by demonstrating the impact of an integrated, transversal approach;
- Promote integrated working arrangements across line functions and strengthen the buy-in of key external leaders;
- Promote projects with innovative design and creative concepts promoting sustainability; and
- Produce a publishable portfolio of City projects underlining social, economic, ecological and governance aspects of sustainable development.
While the projects profiled are but a fraction of the City’s output, the examples of best practice in sustainability, exemplified through this portfolio by those projects that were assessed as “excellent” in a certain area, will serve to inspire similar results across a wider front of delivery in project design, implementation and management.
By engaging with the lessons learnt, project managers will be able to avoid pitfalls and shortcomings, and to replicate and even enhance the best practice approaches documented in the portfolio. The result will be a more substantial and profound delivery of goods and services to the benefit of recipient communities.
An ongoing assessment process is essential to mainstreaming sustainability principles into City delivery and growth. Ideally, this involvement, assessment and support around urban sustainability should influence project conceptualisation, implementation and management, leading to more effective and beneficial outcomes for all.
Click here for more information on this project or visit the City’s World Design Capital 2014 Website
PICTURE CREDIT: Guga S’thebe Arts and Culture Centre © Bruce Sutherland – City of Cape Town
