Envisioning a Black River Pathway: Creating a Heritage Destination through Social Development

The Black River

The Black River, although only a few kilometres long, runs through several Cape Town communities and has a great presence in each one it runs through. Despite the current polluted state of the river, surrounding communities feel that it has potential to be a strength in the area. One of the ways to make the river’s presence beneficial to nearby communities is a pathway along the river. Because the river flows near to these communities, it is a resource that can be made into an asset for the residents. Maitland Garden Village (MGV) and Oude Molen Eco Village, two communities that are adjacent to each other and sit next to the Black River, could make daily use of a pathway along the Black River. Furthermore, additional opportunities for their communities exist based on any features incorporated into the design of a pathway in the section of the river by MGV and Oude Molen.

Community footpaths along the Black River

The Black River Pathway project aimed to create a vision for a multi-functional pathway along a specific section of the Black River near MGV and Oude Molen. We worked closely along side our sponsor, the City of Cape Town, and the communities of MGV and Oude Molen to form this vision. The vision for this effort consists of a proposal for a pathway that includes elements of heritage which will allow MGV to be a destination for the pathway, as well as a gardening business plan for a community garden in MGV. The team worked hard to produce a vision that will be ultimately implemented.

 

 

 

 

For a full overview of our project, check out the Executive Summary [PDF, 4.4 MB] and our Final Presentation [PDF, 1.4 MB]. To see our proposal for the City of Cape Town, see our Final Proposal [PDF, 8.7 MB].

To learn more about our preparation planning and methodologies during the seven week prep term, check out our Research & Planning.

To learn more about our sponsors, liaisons, and other people involved in the project, check out the Cast Of Characters page.

To learn about our daily interactions and activities as well as team reflections, check out our Acts and Scenes.

To learn how our team approached community interactions and sensitive information, check out the Ethical Considerations page.

To view our resources, check out the References page.