People come to First Thursdays in Cape Town for other people. It provides a place for us to hang out in the same place with people that are different from us. Simply adding people to the Cape Town city centre at night has fueled a dramatic surge in the city's night-time economy. 

Join First Thursdays co-founder Gareth Pearson and I as we discuss:

- How he became interested in making places work better

- How the Cape Town municipality used to think of First Thursday and how they think of it now (20min)

- How diverse activities attract diverse audiences (23min)

- What the effects of First Thursday are on Cape Town (28min)

- Gareth’s advice on what to think about when wanting to start a similar programme in your town (33min)

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Subscribe to the Places Plus Podcast:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/places-plus-podcast/id1642878155

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0DfiGndY5R9glXotcGK4Mi

Google: https://podcasts.google.com/search/Places%20Plus%20Podcast

Website: https://placesplus.co.za/

Email: alan@placesplus.co.za

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Find Gareth online:

Company website: https://www.stadiumplac.es/

Email address: gp@stadiumplaces.co.za

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethpearson/

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Mentioned in discussion:

First Thursdays: https://first-thursdays.co.za/

Cape Town Central City Improvement District: https://www.capetownccid.org/

A Pattern Language book: https://www.loot.co.za/product/christopher-alexander-a-pattern-language/vkdk-361-g720

Safer, accessible, well-connected and more interesting streets is what Wits University wants between it and the surrounding city. So, how can this happen? Monica Albonico of Albonico Sacks Metacity discusses using a street furniture design project as a tool to reimagine Wits' urban edge with Braamfontein.

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Subscribe to the Places Plus Podcast:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0DfiGndY5R9glXotcGK4Mi

Google: https://podcasts.google.com/search/Places%20Plus%20Podcast

Website: https://placesplus.co.za/

Email: alan@placesplus.co.za

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Find Monica online:

Company website: https://www.asmarch.com/

Email address: monica@albosack.co.za

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-albonico-7aa094a/

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Mentioned in discussion:

Braam Participatory Street Furniture Design Project: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/359e8791372d4e2b8d2460f1c7486e3a

Lovebraam: https://www.lovebraam.com/

Counterspace and the Serpentine Pavilion project: https://counterspace-studio.com/projects/serpentine-pavilion-2021/

Ghel Architects: https://gehlpeople.com/

A R100 note in his pocket was James Delaney's defence against anyone who decided to mug him when he first stepped foot to walk in Johannesburg's infamous The Wilds municipal park in 2014. Today the 40-acre indigenously planted wonderland still has wild sides to it, and that's just how the crowds of daily users of the park, like it. Join James Delaney as he explains the history of the park, how he won the trust of municipal employees, what it took to turn The Wilds around, and his dream to make it an even more beautiful and popular park for city residents.

Read more about some of the items discussed in the podcast:

James Delaney professional site: https://www.delaney.co.za/

The Wilds Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1582183308538762/

Joburg.co.za The Wilds profile page: https://joburg.co.za/explore-the-wilds/

Trip advisor The Wilds profile page: https://www.tripadvisor.co.za/Attraction_Review-g312578-d14079766-Reviews-The_Wilds_Nature_Reserve-Johannesburg_Greater_Johannesburg_Gauteng.html

Johannesburg Parks and Zoo: https://www.jhbcityparksandzoo.com/

Interesting walking routes crisscrossing a city make it far more fun and convenient to explore and live in. Johannesburg Inner City Partnership CEO David Van Niekerk discusses how they've been working to establish a walkable network in the inner city/ downtown area. 

Please note: from around 20mins there are occasional sound glitches, but these parts were retained as they are still understandable.

Find out more information about items mentioned during the show:

Johannesburg Inner City Partnership: https://www.jicp.org.za/

More on the Walkable Network project: https://www.jicp.org.za/walkable-network/

JICP on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JhbPartnership

Woza Work project: https://www.jicp.org.za/wozawork/

Gauteng Precinct Management Association: https://www.gpma.co.za/

Books by Project for Public Spaces: https://www.pps.org/publications

The Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Placemaking: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Neighborhood-Book-Do-Yourself/dp/0865715815

Walk On By, by Dionne Warwick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsGsCvJWEo8

The jewel in the crown of a significant property portfolio; South Africa's most popular tourist destination; a place locals love to be - all accurate descriptions of Cape Town's V&A Waterfront. Development Executive Vusi Nondo discusses the thinking behind the success and development of this iconic landmark. 

Bulldozers were still active in District Six in the 1970s when Khalied Jacobs was in school. Today his firm Japuka Architects and Urban Designers is leading the public realm strategy to help bring people back to the long-vacant landscape near the Cape Town CBD.