World Economic Forum Provides Useful Guidelines for Future City Policies

The visit by Executive Mayor Dan Plato and a delegation of City of Cape Town officials to the World Economic Forum meeting in China is providing useful guidelines for the future development of Cape Town.

Among the important themes at the World Economic Forum (WEF) were the compact city model, urban efficiency, mobility and the smart use of technology.

In implementing these themes, Plato said the City would review its provision of fibre optic broadband infrastructure to ensure that job creation through the use of technology is stimulated. "In addition, smart energy use offers a significant opportunity for Cape Town to play a leading role in effective energy conservation," Plato said.

City officials were able to experience this in the city of Dalien, which developed a software park where the number of employees increased from 3 000 to nearly 100 000 in less than a decade.

Mansoor Mohamed, the Executive Director for Economic, Social Development and Tourism, said: "The visit to the software park illustrated the importance of technology in stimulating economic growth and job creation. Dalian is now the leading city in China providing financial and other business process outsourcing services in the region. Cape Town is similarly well positioned to provide such services to companies throughout the world."

Mayor Plato also participated in a number of closed bilateral meetings at the World Economic Forum to help it formulate the agenda for its newly established Mayor's Forum.

"Urbanisation and the delivery of housing is a key challenge," said Plato. "The WEF indicated its willingness to support initiatives that counter such problems. The Forum also expressed its willingness to share experiences on technology and energy efficiency."

Plato said that political will, strong policies and careful budgeting would provide a sound foundation for a green economy.

"Government, community and stakeholder involvement in the formulation of policy is a pre-condition for effective implementation of environmentally responsible policies. Such policies will only win broad acceptance if they enhance the lives of ordinary people. "

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Issued by:
Communication Department
City of Cape Town