Stemming the tide: Revitalizing the Central Business District of Cape Town

Rapid and radical change has become the leitmotiv of South African society at the beginning of the twenty-first century. This change is reflected in the changing structure, form, and functioning of the country's metropolitan areas and not least, in the Central Business District (CBD) or ‘downtown’ area which is particularly important to the city for a variety of reasons. Current trends in the CBD are deemed to be problematic by city managers and the business community. Indeed, ‘worst case’ scenarios predict the demise of the CBD in terms of its current status as the pre-eminent locus of decision-making, retail and business activity in the city and as the major contributor to urban finances. In many respects the Cape Town experience mirrors those of central city areas in other major South African cities. Cape Town is used as a case study to identify forces and processes impacting upon the form and functioning of the CBD and to identify relatively recent dynamics that give cause for concerns regarding its viability. A variety of physical planning and policy initiatives instituted to counter current trends and to ‘shore up’ the CBD are explored. Although premature to judge their efficacy, a tentative prognosis is advanced.