Observatory Community

The residents of Observatory in Cape Town are taking responsibility for making their suburb safer and more attractive

Over the last few years the community of Observatory has been developing a strong sense of civic identity, taking local action to improve the area for all of its residents.
It started a few years ago when the Observatory Neighbourhood Watch emerged in response to rising crime.
The organisation built up a strong network, with frequent e-mails to residents and its own bank of crime statistics. Unarmed, visible citizen patrols followed and relations between the organisation and the local police station improved markedly, with a high level of ongoing communication between all roleplayers. The result is a community that is aware of crime trends and patterns, with a noticeable improvement in the safety of residents.
When xenophobic violence affected Cape Town in 2008, the communication network established by the Observatory Neighbourhood Watch was used to provide regular updates to residents about the large community of foreign nationals who were given accommodation in a local church. The electronic newsletters advised how residents could assist by providing food and other supplies and called for volunteers to help with different tasks.
The recent formation of a City Improvement District (CID) in Observatory is also testimony to the high level of community mobilisation, with more than 50% of ratepayers voting for a top-up levy to be added to their rates. This mechanism provides an additional budget to a local community that can then determine how it will be used. The Observatory CID has prioritised the provision of additional security personnel and ways of keeping the area cleaner.
Other priorities are making the area greener through the work of a voluntary Ecology Group and working with shelters in the area to address homelessness, create jobs and encourage recycling.
One of the more creative actions to have emerged is the development of a number of ā?~guerrilla gardensā?T where local residents have taken over unkempt verges and flowerbeds, turning them into pretty gardens.
Local resident Edwin Angless says the idea seems to have generated spontaneously in a number of peopleā?Ts minds, with a growing number of nooks now covered in water-wise and indigenous flowering plants, vegetables and herbs.
The City of Cape Town has given its support by supplying seedlings and shrubs from its two nurseries for residents to plant. Trees will also be supplied with prior discussion about planting strategies to avoid future root damage. The CID plans to support the efforts by employing a full-time gardener who will help with the heavy digging when new sites are identified and need preparation.
With a railway line bisecting the suburb there is a lot of public land belonging to Transnet, Intersite, the province and the City, much of which is neglected, providing an opportunity for action.
The Ecology Group is also on the lookout for suitable land that could be used as a food garden to supply the two local soup kitchens that operate nearby.
By taking local action the people of Observatory have joined a growing international movement of communities that are taking responsibility for their local areas. Research in North America shows that greening initiatives improve local areas by reducing crime, as they encourage people to spend time outdoors. They also help slow traffic, improve business and reduce energy use by making areas cooler.

To view the complete magazine, please click on the link below or copy and paste into a new browser window.

Link:
http://emag.sadelivery.co.za/index.aspx?issue=issue03&page=61