The World Economic Forum has invited the City of Cape Town to send a delegation to its ‘Meeting of New Champions’ session in Dalian, China next month. The Executive Mayor will speak at the interactive session ‘The promise of smart energy.’

The visit, which runs from 28 August to 13 September, includes stops in Singapore, Beijing, Huangshan and Dalian.

The tour will kick off in Singapore, where the Mayor, officials and members of his Mayoral Committee will investigate similarities in the challenges faced by the City of Cape Town and the Singapore Housing Authority in the provision of housing, particularly to the poor. The delegation will use this opportunity to research the viability of higher density accommodation in Cape Town.

The City of Cape Town intends leading by example and exploring how its housing delivery programme can maximise density in appropriate locations in a manner that is sustainable – financially, institutionally and socially. Furthermore, land is being identified for higher density, affordable housing projects to be implemented in the city.

Cape Town is faced with a number of challenges to its growth and development – increasing residential density is an important strategic City response to many of these challenges. The City needs to maximise the use of very limited land – especially well located land – available for building homes for those in need; our existing and proposed public transport system requires increased residential densities to ensure the viability of the system and the sustainability of this significant City investment; and higher densities are also an important prerequisite for enhanced local business opportunities and making our city more convenient to travel around for visitors and residents alike.

The delegation will showcase Cape Town as a world class destination for hosting large conventions at the World Economic Forum ‘Meeting of New Champions’ in Dalian, China. They will also use the session as an opportunity to cement an arrangement for the Cape Town to host World Economic Forum meetings for the next five years. Hosting the Forum meetings will boost Cape Town’s economy by bringing large international delegations into the city.

The 2009 Forum meeting will bring together over 1 000 industry and government leaders to discuss government stimulus programmes and the role of entrepreneurship, innovation and technology in reviving economic growth.

The Mayor and his team will also visit the City of Huangshan in China to explore areas of mutual interest between the cities, especially in the fields of commerce and tourism.

In Beijing, the delegation will inspect the city’s Olympic infrastructure in preparation for Cape Town’s upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Alderman Plato will be accompanied by the Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Development and Tourism, Alderman Felicity Purchase, the Executive Director for Housing, Mr Hans Smit, the Executive Director: Economic, Social Development and Tourism, Mr Mansoor Mohamed and the Head of Protocol and Mayoral Events, Mr Fritz Marx. A business delegation from Cape Town will join the Mayor for the Beijing and Dalian legs of the trip.

The Executive Deputy Mayor, Ian Neilson, will be the Acting Mayor in the Executive Mayor’s absence.