Tag Archives: Sustainable development

Walking blues, or how to make Cape Town a more walkable city

21 November 10 9 Comments

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At one level, Cape Town is a city prominently associated with walking – on the mountains, the beaches, the Sea Point Promenade, the walkway from Muizenberg to Kalk Bay. In particular, one thinks of Peter Slingsby’s wonderful hiking maps and Mike Lundy’s influential Best Walks in the Cape…

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Cape Town loses bid to host UN Climate Change Conference in 2011

12 November 10 13 Comments

The South African Cabinet announced rather strangely yesterday that the 2011 UN Climate Change Conference (aka the 17th Conference of the Parties for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change or COP17) will take place in the “KwaZulu-Natal province”. I assume by this it is meant that it will take place in eThekwini/…

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Perverse outcomes? New bicycle lanes in Cape Town CBD add space for cars

10 November 10 24 Comments

I have been monitoring how the new bicycle lanes in Bree St in the Cape Town CBD are being utililised. In my view, the net effect has been to simply give more space to motorists for illegal parking (where they can now double park for free without obstructing the traffic flow) and for delivery vehicles…

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One step forward, two steps backwards: the densification debate continues

28 September 10 5 Comments

I reported earlier this month that the City of Cape Town has approved a new city densification policy (City of Cape Town considers new urban densification policy). It appears that I was mistaken. It’s now back to the drawing board, as Ella Smook’s article in the Cape Argus (see below)…

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Counter currents in Cape Town

10 April 10 1 Comment

I’m sorry I missed the launch on 06 April of a new book on Cape Town – called Counter Currents: Experiments in Sustainablity in the Cape Town Region. By all accounts, it was a good evening. The volume is edited by my colleague Edgar Pieterse, and is published by the

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Sustainable Christmas Lighting in Sydney

18 December 09 2 Comments

I’ve got quite a few city development stories from my recent visit to Sydney. However, they are going to have to wait for the New Year because I’m going on holiday, and no-one wants to read serious stuff at this time of the year anyway. So, let me close the year with…

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Sustainable cities are the solution

08 December 09 0 Comments

There was a good article by David Lepeska in the Guardian two months ago on why cities offer the way forward on global warming and climate change. For more detailed information, see work by OECD, Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) and C40 Cities on the role of cities…

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Integrated Rapid Transport in Cape Town – no other alternative

03 November 09 10 Comments

There has been a lot of public debate about the costs and funding of the planned new Integrated Rapid Transit System (IRT) in Cape Town recently. Many commentators and ratepayers are asking  – can we afford it? My view is – can we as a city afford not to implement an…

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