The City of Cape Town’s Parks Department has received a prestigious award for Phase 1 of its Smart Parks Project which seeks to provide inclusive public spaces that appeal to all members of the community.

A Merit Award of Excellence was presented to the City Parks Department by the Institute for Landscape Architecture in South Africa (ILASA) for their innovative smart park concept.

A second award was presented to Nicole Strong, a landscape architect in the department, for her excellent planning, design work and long hours spent consulting with communities.

One of the key goals when developing a smart park is meaningful community engagement, where the design and vision for the park can be decided on collectively.

The smart park concept is aimed at providing for inclusivity, social interaction and the integration of communities. The intention is that the activities provided for in smart parks accommodate young and old members of the community.

The City’s first three smart parks are located in Khayelitsha, Blikkiesdorp and Gugulethu – each unique in its design to suit the available space and the respective community’s interests and requests.

Each of the parks includes custom-made play areas and large trees, paving, low-wall seating and picnic sites that provide places for residents to meet and relax.

For those who enjoy spending their free time being active, sports facilities are on offer in the form of multi-purpose courts and kick-about areas.

City Parks is conscious of the immense value parks have in neighbourhoods where children do not have space where they can play safely.

“The City Parks Department is developing a further three smart parks in Atlantis, Nomzamo and Seawinds in the coming year and I look forward to seeing what creative ideas these communities bring to the design of these parks. When a community is involved in the design and management of a park, it is an instant success,” says Alderman Belinda Walker, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Service and Special Projects.