Imagine Princess Vlei...

Imagine if…
  • The Princess is developed to benefit both our communities and nature…
  • We all help decide on how to make our vlei a precious asset for ourselves and our children…
For too long, people have been excluded from decisions about how our spaces should be used in our city, especially in less wealthy areas. Imagine Princess Vlei is an ongoing living project aimed at engaging communities imagining and transforming the space. What is important about this is that the transformation of the space is organically rooted in what people want and need; further, by making this a collaborative project, we promote community ownership and responsibility.  The City has undertaken to work with us on this project. Now you have a chance to make your views heard.

Growing a Community Vision
When local community conservationist Kelvin Cochrane began with the rehabilitation project of Dressing the Princess, he would walk the banks of Princess Vlei and imagine something different there, something that would beautify the space and nurture both people and nature.

Over the years, these dreams grew as more people joined the conversation and these ideas were consolidated in the People's Plan. In 2013, we made a bid to the World Design Capital2014, for a community design project to enrich and extend this plan through workshops and discussions with all who have an interest in Princess Vlei. This project was awarded recognition by the WDC in 2014.

Since then, the plan has been deepened into a comprehensive Community Vision of a collective space to that offers four core values: environment, recreation, community and heritage.  This vision has emerged through:
  • Place-making workshops with different community groups
  • Collecting responses through questionnaires and an Online survey
  • Interviews with user groups at the vlei
  • Our experience of hosting a range of events at the vlei which has deepened our understanding of how the Vlei can be used to build community, build bridges, promote a sense of ownership and responsibility; promote environmental awareness; harness creativity and vision. 
  • Engaging with professional designers through our Technical & Planning subcommittee. 
The Community Vision   was handed to Deputy Mayor Ian Nielsen at a Princes Vlei Forum event on 22 March 2014, the day on which the Deputy Mayor announced that the City was scrapping the plans for the mall. The City  used this document  to guide the process in drawing up a  Conceptual Development Framework (CDF) for Princess Vlei, which was finalised in July 2016.

The Princess Vlei Forum's Technical and Planning committee is drawing on professional landscape architects and project managers to help flesh out the CDF, and to draw up specific plans for some of the features. Resources are limited, but some money has been made available by Councillor Kevin Southgate through ward funding. The Forum is working to leverage more funding from the City, and to raise funds through donations.

The Forum would greatly value input on consolidating these plans, and on leveraging resources to assist in realising them.  Please join this conversation, and send us your ideas. 
Please help us build up our stakeholder list to make sure that all stakeholders are invited to participate in growing Princess Vlei.
We need you to fill in our online survey to help to shape our vision for Princess Vlei.
Make it happen! 
We are already reclaiming this beautiful space. But it will not happen without your involvement:
  • Everyone, visit the vlei with your families.
  • Fitness fanatics, lead yoga, walking and fitness classes in the vlei.
  • Teachers, bring your students for environmental education lessons, or get them involved in planting and clean-up projects and the FLight of Dreams.
  • Artists, what about some creative outdoor art installations for the vlei, or join our art activities with children.
  • Bird clubs, come and enjoy the magnificent birdlife.
  • Canoeists, paddle across these waters while enjoying the spectacular views.
  • Youth workers, here is a perfect place for young people to escape the gangsterism and violence of some of the neighbouring areas,and learn a more gentle way to be in the world.
  • Faith leaders, the vlei is already used by many baptismal churches. It is a perfect place to be close to God.
  • Crafters we plan to host a regular craft and fresh produce market at Princess Vlei
The Princess Vlei is everyone’s vlei. Let’s re-imagine it together!

Picture
Learners from John Graham Primary share their ideas for Princess Vlei
Nature's Playscapes
What happens when the professionals meet the people? Have a look at this great proposal put forward by Ralph Borland, a designer on our WDC subcommittee, for some inspired ideas of what could happen at Princess Vlei if we bring stakeholders and professionals together. The proposal was submitted to an international competition, Playscapes.