Project Category: Landscape Architecture Project of the Year (Unbuilt)
Project Name: BAYWORLD MASTERPLAN, DEVELOPMENT OF A NATURE RESERVE AND ADVENTURE PARK
Location & Context: Gqeberha formerly known as Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
Size: 55 Hectares
Timeline: Masterplan 5- 10 years
Built Cost: N/A
Client: The Mandela Bay Development Agency, MBDA
Teams Involved:
• Insite Landscape Architects
• SVA International – Architect and urban design)
• Africoast consulting engineers
• Rand International Capital- Feasibility and economic study
Material Used: Masterplan vision to upgrade existing public open spaces, development of a nature reserve, development of an adventure park plus the urban integration into the beachfront promenade
Project Overview: 
The Mandela Bay Development Agency(MBDA) appointed Insite Landscape Architects to prepare a landscape development plan, feasibility study, business plan and project implementation for a nature reserve and adventure park in the Bayworld Precinct (MBDA BW13/21). The Bayworld Programme, when linked to the Baakens Valley Development and proposed Waterfront, is uniquely positioned to become an inclusive heart for Nelson Mandela Bay. MBDA acts as a transdisciplinary implementing agent for programmes, projects and events within its mandated area.
This includes the Happy Valley Program and various other identified catalytic programmes across the city. One of these programmes, the Bayworld Programme, entails the social, spatial and economic transformation of the existing Bayworld precinct in the Nelson Mandela Bay Inner City into an iconic and inclusive precinct that activates widespread job creation and economic development. The landscape development plan involves the development of the following (see below).
1. The Nature Reserve – which will be very closely linked to the various other Bayworld activities. There will be a very strong connection between the nature conservation area and the adventure park, celebrating the 5 biomes found in Nelson Mandela Bay: i. Forest biome; ii. Nama karoo biome; iii. Fynbos biome; iv. Grassland biome; v. Coastal thicket biome.
2. The Adventure park and mobility spine.
Various activities and individual elements are closely combined into a green corridor, that also hosts a low-impact mobility spine. Activities include: A Sports Park e.g. compact multipurpose sports courts and fields, Active recreation e.g. MTB, hiking, trail running, Extreme sports e.g. Zipline, tree top tours, archery, Multi-function events spaces e.g. music festivals and Market spaces.