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From Bogotá to Langa and back — Our journey to open streets

From Bogotá to Langa and back — Our journey to open streets
Poster for the first Open Streets Langa, 29 March 2015. (Poster: Supplied)
Marcela Guerrero Casas & Mzikhona Mgedle
By Marcela Guerrero Casas & Mzikhona Mgedle
28 Nov 2024
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An initiative premised around closing streets to cars began in Bogotá, Colombia, found kindred spirits across the oceans, and later spread to Langa, Cape Town. Years later, they’re encouraging everyone in Cape Town to keep opening their streets, and to experience the positive community spin-offs.

In a few days, we will travel to Bogotá, Colombia, to celebrate 50 years of Ciclovía, the program of closing streets to cars every Sunday and public holiday, that has inspired more than 400 cities worldwide to do similar programs and to open their streets to people. It is also the programme that entwined our lives in ways that a Colombian born in 1980, and a South African in 1994, could not have imagined in their wildest dreams. 

Over a decade ago, we joined forces with a dedicated group of people to bring the concept of car-free streets to Cape Town, establishing Open Streets Cape Town. While the organisation itself is now closed, this trip feels like a full-circle moment in this journey. 

Of course, the journey started before either of us was even born, when in 1974, a group of architects in Bogotá, went to the mayor in the Colombian capital and asked for permission to shut down 5km of one of the major arteries of the city. The rest, as they themselves have shared with the world, is history.  

Ciclovía, the programme in Bogotá that inspired Open Streets Cape Town, celebrates 50 years on 15 December 2024. (Photo: Carlos Pardo)


Start of our journey


For us, the journey began in Langa, where we first connected and started working together. One of the most memorable milestones was when Langa “opened her streets and heart”, as the local media put it, hosting one of the most inspiring Open Streets days.

For the following nine years, Open Streets created spaces in various parts of Cape Town, which saw thousands of people taking to the streets. Behind the scenes, the work was onerous, the mobilisation effort demanding, and the costs to comply with an event permit often prohibitive; nevertheless, the programme showcased the transformative potential of streets as public spaces.

Read more: Marcela Guerrero Casas: Cycling to open Cape Town’s streets

Opening bicycle hubs


In 2019, we parted ways, but this marked the beginning of new ventures. The Langa Bicycle Hub, born during this time, has become home to all bicycle needs for Langa, following closely the footsteps of Khaltsha Cycles, an initiative germinated within the Open Streets family by our colleague Sindile Mavundla, and then Local South.

In Langa, bicycles provide more than transport; they offer income, employment, and a pathway to independence. The Hub is helping to build an entire ecosystem around cycling, which aligns with broader efforts to improve streets and public space. This intersection beautifully embodies the ethos of Open Streets, where mobility, community and transformation are aligned.

It has been equally inspiring to see former volunteers, colleagues and partners carry the spirit of Open Streets forward, planting its seeds across Cape Town.  

City headlines, the day after Open Streets Langa. (Photo: Open Streets Cape Town)


New open streets initiatives


Simply shutting down streets is not enough to change the long history of our cities in South Africa. This change will require a series of interventions, but the good news is that people are eager to participate and take the lead. Indeed, it’s been inspiring to see how the spirit of Open Streets has contributed to initiatives, such as street festivals Regent Road Precinct Festival and Streetopia; and more recently, a collaboration between the City of Cape Town, and the Young Urbanists, who are experimenting with the creation of car-free streets without the onerous event permit normally required.

The dream of communities opening up their streets feels ever closer and within reach, paving the way for others to follow in a simple and affordable way. 

Given the lack of density and inviting public spaces in South African cities, creating vibrant, energetic environments requires more than simply closing streets to traffic. It demands intentional programming and dedicated resources to bring these spaces to life and sustain their impact. In Bogotá, this is achieved through a recreational programme throughout Ciclovía, where parks and public spaces host free lessons and activities for everyone.

Cape Town, of course, need not follow the same model. Drawing from the experience of Open Streets in the early 2010s, the range of activities here extends well beyond recreation and sports. From arts to sports, civic action and urban design, the possibilities are endless in using streets to reflect and nourish the city’s diversity and cultures.

The first Open Streets Langa on 29 March 2015. Poster for the first Open Streets Langa, 29 March 2015. (Poster: Supplied)


Learning and sharing in the Global South 


With all its challenges, Bogotá has shown the way of what is possible when citizen action and policy converge. It has been 50 years already, and the lessons can certainly help other cities of the Global South build on that invaluable experience.

The Ciclovía celebration includes an academic conference that will address the impact of the programme on issues beyond transportation, such as job creation, safety, gender and inclusion, and many others. Visitors will also see Bogotá’s iconic cable car system, and of course, on Sunday 15 December, we will join the vibrant street celebration on the city’s open streets. 

As we prepare for our trip and revisit the inspiration that brought us together, we encourage everyone in Cape Town to continue opening streets. Whether through festivals, sports events, markets, or spontaneous community efforts, the message remains the same: streets can— and should — be more than they are.

The Open Streets Cape Town manifesto said it best: “Streets can be more than they are!” May this vision continue to inspire and transform communities everywhere. DM

Marcela Guerrero Casas is co-founder of Local South, and co-founder and former managing director of Open Streets Cape Town. 

Mzikhona Mgedle is the founder and managing director for Langa Bicycle Hub, and worked as operations assistant and coordinator at Open Streets Cape Town.

 

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