The Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU) project is a holistic approach to urban upgrading that is unique in the Cape Town context in the way that it has integrated all forms of development and not only the physical upgrading of urban spaces.

VPUU is a City of Cape Town project aimed at reducing violent crime and improving social conditions in Cape Town communities across the Cape Flats, of which the Khayelitsha community is the first.

This innovative project ... See morewas initiated in 2006, in partnership with the German Government, through the German Development Bank (KFW).

Approach and Methodology

VPUU is committed to work according to a set of principles and follows a set of steps from analysing a situation through to operation and maintenance.

These steps and the principles aim to support the participatory approach of VPUU in order to allow the residents of the four Safe Node Areas to interact and engage with VPUU as a programme in order to take ownership of the urban environment and the social interventions of the programme. The community participation strategy illustrates these key principles.

The elements of VPUU follow a strategic approach according to a clear methodology based on analytical elements of the current situation (Baseline Survey), a prioritisation process in cooperation with community members and their representative bodies (Prioritisation of Interventions). Based on these two elements a strategy is developed which informs individual interventions that make up the strategy. These individual interventions are developed in partnership with the residents and their representative bodies.

Implementation is done by using local resources as much as possible.

During the planning phase a suitable monitoring system is agreed on in order to constantly monitor and evaluate progress, changes in the daily life, and over time impact on the safety situation.

One of the key elements of VPUU is that right from the beginning there is a commitment to create well managed and maintained spaces and project interventions. Local organisations receive priority when operating and managing these spaces.

The model of intervention is based on an integrated approach between social situational and institutional crime prevention initiatives with the aim to reduce the high crime rates within the four Safe Node Areas. The improvement of the socio economic situation is key to the success of VPUU.