Internationaal Bezoekersprogramma
De Zuid-Afrikaan Rashiq Fataar is in samenwerking met het Consulaat-Generaal in Kaapstad en het INTI (International New Town Institute) uitgenodigd voor een bezoek aan Nederland om zijn netwerk uit te bouwen en kennis en ideeën op te doen. Van 15 tot 20 september 2014 heeft deze jonge 'change maker' daarom architectenbureaus zoals MVRDV, OMA en ZUS bezocht, opleidingen als het Berlage Instituut en de Rotterdamse Academie van Bouwkunst en diverse culturele fondsen.
Dit jaar heeft Rashiq Fataar als co-programmeur meegewerkt aan het event Department of Design (de Nederlandse bijdrage aan World Design Capital Cape Town 2014) en heeft hij als adviseur een bijdrage geleverd aan het INTI project Density Syndicate in Kaapstad.
Over Rashiq Fataar
Rashiq Fataar is de oprichter en directeur van Our Future Cities (OFC), een onafhankelijke non profit organisatie die onderdak biedt aan de platforms Future Cape Town, Future Johannesburg, Future Lagos en Future London. Het OFC netwerk zet zich in voor meer democratie wat de toekomst van steden aangaat. Als onafhankelijk adviseur, spreker en auteur werkt Rashiq op het snijpunt van stedenbouw, nieuwe media en economie. Hij heeft Actuarial Science gestudeerd aan de Universiteit van Kaapstad en heeft momenteel zitting in het bestuur van Cape Town Tourism. Zie ook www.rashiqfataar.com
Rashiq Fataar over zijn bezoek
Q: What is the aim of your visit to The Netherlands?
A: My aim of this visit is multiple, but my particular aim is to learn how to build Future Cape Town in the next few years as an institution, and to be exposed to the innovative approaches of different organisations. Ultimately this may be in the form of building last collaborations and partnerships with experienced, and established Dutch organisations and person in the urbanism sphere.
Q: What is your view on current Dutch urban development and architecture. What insight do you bring back?
A: Design in all its forms is respected in Dutch society, and is embedded in urban development and architecture. The way in which research by design , while a newer approach, has openly tackled challenges is something I hope to bring back. In South Africa we should begin by building a larger understanding of the need for design in improving our cities and communities, and research by design has the opportunity to build greater awareness of the role all parts of society can play and inspire people about the future of their city.
Q: What can you say about state of urban development in your country at this moment, are their differences, similarities with Dutch urban development?
A: I think South Africa has learnt from the first two decades of democracy and has made significant inroads to provide basic services and infrastructure to those excluded for decades by apartheid. However, South African cities remain fragmented, disjointed and unequal and a major shift in how a city is planned and developed will need to be implemented in the coming decade. The Dutch urban development has shown many innovative ways that government can begin to achieve its goal with different parts of society, working collaboratively to tackle urban development challenges e.g. the relation between IABR and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, such that tackling challenges uses design in a genuine way.
We know that cities are the future and that people have a key role to play, and it will ultimately be strength of collaborations and shared knowledge that will jointly building better cities in South Africa and the Netherlands. We now have to go beyond borders and work together to understand the needs of different cities in a cooperative rather than a competitive way.
Q: Any specific projects, buildings or people who you have encountered during your visit to The Netherlands that made a lasting impression on you and why?
A: I was inspired by all of my meetings with people and organisations thus far, in terms of their approach to design, their processes and how their institution relates to each other parts and sectors of society. Pakhuis de Zwigjer resonated with the way Future Cape Town hopes to work in future, and their ability to use different platforms, techniques and approach to broader the dialogue about city development. I have always been a fan of OMA/AMO, and I am inspired by their range of work around the world, and specifically how AMO have worked on master plans for different cities with different issues. In terms of my work own work, meeting ZUS and learning about their approach to urbanism, and placemaking was inspirational useful to begin to apply in Cape Town.
Q: What would you like to achieve in five years and how can this visit contribute?
A: Over 5 years we are aiming to build a more sustainable organisation, which can play a more pro-active and strategic role in the urban development of Cape Town and other cities, expanding opportunities for citizens to become a part of the process to improve the future of their city.