Is a transition towards a regenerative built environment feasible in Cape Town and the Western Cape?

Climate change and inequality in the Western Cape region

Cape Town faces the dual challenge of addressing socio-economic inequalities while reducing its environmental footprint and adapting to the increasing impacts of a changing climate. The city faces a severe housing shortage, exacerbated by socio-spatial inequalities and historical injustices. The spatial divisions enforced during the colonial and apartheid eras continue to shape Cape Town’s urban landscape today, entrenching patterns of segregation and differential access to the benefits of urban agglomeration. This spatial segregation manifests in stark differences in living conditions, access to education and economic opportunities, and overall quality of life.

Climate change poses further significant and growing challenges for Cape Town. This includes the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as droughts, flooding and heat waves, and the associated severe water scarcity and increased risk of bush and shack fires. The city’s coastal location makes it vulnerable to coastal erosion and storm surges, while changing rainfall patterns threaten food security and biodiversity in the Cape Floral region. These climate impacts particularly affect vulnerable and marginalised communities and exacerbate existing socio-economic inequalities.

The City of Cape Town has demonstrated ambition in managing the transition to a more equitable and climate-friendly urban future. It has committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, as well as releasing a Climate Change Action Plan and engaging in global city networks. However, despite these policies and plans, actual transformation to spatial and economic patterns of urban development have been slow, perpetuating social divisions and economic struggles.

The concept of a regenerative built environment offers a holistic approach to addressing these challenges. Its core idea is to positively improve the health of people and the planet by integrating ecological restoration, social equity and economic vitality.

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Working together for an equitable and regenerative built environment

In a series of meetings and workshops, the convening partners – the Economic Development Partnership (EDP), the African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the University of Cape Town, and Bauhaus Earth – tested the relevance and resonance of the regenerative built environment in Cape Town and the Western Cape. This collaborative effort sought to chart possible pathways towards a regenerative future for Cape Town and the Western Cape. These pathways must ensure that development prioritises social equity alongside environmental regeneration to create resilient, inclusive, and liveable cities.

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Five recommendations for action emerged from the challenges and opportunities explored at these workshops:

1. Foster a shared vision and commitment

The transition to a regenerative built environment can be a lever for social, economic and environmental change. It requires alignment with local policies, engagement with diverse stakeholders, and long-term support for effective multi-stakeholder collaborations to drive systemic change.

2. Ensure political support

To initiate an effective transition process, it is crucial to have the involvement and support of various stakeholders from both the ‘top-down’ authorising and ‘bottom-up’ mobilising environments. Having political champions play a key role in ensuring success. Therefore, aligning with existing policy objectives and securing formal endorsements from various sectors is beneficial.

3. Align immediate social and economic challenges with climate change mitigation

The transition to a low-carbon environment must be fair and inclusive. For the regenerative built environment to become a reality in Cape Town and the Western Cape, social, economic, and environmental challenges cannot not be decoupled.

4. Commit to mutual learning and knowledge sharing

Lasting change requires knowledge about what needs to change, how to organise that change, and the nuanced context of that intended change. The complexity of integrating the regenerative built environment into a place like Cape Town means mutually sharing knowledge at different levels and across different spaces, for current and future practitioners.

5. Strengthen outreach and communication

Closely related to the previous point, this knowledge must be communicated and discussed on a broad level. A majority of citizens can significantly impact processes of change through a shift in individual behaviour, ambitions and by creating demand and political pressure.

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Learn more in our report and webinar

The full report about our process of exploring a transition to a regenerative built environment is available online. It provides an overview of the process and key discussion outcomes, summarises the challenges identified, and recommends further action. These learnings will be discussed by the convening partners at a webinar on 17 October 2024 at 2pm (CEST/SAST); register here for free.

Ultimately, the learnings from our workshops will provide the foundation of the Changemaker’s Guide, a comprehensive guide to the transformation of the built environment around the world. It will include inspiring case studies and practical knowledge to drive systemic change in the built environment.

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