TWO RIVERS URBAN PARK

10 November 2016

Draft Green Corridor Concept Plan

In partnership with the City of Cape Town

Melanie Attwell

and Associates

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FOCUS AREA

PROCESS

Purpose: conceptualise - a set of principles and proposals for the ‘4th precinct’- the Green Corridor.

Informants: stake holder engagement

specialist studiesstatus quo analysis 2003 TRUP CF review

Methodology: Co-designManifestoMapping Scenarios

Interpretive MappingStatus Quo Analysis

Conceptual proposals

Draft Landscape Plan

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TRU-Park

water

and

biodiversity

energy

and

materials

urban planning,

transport and

economic

opportunity

social

and

cultural

features

sustainable environmental

approach

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restore and preserve

ecological integrity

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metropolitanurban park

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sustainable

modes of

transport

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mixed use,mixed-tenuredevelopment

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develop

funding

opportunities

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alternative

systems of

technology

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social

partnership

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integrative

space,culture

and memory

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clear admin, management

institutional systems

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MANIFESTO

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7 8 9 106

To develop a safe metropolitan urban park based on sustainable principles and responsible management practices.

To restore and preserve the ecological integrity of the site as a special physical and visual amenity.

To embrace a sustainable environmental approach respecting the site natural qualities of the site and Earth’s resources

To promote the use of sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling and public transport.

To provide dense mixed-use, mixed tenure urban environment, where appropriate, in a sustainable and holistic manner.

To develop funding and local economic opportunities geared towards sustainable development.

To align the development and the preservation with clear management, administrative and institutional systems.

To develop TRUP as an integrative space that responds to culture, heritage and memory of the site.

To establish an inclusive social partnership that can form the basis of cooperation between the various stakeholders.

To develop, where possible, alternative systems of technology -resource efficient sustainable technologies.

MANIFESTO

3 Possible Scenarios : What…if TRU-Park…

URBAN WETLAND

What if TRU-Park…

is a continuously wide

riverine park reconnecting

the city to the coastline, re-

establishing the lost wetland

estuary.

EXTENDED PARK

What if TRU-Park…

extends into its urban

surroundings, intertwining the

natural and urban

environments.

The naturalised fingers create

a transition zone to reduce

the impact of the

surroundings on the riverine

system, absorbing movement

and water flows.

PRESERVED PARKWhat if TRU-Park…

is recognised and upheld as

the last large green natural

area close to the city.

The continuity of the natural

system is re-established, by

preserving all green open

areas within the park and

particularly the floodplain.

B CA

TRUP within

Salt River

Catchment

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CONTEXTUAL ANALYSES

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SITE ANALYSES

Geology and Topography Elevation Heritage

Storm water system Flood lines Hydrological system

DESIGN INFORMANTSTopographic + Spatial

+ Heritage

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DESIGN

INFORMANTSHydrology

+ Infrastructure

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SITE ANALYSES

Botanical Sensitivity

Critical Biodiversity AreasOpen Space Categories Access of Open Space

Faunal Sensitivity Vegetation Previously present on Site

DESIGN

INFORMANTSBiodiversity

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DESIGN

INFORMANTSFreshwater

Sensitivity

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DESIGN

INFORMANTSBiodiversity

Agreement

Areas 2016

Source: Cape Nature

DESIGN

INFORMANTSOpen Space

+ Accessibility

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DESIGN INFORMANTSTRU-Park Stakeholder Mapping: Constraints and Opportunities

TRU-Park is ..

• protecting the integrity of the ecological systems - green lung.

• enabling and enhancing bio-diversity corridors.

• enabling urban agriculture.

• balancing environmental and recreational uses.

• enhancing the perception and the experience of the landscape.

• cleaning the water of the rivers through a broader water purification strategy.

• enabling the wetlands.

• naturalizing the river courses.

• surveying and protecting fauna and flora.

• enabling recreational use of the rivers.

• protecting and enhancing the heritage landmarks and views.

• identifying spaces for ceremonies and rituals.

• celebrating the different cultural narratives associated with the site.

• a pedestrian and public transport based area [reduced car/no car].

• promoting the use of public transport [NMTand IRT network]

• providing strategic [NMT] pedestrian and cycle links and bridges

• re-introducing the bridge over Black river connecting MGV to Observatory.

• mitigating the impact of infrastructural and natural barriers across the site.

• an open public amenity accessible to all.

• activated by a wide variety of social infrastructure.

• ensuring the continued functioning of existing activities.

• extending to the sea and to Langa.

• including the development of Alexandra Rd as an ‘activity street’.

• including the Maitland Garden Village in the development strategy.

DESIGN

INFORMANTSPublic

Participation

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Manifesto recognises the strategic location of

TRUP its attributes and unique qualities that can

help to “ heal the city”

TRU-Park has the potential to:

BECOME

Ecologically thriving landscape, celebrating its rich

cultural diversity

PROVIDE

Opportunities that re-address the socio-spatial legacy of

apartheid

TRU-Park MANIFESTO

1 Metropolitan Park

2 Ecological integrity

3 Sustainable environmental approach

4 Sustainable modes of transport

5 Mixed-use, mixed tenure urban environment

6 Funding and local economic opportunities

7 Clear management, administrative and institutional systems

8 Integrative space

9 Inclusive social partnership

10 Alternative systems of technology

3 GUIDING DESIGN PRINCIPLES RESULTING FROM INTERPRETATIVE MAPPING:

CONSERVE

CONNECT/ACCESS

ACTIVATE

CONCEPT

Hydrology and

Biodiversity

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CONCEPT

Active and Passive

Open Space

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CONCEPT

Accessibility

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CONCEPT

Edges

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DRAFT

LANDSCAPE

PROPOSAL

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Liesbeek River North of

Station Road

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Proposed development within the

edges of the Sports Fields would require further investigation in

respect of type of development

and Storm Water drainage.

Reconnecting Liesbeek River and the Old Arm and its recreational potential.

MAIN ELEMENTS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION:

Liesbeek River South of

Station Road

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Proposed development within the

edges of the Sports Fields would require further investigation in

respect of type of housing and

Storm Water drainage.

Proposed orchard reconsider as wetland or grass land.

MAIN ELEMENTS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION:

Black River

Alexandra Hospital Area

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The extension of Station Road over the Black River and the M5 traverses

over a portion of the Raapenberg

Wetland.

First Nation celebratory intervention at the convergence of the Liesbeek

and Black Rivers.

Pathway between the RaapenbergWetland and the Black River.

MAIN ELEMENTS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION:

Black River

Maitland Garden Village

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Nodal development and potential

flood alleviation pond below Maitland

Garden Village occurs in the vicinity of a wetland identified by the Fresh

Water Specialist Study as’ Fresh water

Features of medium Sensitivity’.

MAIN ELEMENTS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION:

Black River

Oude Molen Area

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Berms as visual screening of the M5.

Flood storage area below Oude Molen.

MAIN ELEMENTS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION:

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Green Bridges

Wildlife Bridge (Netherlands)

Urban Green Bridge (London)

High Line (NYC)

Careful consideration, with an accurate

audit of the wildlife within the river corridors will be required before ameliorating and

improving the river edge embankments.

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Types of nature friendly banks, Source: RHDHV, Watercourse Management and Creating a Docking/Waterfront Feature, 2016, p 76.

All proposed interventions, memorial,

educational, spiritual or recreational will require careful consideration in respect of

their positioning, character and

ecological and social implications.

ELEMENTS THAT REQUIRE FURTHER INVESTIGATION:

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WATER QUALITY AS A PRIMARY CONSTRAIN

Impact on Recreation:

• The current City of Cape Town’s

policy is that swimming in fresh

surface waters should be avoided

(Verbal input River Study Workgroup

meeting 2 on 5 May 2016).

• The E.coli limit for contact recreation,

which is about 400 counts/100 ml in

South Africa (DWAF, 1996a) is

regularly transgressed.

• Both Vygekraal and Elsieskraal have

similar high E.coli counts. No clear

seasonal pattern can be recognised.

• Other pollutants which are not being

monitored could also be a problem

(pesticides, heavy metals), but are

not the major part to be addressed

by the options considered.

Quality Impact on Recreation:

• Indirectly, the recreational use is also

influenced by the ecological

functioning of the river.

• The oxygen saturation levels are

fluctuating with lowest levels in the

summer months, often less than 30%.

Oxygen saturation should ideally be

at least 80% for good ecological

functioning (DWAFc, 1996).

• The Athlone WWTW has a positive

influence on eutrophication levels;

upstream of the WWTW water quality

is worse than elsewhere along the

river.

Source: RHDHV, 2016: Water Management and Creating a

Docking/Waterfront Feature

Thank you

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