Marcela co-founded and headed Open Streets Cape Town from 2012 to 2019, an organization which inspired new thinking around the use of Cape Town's streets and led to similar initiatives in other African cities. Since then, she has continued to work on mobility related issues, while expanding to, and publishing widely, on new areas such as public space and food systems.
Up until 2017, Dustin built and led the Social Justice Coalition, one of South Africa’s key social movements for greater urban equality during that period. After leaving the SJC, he began a global activist fellowship with the Social Change Initiative in Belfast and then continued to expand his consulting and independent work internationally.
Below are some examples of our work, as well as further down, a collection of pieces profiling us.
Projects
Africa and Latin America Cities Exchange on Low Carbon Mobility with UN-Habitat
Coordinated an Africa-Latin America cities exchange on low carbon mobility in Bogota with local government officials from Dar es Salaam, Kigali, Quito, Montevideo and Belo Horizonte. This immersive exchange was supported by UN-Habitat, Solutions Plus, the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative, and the Wuppertal Institut.
Public Space Stories, Heinrich Böll Foundation
This series of stories was the result of a process of working with individuals from communities across Cape Town on their experience and use of public space during COVID-19. Funded by the Heinrich Boll Foundation and published over 6 weeks in the Daily Maverick print and online editions.
COAB Program, International Budget Partnership
As an international advocacy consultant, formed part of the management team for the Collaborating for Open and Accountable Budgets, leading a multi-year European Commission-funded global civil society training and advocacy programme in 23 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America aimed at advancing transparency and citizen participation in public budgets.
Bogotá Mobility Exchange, People for Bikes
Curated the visit of a delegation for People for Bikes from Rhode Island in the US to Bogotá to meet with local government officials and learn about mobility initiatives in the Colombian capital.
Cities Research, People for Bikes
Research for People for Bikes on how various cities in the US were incorporating public participation into low carbon transport plans during Covid.
Strategic Review, Social Audit Network
Designed and led a strategic development and research process to reimagine and reformulate the direction and institutional structure of the Social Audit Network, a national network advancing social auditing in South Africa.
Composteria
Created and ran a 6 month micro-hauling compost collection pilot with the Oranjezicht City Farm.
Profiles
Explore some of the ways our work has been profiled in the past.
