An infographic with the highlights appears in the latest issue of City Views (October/November 2013), its bimonthly publication.
Based at the CCID and Cape Town Partnership, researcher Andrew Fleming came up with the idea of the residential survey in order to assist the CCID to develop a better understanding of exactly who lives in Cape Town's Central City area, what they do for a living and how they add life to the CBD when they hit the streets afterhours.
"Also, this survey helps us to understand how the CCID can better match its services to the needs of residents to best live up to its motto of 'safe, clean and caring.' It told us what people like and what they would like to see improved. Through this survey we've started a two-way conversation with residents that's an important step towards ensuring long-term engagement," explains Fleming.
According to the latest SA Census, there are just over 5000 people now living in the CBD. "So it's important to remember that this survey is a dipstick of opinion rather than a survey that represents the majority of residents. Nevertheless, it reveals a number of interesting facts among those that responded.
"For example, was the length of time some people have lived in the CBD, along with the length of time they still anticipate living here. This shows confidence in the urban lifestyle of the CBD. People really emphasised that there was a 'vibe' here that you didn't find anywhere else in Cape Town. It's important that we ensure this vibe keeps growing and that we promote what we have."
There are a large number of people who use cars to travel short distances. "However, as MyCiTi rolls out further and the CBD incorporates more non-motorised transport options, such as bicycle lanes and pedestrian corridors, it will be interesting to see whether the number of local drivers drops over the years."
Indeed a very promising indicator showing the potential of the MyCiTi service is that the survey showed that while only 9% use it to get to work, 30% of all respondents indicated they using in one way or another.
Commenting on these figures, Cllr Brett Herron, the Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town notes, "We're looking to achieve a 60/40 percent split eventually on public transport vs private vehicle, so we've still got a long way to go, but if within the Central City, 30% are already using MyCiTi, that's very encouraging."
The survey also revealed the fluidity of movement through the CBD. "Residents clearly knit the city together; they'll shop in one part of town, work in another and then go to restaurants situated throughout the area. To residents, the CBD is more about a vibe, as opposed to a bounded space," continues Fleming.
The survey also demonstrated a love of public space such as The Company's Garden and pedestrianized thoroughfares such as St George's Mall. "It would be wonderful to see more of the latter in particular. The results of the property investigation conducted in the last issue of City Views (October/November 2013, the lowdown on property in the Central City) showed just how popular retail was in the areas that had the highest pedestrian footfall."
The CCID residential survey will now be conducted annually and City Views invites anyone who lives within the CCID boundaries and would like to be added to the database (to take part next year) to send an email at az.oc.dicnwotepac@aziza.
See the survey highlights online.
