City of Cape Town Link

Subcouncil Spatial Planning Collective

<div class="ExternalClass21E239791FED474497DD245B5C51F60F"><p>Residents are directly affected by land use, and the nature, form and location of developments in their areas. Thus, all Capetonians are impacted by the City’s spatial planning policies as these determine what our suburbs will look and feel like in future. In an effort to improve communication with residents, we are establishing the Spatial Planning Collective - a dedicated platform and process for regular engagements and communication with communities. Find out more about the proposed programme below.</p></div>

<span> <h2 class="sectHeading">Overview and purpose </h2></span> <p>The City’s planning policies determine what our suburbs will look and feel like in future; they also impact landowners and developers, as these plans inform and guide the City’s decisions when we assess development and land use applications. </p><p>Given the importance of these policies, our <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Departments/Urban%20Planning%20and%20Design%20Department">Urban Planning and Design (UPD) Department </a>is launching a programme to educate, empower, and engage community stakeholders about our spatial policies and planning processes. </p><h4>The programme will start in January 2026, and aims to:</h4><ul><li>hold proactive engagements, on a regular and sustained basis on development related matters; and </li><li> create a common understanding of matters and processes related to spatial planning by building the capacity in the communities on these matters. </li></ul><h4>It has three main pillars or objectives:</h4><ul><li>The establishment of institutional arrangements to ensure regular engagements with representatives of the communities, namely Subcouncil Planning Collectives – comprising of 30 nominated community representatives from umbrella organisations per Subcouncil; </li><li>The formulation and implementation of a programme to empower community representatives in processes and matters related to spatial planning and development; and </li><li>The establishment of a communication strategy to ensure regular interaction and an easy exchange of ideas; as well as a communication network between the UPD Department and the community.</li></ul><h4>District Plans review</h4><p>The City’s <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/work%20and%20business/planning-portal/plans-policies-frameworks-and-guidelines/district-plans">eight District Plans </a>provide spatial guidance on a district level. Decision makers use this guidance to accommodate land uses that result in liveable communities. They also help us to identify projects for implementation by either the private or public sector. </p><p>The upcoming review of the City’s eight District Plans or district spatial policies will give communities and stakeholders the opportunity to engage with us and submit their input on the plans. </p><p> A major focus of the review will be to formulate more localised planning guidance and to stimulate opportunities for local areas, suburbs and townships, for economic development and enhancing infrastructure and community facilities to create sustainable neighbourhoods. </p><p> Our goal, among others, is to implement sustainable livelihood projects that community members can benefit from and drive on their own, if need be. </p><p>Therefore, the Spatial Planning Collective programme will serve as a platform for our UPD Department to obtain and share inputs for the review or formulation of spatial plans in collaboration with community representatives. In future, it may also serve as permanent sharing platform for other City line departments who need to formulate or implement development planning or capital projects in communities. </p> <span> <h2 class="sectHeading">Information day</h2></span> <p>We would like to invite those interested in learning more about and getting involved in Spatial Planning to attend the <em>Spatial Planning Collective: Information Day</em>. </p><h4>The information day will be hosted as follows:</h4><ul><li> <strong>Date: </strong>Saturday, 18 October 2025 </li><li> <strong>Time:</strong> 10:00 - 12:00 </li><li> <strong>Venue: </strong> <em>Banqueting Hall, Civic Centre, 12 Hertzog Boulevard, Cape Town</em></li></ul><p>Please <a href="https://web1.capetown.gov.za/web1/websitefeedback/?id=3eb5bb18-19ed-4ff8-acd2-4daa4862dba4" target="_blank"> <strong>RSVP online</strong></a> before <strong>10 October 2025</strong>. </p><h4>Topics to be discussed:</h4><ul><li>What is spatial planning?</li><li>Why and how communities can get involved in planning matters </li><li>The role and purpose of the Spatial Planning Collectives </li><li>Future training opportunities </li><li>Questions from attendees </li><li>Survey session</li></ul> <span> <h2 class="sectHeading">Establishing collectives </h2></span> <p>There will be twenty Collectives in total - one per <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Meet-the-City/city-council/subcouncils">Subcouncil</a>. The Collectives will collaborate with the UPD officials through regular engagements and information sharing sessions and will be expected to also provide feedback to their respective communities, organisations and other stakeholders whom they represent.</p><h4>The Collectives will enable:</h4><ul><li>Continuous engagements with the community, on a bi-monthly or quarterly basis, as needed; </li><li> Collaboration between community representatives and City planners to gather information and formulate and interpret the analysis and develop proposals; and </li><li> A platform for the regular exchange of information between the City development processes and communities. </li></ul> <span> <h2 class="sectHeading">Criteria for representatives</h2></span> <p>Preference will be given to nominated representatives who meet the selection criteria.</p><h4>All nominees must: </h4><ul><li>Represent an umbrella body, with a footprint in the respective Subcouncil of nomination; </li><li>Represent an organisation with a direct interest in spatial planning; </li><li>Undergo the required training and participate in the subsequent process to, among others, help develop spatial policy for their areas; </li><li> Attend the Collective meetings, ideally about one per month; and </li><li>Comply with the Rules of Conduct and help achieve the expectations of the Terms of Reference of the Collectives.</li></ul><p>The UPD Department, together with Subcouncils, will also ensure that the selection process meets broad diversity objectives that suitably represents our society. </p> <span> <h2 class="sectHeading">Training for representatives</h2></span> <p>Nominated representatives must be willing to participate in the Training Forum, which will take place over three Saturdays from January to February 2026. </p><h4>This training will ensure: </h4><ul><li>effective participation in the processes related to planning and decision-making for the built and natural environment; and </li><li> the ongoing development of councillors, officials and the nominated members constituting the Collectives to enable more effective participation in the upcoming review of the District Plans process in particular, but also future built and natural environment planning and decision-making processes.</li></ul> <span> <div class="notification with-heading dark-copy pink bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border"> <i class="info note"></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN PLANNING PORTAL</h4><p>We will be adding content on the above topics to the planning portal once this Training Forum launches. Stay tuned for more information. </p></div></div></span> <h4>The Training Forum will create awareness on aspects relating to, among others:</h4><ul><li>How Cape Town is spatially structured, what informed this, and the processes that impact spatial planning; </li><li>How City projects are identified, are established, the associated budgeting processes and how individuals and communities can get involved; </li><li>The impact on and benefits of planning in relation to our natural environment that consists of finite resources such as our biodiversity, protected areas and reserves, wetlands, rivers, ocean, areas of significant agricultural importance, and so forth </li><li>How we consider resilience and climate change implications for development; </li><li>The planning involved in providing human settlements and housing for a growing population </li><li>How planning for transportation, services infrastructure, facilities, economic development and land use processes, etc. relate to spatial planning. </li></ul> <span> <h2 class="sectHeading">Nominate a representative</h2></span><span> <div class="notification with-heading dark-copy pink bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border"> <i class="info toptip"></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Deadline for nominations</h4><p> <strong>Submit your nominations until 21 November 2025</strong>. </p></div></div></span> <span> <p>Umbrella community organisations can nominate one individual per Subcouncil to be part of the Spatial Planning Collective for that Subcouncil. Make sure you have read the selection criteria before you submit a nomination.</p> <a title="Submit" class="btn" href="https://web1.capetown.gov.za/web1/websitefeedback/?id=c08761bd-6d98-4bd1-9119-9a816d4e166e" target="_blank">Submit a nomination</a></span> <p>Access the <a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Procedures%2c%20guidelines%20and%20regulations/Spatial-Planning-Collective-ToR.pdf" target="_blank">Terms of Reference and the Code of Conduct </a>for nominated representatives who will serve on the respective Spatial Planning Collectives. </p> <span> <h2 class="sectHeading">Contact us</h2></span> <ul><li>General enquiries: <a href="mailto:spatialplanning.collective@capetown.gov.za">spatialplanning.collective@capetown.gov.za</a> </li><li> Media relations: <a href="mailto:media.account@capetown.gov.za">media.account@capetown.gov.za</a></li></ul><p>Alternatively, call <em><a>0860 103 089</a></em> and request a call back about the Spatial Planning Collectives. </p>

Find out more about the proposed Subcouncil Spatial Planning Collective programme.

Subcouncil Spatial Planning Collective ToR

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2025-08-11T22:00:00Z