STREET EXPERIMENTS AFRICA

Street experiments are temporary, low-cost interventions that explore new ways of using streets and public spaces. They aim to make streets safer, more inclusive, and vibrant by reimagining their design using tactical bollards, yellow cones, barriers, removable concrete curbs, and other tools to redefine street layouts. These experiments often involve temporarily closing streets to cars, narrowing roads, adding pop-up bike lanes, or transforming large intersections into protected areas or shared spaces for pedestrians and other uses.

The purpose of street experiments is to demonstrate what’s possible. They offer opportunities to test ideas in real-time, gather feedback from the community, and evaluate the impact of changes before committing to permanent redesigns. By encouraging participation and producing tangible results, street experiments can shift how people perceive urban spaces and build public support for long-term improvements. They also provide communities, officials, and councillors with better tools to assess what works and what doesn’t.

There are two types of street experiments we aim to introduce across local governments in South Africa. The first involves temporarily closing a street on a weekly or monthly basis without needing an events permit, allowing communities to test new ideas. The second is more aligned with everyday urbanism, where intersections are closed or roads are “dieted” daily to gather real-time feedback. This approach is similar to how the City of Cape Town and SANRAL use tactical bollards to influence driver behaviour—but in our case, these tools are used to protect pedestrians, vulnerable road users and support other non-vehicular uses.

In Cape Town, the Bree Street Sunday Experiment is our example of the first type. From October 27, 2024, until March 2025, Bree Street has been closed to vehicles every Sunday, transforming into a car-free space where pedestrians and cyclists take centre stage. Notably, this initiative did not require a formal events permit, as it was classified as a non-event by the City. This significantly reduced the costs of implementation, allowing us to carry out the weekly experiment along Bree Street—from Wale to Strand—and including Shortmarket Street between Bree and Long, for a six-month period.

Supported by the City of Cape Town and Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, the experiment offered a unique opportunity to reimagine one of the city's most iconic streets as a space for people rather than vehicles. It was not designed as a commercial or entertainment event, but as a calm, inclusive environment where everyone could feel welcome. Our street ambassadors, the Green Riders, served as marshals, while we activated the space with support from local businesses, communities, our networks, and friends from afar—all in line with the non-event nature of the programme.

This project forms part of our Safer Streets Programme, which seeks to connect all road safety stakeholders and demonstrate scalable solutions for other areas in the country. Through ongoing collaboration with residents, businesses, and participants, the Bree Street Experiment evolved each week—offering valuable insights and inspiration for future street design. The initiative is also aligned with the CBD’s Local Spatial Development Framework (LSDF), which includes a Mobility and Accessibility Plan.

Street experiments like this offer a glimpse into what’s possible when we rethink how urban spaces are used. They show how streets can be transformed into places that are not only functional, but also safe, inclusive, and alive with the energy of the people who use them.

Street experiments are temporary, low-cost interventions that explore new ways of using streets and public spaces. They aim to make streets safer, more inclusive, and vibrant by reimagining their design using tactical bollards, yellow cones, barriers, removable concrete curbs, and other tools to redefine street layouts. These experiments often involve temporarily closing streets to cars, narrowing roads, adding pop-up bike lanes, or transforming large intersections into protected areas or shared spaces for pedestrians and other uses.

The purpose of street experiments is to demonstrate what’s possible. They offer opportunities to test ideas in real-time, gather feedback from the community, and evaluate the impact of changes before committing to permanent redesigns. By encouraging participation and producing tangible results, street experiments can shift how people perceive urban spaces and build public support for long-term improvements. They also provide communities, officials, and councillors with better tools to assess what works and what doesn’t.

There are two types of street experiments we aim to introduce across local governments in South Africa. The first involves temporarily closing a street on a weekly or monthly basis without needing an events permit, allowing communities to test new ideas. The second is more aligned with everyday urbanism, where intersections are closed or roads are “dieted” daily to gather real-time feedback. This approach is similar to how the City of Cape Town and SANRAL use tactical bollards to influence driver behaviour—but in our case, these tools are used to protect pedestrians, vulnerable road users and support other non-vehicular uses.

In Cape Town, the Bree Street Sunday Experiment is our example of the first type. From October 27, 2024, until March 2025, Bree Street has been closed to vehicles every Sunday, transforming into a car-free space where pedestrians and cyclists take centre stage. Notably, this initiative did not require a formal events permit, as it was classified as a non-event by the City. This significantly reduced the costs of implementation, allowing us to carry out the weekly experiment along Bree Street—from Wale to Strand—and including Shortmarket Street between Bree and Long, for a six-month period.

Supported by the City of Cape Town and Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, the experiment offered a unique opportunity to reimagine one of the city's most iconic streets as a space for people rather than vehicles. It was not designed as a commercial or entertainment event, but as a calm, inclusive environment where everyone could feel welcome. Our street ambassadors, the Green Riders, served as marshals, while we activated the space with support from local businesses, communities, our networks, and friends from afar—all in line with the non-event nature of the programme.

This project forms part of our Safer Streets Programme, which seeks to connect all road safety stakeholders and demonstrate scalable solutions for other areas in the country. Through ongoing collaboration with residents, businesses, and participants, the Bree Street Experiment evolved each week—offering valuable insights and inspiration for future street design. The initiative is also aligned with the CBD’s Local Spatial Development Framework (LSDF), which includes a Mobility and Accessibility Plan.

Street experiments like this offer a glimpse into what’s possible when we rethink how urban spaces are used. They show how streets can be transformed into places that are not only functional, but also safe, inclusive, and alive with the energy of the people who use them.

Street experiments are temporary, low-cost interventions that explore new ways of using streets and public spaces. They aim to make streets safer, more inclusive, and vibrant by reimagining their design using tactical bollards, yellow cones, barriers, removable concrete curbs, and other tools to redefine street layouts. These experiments often involve temporarily closing streets to cars, narrowing roads, adding pop-up bike lanes, or transforming large intersections into protected areas or shared spaces for pedestrians and other uses.

The purpose of street experiments is to demonstrate what’s possible. They offer opportunities to test ideas in real-time, gather feedback from the community, and evaluate the impact of changes before committing to permanent redesigns. By encouraging participation and producing tangible results, street experiments can shift how people perceive urban spaces and build public support for long-term improvements. They also provide communities, officials, and councillors with better tools to assess what works and what doesn’t.

There are two types of street experiments we aim to introduce across local governments in South Africa. The first involves temporarily closing a street on a weekly or monthly basis without needing an events permit, allowing communities to test new ideas. The second is more aligned with everyday urbanism, where intersections are closed or roads are “dieted” daily to gather real-time feedback. This approach is similar to how the City of Cape Town and SANRAL use tactical bollards to influence driver behaviour—but in our case, these tools are used to protect pedestrians, vulnerable road users and support other non-vehicular uses.

In Cape Town, the Bree Street Sunday Experiment is our example of the first type. From October 27, 2024, until March 2025, Bree Street has been closed to vehicles every Sunday, transforming into a car-free space where pedestrians and cyclists take centre stage. Notably, this initiative did not require a formal events permit, as it was classified as a non-event by the City. This significantly reduced the costs of implementation, allowing us to carry out the weekly experiment along Bree Street—from Wale to Strand—and including Shortmarket Street between Bree and Long, for a six-month period.

Supported by the City of Cape Town and Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, the experiment offered a unique opportunity to reimagine one of the city's most iconic streets as a space for people rather than vehicles. It was not designed as a commercial or entertainment event, but as a calm, inclusive environment where everyone could feel welcome. Our street ambassadors, the Green Riders, served as marshals, while we activated the space with support from local businesses, communities, our networks, and friends from afar—all in line with the non-event nature of the programme.

This project forms part of our Safer Streets Programme, which seeks to connect all road safety stakeholders and demonstrate scalable solutions for other areas in the country. Through ongoing collaboration with residents, businesses, and participants, the Bree Street Experiment evolved each week—offering valuable insights and inspiration for future street design. The initiative is also aligned with the CBD’s Local Spatial Development Framework (LSDF), which includes a Mobility and Accessibility Plan.

Street experiments like this offer a glimpse into what’s possible when we rethink how urban spaces are used. They show how streets can be transformed into places that are not only functional, but also safe, inclusive, and alive with the energy of the people who use them.