Council approves spatial vision for Blaauwberg Road Corridor
25 April 2025
The City of Cape Town Council has approved the Local Spatial Development Framework (LSDF) for the Blaauwberg Road Corridor in Table View at its meeting yesterday, 24 April 2025.
The LSDF relates to the areas adjacent to Blaauwberg Road, one of the most important transport routes in Table View. The corridor covers a distance of approximately 5km from Marine Circle in the west to the intersection with Koeberg Road and Potsdam Road in the east.
‘The LSDF addresses the challenges posed by historic planning dating from the 1980s, changes in the surroundings over the past 40 years, limitations on the corridor’s development potential, increasing congestion, and infrastructure challenges. The intention of the LSDF is to develop Blaauwberg Road into a thriving urban corridor with world class destinations, walkable precincts and quality public spaces. It must be integrated with the surrounding natural assets and guide the way for sustainable urban development. The LSDF sets the development vision for the area on a local level and will guide the City in making decisions about development applications and land use, and public investment choices,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment.
The City collaborated extensively with residents and interested and affected parties in finalising the LSDF. The draft LSDF was informed by an interactive public participation process that took place in the second half of 2023, during which the insights of residents, business owners and other interested groups were taken into account. A two-month long public participation period followed in September and October last year. All of these comments were assessed and taken into account in finalising the LSDF that has now been approved by Council.
Context
Blaauwberg Road was developed in the late 1980s for low density suburban residential use, based on a car centric development model with limited consideration of its interaction with the natural environment and open spaces.
Over the past 40 years, the urban footprint expanded to the north with the creation of new suburbs such as Parklands, Dunoon, West Beach, Sandown, Big Bay, Sunningdale, Rivergate and more. Congestion along Blaauwberg Road has subsequently increased, and with historic title deed restrictions limiting the development potential along this corridor.
In devising the draft LSDF, the City relied on the 1998 Blaauwberg Road Growth Management Strategy as a reference point. More than 25 years ago already, the strategy proposed that we should combine the mobility function of the Blaauwberg Road east-west arterial route with higher density mixed use development along the axis in order to fulfil the corridor’s future potential.
The LSDF responds to and aligns with the Blaauwberg District Spatial Development Framework (DSDF) that was approved by Council in 2023. The DSDF identifies Blaauwberg Road and part of Marine Drive as prioritised areas for mixed land use, and higher density development; and pursues improved access to coastal opportunity areas, such as the Table View beachfront.
Key spatial strategies for the Blaauwberg Road Corridor
• Plan for employment and improved access to economic opportunities – while the economy along Blaauwberg Road is currently service and retail based, there is a potential for a greater mix of economic opportunities
• To enhance access to the Marine Circle area and the coastline, which is a destination for sport and recreation, and tourism. Improved management can support economic development
• The Western section of the corridor between Marine Circle and the R27 can be developed further as a mixed use economic area. The shift to remote work brings opportunities to local business nodes and its proximity to the coast gives Blaauwberg Road a competitive advantage
• Development should be cognisant of the surrounding natural assets, such as Rietvlei and the coast; and capacity constraints of the current services infrastructure
• Blaauwberg Road is a trunk MyCiTi route; increasing densities in the surrounding corridor will give more people access to opportunities along the route
• New development should provide a range of housing opportunities to accommodate varied income levels in support of a more inclusive and integrated city
‘It is our intention to build a resilient corridor that can withstand the impact of climate change – such as stronger wind, rising sea levels, and storm surges; creating a vibrant and walkable urban area; managing growth responsibly; improving connections with public open spaces and natural areas; improving the mobility functions of Blaauwberg Road and the West Coast Road; and promoting sustainable streetscape designs. The LSDF also proposes priority areas and projects for intervention to be implemented by City departments over the short- to long-term. Coupled with this, is the fact that the City is currently investing in sanitation infrastructure upgrades to support sustainable growth along this corridor and surrounding suburbs. I want to thank the local residents and stakeholders for collaborating with us in refining the LSDF,’ said Alderman Andrews.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
