As the year comes to an end, we are happy to announce that four of the ideas collected through the public call for proposals to improve our public spaces will be implemented in early 2021.

Special thanks to the public space working group which carefully considered all the ideas submitted and put together a thoughtful recommendation to the OBSID Board for further discussion and decision making.

We plan to run the public call for activations again in mid-2021, and look forward to receiving more submissions about how best to activate our public spaces.

We’ll be activating the following projects and will let you know how you can get involved:

• Community greening: in partnership with Communitree, we’ll be working on planting and maintaining suitable vegetation in various locations around Obs, including planting trees throughout Observatory in empty “tree holes” – some of which will be fruit trees supported by community champions, tasked with ensuring that trees are watered, pest free, fertilised and pruned.
• Outdoor gym equipment: we’ll be piloting a small outdoor gym on the Village Green, to test community interest and usage along with perceptions of safety.
• The (his) story of Obs: inspired by one of the proposals that suggested celebrating the poets after whom streets are named in Obs, the working group recommended the development of an all- encompassing view on the neighbourhood’s heritage. We are therefore looking for a consultant to help us draw up a roadmap to consolidate heritage and historical information and to find ways of memoralising and commemorating it through physical interventions, or events. Please review the brief: https://obsid.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/OBSID-brief-heritage-and-memorialisation.pdf  and share it with anyone you know might be interested in taking on this project (appointment subject to OBSID’s normal procurement processes).
• The Village Green precinct: this space remains front of mind in the Obs community. The working group made the recommendation of a feasibility study for the area, with the opportunity to link it to the wider precinct. Please review the brief: https://obsid.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/OBSID-brief-precinct-planning.docx.pdf and share it with anyone you know might be interested in taking on this project (appointment subject to OBSID’s normal procurement processes).

We’ve also celebrated our pilot supportive housing project through the design and activation of a beautiful mural in partnership with the KIF Collective.  It’s certainly brightened up the corner that the property occupies!

Finally, we’re working with a team of developers on an online trading / sales platform to support shops, businesses and craftspeople in Observatory and an inventory of public art, kerbside gardens and parks is being completed and will be mapped on our website and social media channels in the coming months.

Again, many thanks to those who have taken part in this initial phase of our public space strategy. We look forward to working together in bringing your ideas to life next year and beyond.