Cape Town Den[city]

The majority of discourse on ‘sustainability’ places emphasis on the environmental agenda (‘green and brown’ issues): inclusive of pollution, energy and water consumption, urban waste, ecological footprinting, and so on; macro-scale processes, issues of governance and institutional capacity. Although vital for dialogue, most of this theory largely sidelines the challenge of designing cities as liveable, adaptable environments, abundant in culture, heritage, and identity.

This discussion paper not only intends to address achievable goals toward sustainable urban form through the concept of densification but also promotes sustainability from a design perspective. The paper asks the following key questions; does densification improve or decrease sustainability, and why is this the case? Conversely, how does urban sprawl promote or prevent sustainability, and why? This leads to the question, how can urban development processes provide sustainable approaches to designing cities, neighborhoods, places, and spaces? The paper focuses on Cape Town and its environs.

Abstract based directly on source.