Open Streets comes to Bellville

Bellville is the second busiest transport hub and an important economic centre in Cape Town. It also boasts a high level of diversity. It thrives with a sense of, as ethnographer Ingrid Brudvig has described it, ‘conviviality’. It provides a fascinating opportunity to interrogate how we use public space; largely because of the different dynamics at play, in terms of informal trade, transport routes, a multi-cultural mix and its rich history. In many ways, Bellville is a city within a city.

The perception of being ‘another city’ is not always positive unfortunately and the sense of distance and lack of safety only adds to our sense of separation. Yet, some of the most iconic South African rock bands come from Bellville; there are three major universities in the area and it has the busiest public library in the city; not to mention the countless wedding photos taken in the memorable Elizabeth Park. Bellville is indeed a place waiting to be rediscovered and experienced with a different set of eyes … and wheels.

This is the invitation we are extending to all Capetonians, to explore Bellville’s streets on 4 October as the network of Open Streets reaches the northern suburbs for the first time. It is an experiment in which some streets will be transformed into car-free space. As the fourth Open Streets Day of 2015 unfolds on Kruskal Avenue and part of Voortrekker Road, everyone in Cape Town will have a chance to challenge their perceptions, witness the amazing changes that history has brought to this place and discover new gems.

In recent years, an older, mainly Afrikaner generation has been joined by a predominantly foreign migrant population, making Bellville a fascinating melting pot; though some might argue, bringing about a ‘clash of civilisations’. As Brudvig puts it, “Bellville is situated at a place where the new and the old South Africa meet”. Such places symbolise change and with that comes conflict, blundered perceptions, and mistrust, but it also offers new opportunities that are only possible in cosmopolitan urban centres.

We hope people from across Cape town will use 4 October as an opportunity to travel to Bellville, perhaps using train or bicycles. Travelling from Cape Town to Bellville along Voortrekker Road is one possible way of getting there.

From its interesting architecture to its amazing Ethiopian and Somali restaurants, Bellville is a place worth exploring. And what better day than 4 October when the streets will be open for experiencing, experimenting and interacting.

Open Streets is a non-profit initiative in which main streets in urban areas are closed to cars so that people may use them for walking, bicycling, dancing, playing, and socializing.