Can public spaces be designed and managed for all in African cities?

The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected the lives and livelihoods of those living in Cape Town, as with many other cities in the world, and further exposed the deep inequalities while raising the question of how public space can be better used to serve the city’s residents.

Building on the ‘Cape Town stories’ series, which told stories about people’s experience of public space during Covid in Cape Town, EDP Programme Lead Marcela Guerrero Casas explores how public spaces can be designed and managed in a way that embraces diverse voices and engages communities as partners.

The series, published in the Daily Maverick starting in July 2021, reflects on the various ecosystems in which public space exists and showcases examples where public and private actors are collaborating to respond to urban challenges. These include safety, waste, mobility, food, climate change and mental health.

This series was funded by the Heinrich Böll Foundation with a view to sharing best practices across African cities and accompanied with photographs by Ashraf Hendricks.