The joint Cape Town-Aachen Mayor’s Portfolio of Urban Sustainability (MAPS) showcases projects and initiatives that have been realised through the partnership, highlights the value of this longstanding cooperation, and celebrates the deep collaboration and mutual support that has characterised it. More broadly, MAPS provides an opportunity to continue sharing knowledge and lessons between the two cities on implementing and embedding sustainability in projects and services delivery, and deepens our understanding of sustainability in our respective socioeconomic, environmental and spatial contexts.
Many of the projects featured in MAPS are driven by education institutions that form part of the partnership, and highlight the importance of knowledge-sharing, intercultural exchange and cooperative learning. These include the Good Hope Lab, school exchanges and Hlumani. Other projects are led by the cities of Cape Town or Aachen and are of mutual interest to both, or involve synergy or similar approaches. The projects such as Premium Ways into Aachen’s greenery and Source to Sea are examples of such synergy, with both projects seeking to enhance green infrastructure and improve access to green public open space in the respective cities.
Finally, MAPS contains initiatives led by stakeholders from civil-society, cultural and business institutions involved in the Aachen–Cape Town partnership. These include Open Streets Cape Town and the Oranjezicht City Farm outreach.