Potsdam Sustainability Campus set to improve quality of life for Capetonians
22 November 2024
This morning, the City of Cape Town held a preview launch of its new learning and development centre, the Potsdam Sustainability Campus, which aims to address multiple challenges, such as achieving carbon neutrality goals for 2030/2050, job creation and food production. The site, which was originally part of the Potsdam Outspan, will also support wider programmes that address the rehabilitation of the Diep River system and empowering communities to understand and mitigate against climate change.
‘The Potsdam Sustainability Campus is a dynamic, living campus - a place where ideas can be tested, mistakes can be made, and innovative solutions can emerge. This campus embodies Cape Town’s commitment to the 2030 and 2050 Carbon Neutrality Goals and aligns with the broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It provides a rare opportunity for transversal collaboration - bringing together multiple city directorates, the private sector, educational institutions, and partners like ICLEI Africa,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.
The campus soft launch was also attended by Linda Godfrey from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSRI) and Alinah Mthembu from the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) who are the sponsors of the pilot 1ha circular economy farm, Paul Currie from ICLEI Africa, the implementation partner, Garth Malan from Centre for Sustainability Transitions (CST) as research and knowledge partners, and Ryan O’Donovan from Tetris who highlight the opportunity of the reuse/repurposing of materials, as well as senior staff members from City directorates. The launch was concluded with a short tour and an interactive circular economy game, giving a glimpse of the learning element of the site.
‘This campus serves as a living experiment. It is more than just a series of projects - it is an integrated approach that combines community development and education in a way that ensures our solutions are scalable, adaptable, and long-lasting,’ said Alderman Andrews.
The Potsdam Sustainability Campus timeline is packaged into 10-year focus periods, with the current period – 2020 to 2029 - being the planning to initial implementation phase, which includes more planning, garnering of wide-spread buy-in and site initiation through the early initial implementation of key catalytic, pilot projects like the relocation of the My Clean Green Home from Green Point Park alongside a 1ha pilot circular farm.
The site is located on the corner of Blaauwberg and Potsdam Roads in Table View.
Caption 1: Alderman Eddie Andrews, Liezel Kruger-Fountain, current ward councillor Sue van der Linde and the recently retired ward councillor, Joy Solomons
Caption 2: Group photo taken at the Potsdam Sustainability Campus today
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
