Getting Walkability Right: Rashiq Fataar presents OFC Walkability Framework at Circular South Africa's Lunch Club

In Cape Town, walking makes up ~34% of all daily trips. Our CEO presented Our Future Cities' framework for walkable environments at Circular South Africa's Lunch Club. The framework is actively applied to projects to embed walkability into the existing city areas, and new precincts and development zones.

Here are some of the key insights:

- Walking is personal and unequal. Some walk by choice, others by necessity. Our willingness or ability to walk is shaped by risk, gender, weather, familiarity, and affordability. Why would an individual run across a freeway instead of using a pedestrian bridge?

- We speak of "walkable environments", not just walkability. In fragmented, low-density cities like ours, responses must be localised, tailored to suburbs, high streets, inner cities, or new developments rather than one-size-fits-all.

- Designing for walkability is designing for dignity. It goes beyond paving: it includes safe crossings, night-time lighting, placemaking, diverse land uses, and creating destinations that invite public life.

Additional case studies from across the globe were shared to highlight circular and inclusive urban design, and overall the discussions had provided meaningful insights into walkability.

Watch here

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