The City of Cape Town has approved the Local Spatial Development Framework (LSDF) for the Blaauwberg Corridor in Table View, which relates to the areas adjacent to Blaauwberg Road, one of the most important transport routes in the suburb.

The corridor covers approximately 5km from Marine Circle in the west to the intersection of with Koeberg Road and Potsdam Road in the east.

The municipality says the LSDF addresses the challenges posed by historic planning dating from the 1980s, changes in the surroundings over the past 40 years, limitations on the corridor’s development potential, increasing congestion, and infrastructure challenges.

“The intention of the LSDF is to develop Blaauwberg Road into a thriving urban corridor with world class destinations, walkable precincts and quality public spaces. It must be integrated with the surrounding natural assets and guide the way for sustainable urban development,” comments the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.

Blaauwberg Road was developed in the late 1980s for low density suburban residential use, based on a car centric development model with limited consideration of its interaction with the natural environment and open spaces. Over the past 40 years, the urban footprint has expanded to the north with the creation of new suburbs such as Parklands, Dunoon, West Beach, Sandown, Big Bay, Sunningdale, Rivergate, and more. Congestion along Blaauwberg Road has increased, and with historic title deed restrictions limiting the development potential along the corridor.

“In devising the draft LSDF, the City relied on the 1998 Blaauwberg Road Growth Management Strategy as a reference point. More than 25 years ago already, the strategy proposed that we should combine the mobility function of the Blaauwberg Road east-west arterial route with higher density mixed use development along the axis to fulfil the corridor’s future potential,” notes Alderman Andrews.

The City’s key spatial strategies for the Blaauwberg Road Corridor include a plan for employment and improved access to economic opportunities; to enhance access to the Marine Circle area and the coastline; to further develop the western section of the corridor between Marine Circle and the R27 as a mixed-use economic area; and to provide a range of housing opportunities to accommodate varied income levels.

The draft LSDF was informed by a public participation process that took place during the second half of 2023. The City says it responds to – and aligns with – the Blaauwberg District Spatial Development Framework (DSDF) that was approved by Council that same year. The DSDF identifies Blaauwberg Road and part of Marine Drive as prioritised areas for mixed land use, and higher density development; and pursues improved access to coastal opportunity areas, such as the Table View beachfront.