Berg River Corridor Framework

An unsolicited urban design proposal, developed for the Province of the Western Cape, for reimagining Paarl’s Berg River corridor as a civic, ecological and connective spine capable of helping address the town’s apartheid spatial legacy.

The project responded to the way the river, industrial land uses, an underutilised arboretum and movement infrastructure have reinforced separation between eastern and western Paarl, limiting social, economic and public-realm integration across the town.

Crafted the conceptual urban analysis and spatial development framework, focusing on how the Berg River could shift from a dividing edge into a shared public asset.

The proposal explored public realm upgrades, non-motorised transport, mixed-use infill, transit-oriented development, landscape restoration and strategic land-use transition as tools to support stronger cross-river connectivity and more inclusive urban restructuring.

The framework envisioned a Paarl that looked towards its riparian heart, rather than turning away from it.

The unsolicited proposal was not formally adopted or implemented.

It did establish a clear spatial argument for treating the Berg River corridor as a long-term integration project rather than a back-of-house industrial edge, demonstrating how landscape, mobility, public life and development strategy could be brought together to address inherited spatial divides while creating a more connected and equitable urban future for Paarl.