It’s Youth Month here in South Africa and to celebrate, the Talking Transformation Podcast sits with three young planners: the winner, the runners-up and co-ordinator of the South African Cities Network’s Young Planner and Designer Competition, 2020.
All three provide refreshing, powerful, and personal takes on the challenges our cities have and the future cities they want to shape. They explain how they considered these issues and themes in their submissions and the evaluation of competition entries.
Based in Glasgow, Scotland - but a Joburger at heart - we speak to winner Zubeida Lowton about her winning entry looking at historic Fox Street, Johannesburg CBD and how she is integrating that work into her Doctoral Research at the university of Glasgow. She practically explains how safety and security and issues of urban connectivity can be considered now and in future Johannesburg.
We speak to runner-up and recent graduate of the University of Pretoria, Tshepo Tsotetsi. He speaks with passion about future cities and the role planners have in shaping them. He recognises the complexity and enormity of the challenges and sets out a compelling agenda for change that should inspire and provoke in equal measure.
Our third guest is SACN Research Intern, Tlholohelo Mokgere. She adds a welcome third young voice to the discussion, explaining the themes and aspects that shaped the competition and the judging of the entries. She shares her own observations and perspectives on the issues with clarity and enthusiasm.
We conclude our discussion with a broader discussion about the youth and their contribution to the future, recognising just how challenging it is to be setting out on their built environment journeys.
All three are remarkable young talents.
They represent the best SA has to offer and hope for our future. We celebrate their achievements and efforts and trust you will enjoy the episode.
Recorded 20th June 2020
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