All eyes will be on Cape Town in 2014
The ‘World Design Capital’ title is awarded every two years by the International Council for Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) and Cape Town is been awarded this title for the year of 2014.
All eyes will be on Cape Town in 2014
Posted by Cherene Pienaar on 27 Oct 2011, 15:24
Categories: Travel News
Cape Town has been named the World Design Capital for 2014, winning shortlisted candidates such as Spain, Dublin and Ireland. Since this announcement was made at the International Design Alliance (IDA) Congress in Tapei earlier this week, the excitement is tangible in the Mother City. Visitors from all over the globe is said to stream to the city in 2014. According to experts, this will be a huge economic injection for the city as well as the Western Province.
Cape Town Executive Mayor Patricia de Lille accepted the award on behalf of Cape Town, South Africa and the African continent, saying that 2014 will be the celebration of 20 years of democracy in the country, News24 reports.
“A city belongs to its people and it must be designed for, and with, them and their communities. For many years, people have been applying innovative solutions to our challenges. They have been using design to transform various aspects of life. But they have often been working without an overarching social goal in mind,” De Lille said.
De Lille said she is very proud, but the hard work has only just begun. “We will have to start thinking out of the box and come up with designs with which we can rebuild the city as an inclusive one for all its residents.”
The ‘World Design Capital’ title is awarded every two years by the International Council for Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) to increase global awareness of cities dedicated to using design for social, economic and cultural development and change. Other cities that received the title before South Africa, are Torino (Italy) in 2009, Seoul (Korea) in 2010 and Helsinki (Finland) in 2012.
The bidding process was started by the Cape Town Partnership over a year ago, and in March this year a 465-page bid book was formally submitted to the International Council for Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) in Canada, with the theme, "Live Design. Transform Life".
Six big events are planned
Six “signature” events will present Cape Town as World Design Capital. These events will be an economic injection for the city as well as the surrounding municipalities.
The whole Western Cape will benefit from this, says head of Accelerate Cape Town, Guy Lundy. The six events will not happen at the same time, he told Die Burger. “It’s going to be spread out over months and it won’t necessarily be held at the same place.”
Lundy said Cape Town focused in its bid book on the integrated bus service of the city, the open spaces in town centre and Cape neighbourhoods transformed into leisure areas by using design. The Cape Town Stadium, the Green Point Park and the fan walk are also some of the designs pointed out.
According to Lundy, Italian city of Torino, World Design Capital of 2008, saw more overseas visitors than in 2006 when the Winter Olympics were hosted there.
The head of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, Calvyn Gilfellan, congratulated City Council and said that this is going to be an opportunity for women in townships to make jewellery and get exposure. Not only will this event attract loads of visitors, it will also create work opportunities, hotel bookings will stream in, flight tickets will fly and people will want to explore the rest of the province, he said.
Explore the Mother City and see what the fuss is about.
