Yesterday Cape Town received the fantastic news that it has been selected as one of three finalists for the World Design Capital 2014, with Bilbao and Dublin. The city competed against 56 cities for this prestigious accolade, which was won by Seoul last year, and has been awarded to Helsinki for 2012.
A World Design Capital city is selected every two years by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, to a city that uses ‘design for social, cultural and economic development’, the Cape Town Tourism media release says. The Council will be visiting Cape Town from 10 – 24 July, in a period in which the city will not be looking at its best in the winter weather, relative to its northern hemisphere competitors. The winning World Design Capital for 2014 will be announced on 26 October.
The Cape Town Partnership managed the bid for the award, supported by Cape Town Tourism and the City of Cape Town. The recent decision to position Brand Cape Town as an innovation hub supported the World Design Capital bid, and uniquely differentiates Cape Town from other South African and African cities.
Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariette du Toit-Helmbold welcomed the good news: “This is a significant moment for Cape Town. Our shortlisting is an acknowledgement that design is an asset and a massive catalyst to align different sectors across the city with the ultimate goal of making Cape Town a more liveable (sic) city. Many people associate Cape Town with our beautiful natural surrounds but design and innovation is (sic) leading the way for us to become a city that people are increasingly choosing to explore and discover from an urban context…. As Cape Town moves into the future, we are convinced that it will become an ever more exciting place to live in, work in and visit.”
Odd was the information contained in the ‘Newsflash’ sent to Cape Town Tourism members last night, which stated that “..Cape Town’s bid theme is about the City’s use of design to overturn the negative legacies of its colonial and apartheid past that saw design dividing people, disconnecting the city, and relegating both people of colour and the urban poor to the fringes”. This mouthful of a statement, which does not make sense in blaming design for apartheid, gets worse in the rest of the ‘Newsflash’, and one hopes that the bid book contains a more uplifting and positive motivation for Cape Town to be selected as the World Design Capital 2014!
Andrew Boraine, Chairman of the Cape Town Partnership, wrote on his blog that the Finalist status is good for Cape Town for five reasons: organisationally it demonstrated a good partnership and teamwork between the private and public sector; the deadline in getting the 465-page bid book completed and submitted was a challenge well handled; it gives brand Cape Town international visibility; it gives the citizens of Cape Town pride in their city’s success; and it will help to develop a greater design focus on anything that impacts on design in Cape Town.
POSTSCRIPT 22/6: The website of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design summarises what the three finalist design capital bid cities represent. Cape Town is praised for its beauty, and hosting of the World Cup last year, hardly the basis of giving one confidence of winning in October. Furthermore, embarrassing is that a link is provided to the ‘Cape Town Tourism Board’, which is not Cape Town Tourism’s website, but that of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, which organisation had nothing to do with the bid! Even worse is that it is completely dated, with a boring You Tube video dating back to the World Cup! Come on Cape Town – the world’s design eyes are on us now! The photograph shown for Cape Town is an aerial shot of the city, with the Cape Town Stadium prominently visible. That for Bilbao is of a highly modern building, in all likelihood the Guggenheim Museum. The Dublin pic is completely boring. Dublin is reported to have spent €14 million on its bid, compared to Cape Town’s mere R2 million! This is what the Council wrote about each of the three finalist cities:
Bilbao
Bilbao is the capital of the province of Vizcaya, which is situated in the western part of the Basque Country, in northern Spain. As a financial and economic centre of the region, it is a dynamic and innovative city with intense social and business activity. Since the creation of The Guggenheim Museum in 1997, this city with a population of over 350,000 has been in the process of a large-scale urban transformation that has led to the development of a composed and diverse metropolis on the cusp of a dramatic urban revitalisation. So much so that Bilbao earned the 2010 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize given for contributions to the creation of vibrant, liveable and sustainable urban communities.Spanish Tourism Board (Bilbao)
Cape Town
The City of Cape Town lies at the southwestern tip of Africa, uniquely nestled between Robben Island and the majestic Table Mountain range, two national heritage sites. Since the end of apartheid, this city, now three times the size of New York and home to around 3,6 million people, has undertaken the process of redesigning itself. As South Africa’s oldest city and having recently hosted the first World Cup on African soil, Cape Town now has first class infrastructure and a cosmopolitan lifestyle. With the highest standard of living of all South African cities, this gateway to the African continent is rich in heritage, innovation, diversity and creative talent.Cape Town Tourism Board
Dublin
A city of one million people, Dublin is a hospitable, lively and eccentric city known to be open to ideas and creativity. With its wide connectivity and strategic geographical location, the capital of Ireland has become a busy crossing point for global flows of people and investment, as well as an international hub for large technology companies such as Facebook, Google, Intel, Microsoft and IBM. With its unique design heritage, the Unesco City of Literature is host for influential and distinguished design events such as the ATypI 2010 conference and the World Craft Council Europe conference in 2011.Dublin Tourism Board
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
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Well done Cape Town! This project is a demonstration of how different industries across the ciy can work together to make something magifincant happen. Huge Kudos to Cape Town Partnership, Cape Town Tourism, the City of Cape Town and particularly Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana, Andrew Boraine, Lianne Burton, Zayd Minty, Mariette Du Toit-Helmbold and Skye Grove.
Not sure why you see Cape Town Tourism’s statement as “odd” Chris. This city has huge apartheid and design legacies that can be overturned and changed through innovative design. If there is one uplifting and positive motivation that this bid can bring to Cape Town then it is to overturn the legacy of apartheid design and the way that communities have been divided through our troubled history.
We are behind you Cape Town!
Hello Chris.
Great news for Cape Town.
Why do you use sic for liveable? Like livable, this is a recognised spelling.
Jeff
Hats off to Mariette Du Toit-Helmbold and Skye Grove, who are clearly doing a STERLING job!
The bid was driven by the Cape Town Partnership and the City of Cape Town, with the assistance of Cape Town Tourism Kobus.
Chris
Chris,
Good news that you got the email from Cape Town Tourism this time! You should give them credit for this.
Well done to everyone involved, including Cape Town Tourism, for their contribution as well as communicating this to the market in an effective manner.
The refernce to apartdeid and design legacy in Cape Town is spot on, but possibly lost on the author of this blog.
A great example of industry collaboration and well done to all.
From what I’ve read in the social media, those two ladies are clearly carrying the project, Chris. And their hard work is paying off. Yay- GO CAPE TOWN!
No Kobus, Cape Town Tourism is better at PR than the Cape Town Partnership is!
Chris
Dear Mike
It is the duty of Cape Town Tourism to ensure that its members and the media receive information timeously – if I quote from the media release, is it not obvious that I received it? You’ll be happy to hear that Mariette du Toit-Helmbold has unblocked us from Twitter, very professional of her, and this allows us to pick up news about Cape Town from her!
Nothing is lost on me Mike – design cannot be blamed for causing apartheid – it was our Nat politicians!
Please try to be constructive in your comments. If you do not like this blog and my views, you are welcome to not read it.
Chris
Dear Jacques
I agree with you that design could help bridge the apartheid ‘legacy’ of our city. However, the Cape Town Tourism Newsflash blamed design for apartheid!
Chris
erm, Chris, isn’t PR supposed to be the mainstay of their job? The ONLY way to attract more tourism hre is going to be through excellent PR- since most guesthouses are not going to lower their exorbitant prices, and neither are they going to improve their staff- or service skills.
Dear Kobus
That was not what we were discussing, nor what you wrote in your previous comments. You made it sound as if Cape Town Tourism compiled the bid – they did not. I wrote that they are better at communicating the finalist status, and therefore it makes it appear as if it was their work. The credit must go to the Cape Town Partnership first and foremost.
I am not sure how you bring your unfair guest house comment into this debate – guest houses are far more affordable than hotels, and all have extremely good winter rates. Generally guests prefer guest houses because of the better service. I am sorry that you have such a negative guest house perception – perhaps you meant hotels?!
Chris
Well done to the City of Cape Town and Cape Town Partnership and Cape Town Tourism. But mostly – well done to the desing fraternity of this great city.
I also received Cape Town Tourism’s newsflash and nowhere are they blaming design for apartheid Chris. Maybe you should read the newsflash again.
Cape Town Tourism is very proactive. Mariette and Skye is taking the way they communicate with the industry, the media and the CT public to new heights.
Maybe they should be the communication agency for our bid?
Now – let’s get behind the design world and support Cape Town to be not only a shortlisted candidate but the WINNER!!
Maybe they will let Dublin win as a consolation prize for Ireland going broke!
I don’t see design being blamed for apartheid. Rather, the apartheid design of our city was the construct of the policies at that time – you can see it in the way the city is divided up by roads, freeways & rail lines…. disabling the less privileged areas of cape town.
And to think that the lead person on the bid is a “journalist”. Go Lianne Burton!
Hi Chris,
You do make me chuckle.
I cant see anyone, lets alone myself, who has said that design caused apartheid. Where the heck did you pull that one from, or is this selecting your own interpretation of what comments have been made?
Many dont like Julius Malema but we still listen to what he says, as he makes us laugh and brings a sense of escapism and amusement.
I read and participate on many different blogs for many different reasons.
As for making constructive comments, that is what I have been suggesting to you for a while now with regards to your own blog postings. It can be so much more.
Dear Chris
Thank you for bringing us breaking news as always. I love your blog and would recommend that you do some of the PR for the World Design Capital. You are such a good communicator and writer. We would be honoured if you would represend Cape Town.
Best wishes
Maria
Thank you Maria, but it was hardly ‘breaking news’ – it was all over Twitter yesterday afternoon already.
Thank you for the compliments too.
Chris
Dear Derrick
When I write Comments, it is in reply to what other Commenters have written – I have not mentioned the name of Skye, so why do you? I mentioned Mariette’s name in the blogpost, as she was quoted in the Cape Town Tourism media release and Newsflash. Please don’t find trouble where there is none!
Chris
Dear Mike and Peter
The apartheid sentence from Cape Town Tourism’s Newsflash for you again: “..Cape Town’s bid theme is about the City’s use of design to overturn the negative legacies of its colonial and apartheid past that saw design dividing people, disconnecting the city, and relegating both people of colour and the urban poor to the fringes”.
I rest my case!
Chris