Cape Town, South Africa

Initiating a Stakeholder-led Transition in Cape Town

Cape Town is located in the Western Cape Province, at the south-western tip of the African continent, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Indian Ocean to the south. The Western Cape is renowned for its rich biodiversity, featuring mountains, valleys, and expansive beaches. The region has a Mediterranean climate, with cold winters and hot summers. At its heart lies Cape Town, the country’s oldest city and home to nearly two-thirds of the Western Cape's population. With almost five million inhabitants, Cape Town is South Africa’s second-largest economic center and the second most populous city after Johannesburg.

The City of Cape Town (CoCT) has shown ambition in steering the transition toward a more equitable and climate-friendly urban future, as evidenced by its commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050, its Climate Change Action Plan, and active participation in global city networks. However, despite these policies and initiatives, progress in transforming the spatial and economic patterns of urban development has been slow, perpetuating social divisions and economic struggles.

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Cape Town faces a severe housing shortage driven by rapid urbanization and population growth, further exacerbated by socio-spatial inequalities and historical injustices. The spatial divisions imposed during the colonial and apartheid eras continue to shape the city’s landscape, reinforcing patterns of segregation and unequal access to the benefits of urban agglomeration. This segregation results in stark disparities in living conditions, access to education, economic opportunities, and overall quality of life. A significant portion of Cape Town’s residents lack access to adequate housing, quality education, healthcare, and reliable, affordable public transport. Addressing these needs is critical, with the primary focus on providing safe, accessible, and affordable housing, regardless of the construction materials used.

Climate change presents significant and escalating challenges for Cape Town, including the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as droughts, heavy rainfall, and heat waves. These challenges are compounded by issues like severe water scarcity and a heightened risk of both bush and shack fires. The city’s coastal location further exposes it to coastal erosion and storm surges, while shifting rainfall patterns threaten food security and biodiversity in the Cape Floral region. Over the past decade, Cape Town has faced severe droughts due to a significant reduction in rainfall, and it is projected to experience above-average increases in annual and maximum temperatures. Cape Town has implemented several programs to support climate change adaptation, mitigation, and resilience, including a Cape Town Climate Change Action Plan. However, these initiatives are not as well integrated with the City’s other spatial and urban planning policies, which tend to focus on attracting investment by lowering barriers for private sector developers and employing conventional building approaches to promote economic growth and job creation.

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Climate impacts disproportionally affect vulnerable and marginalised communities. Consequently, Cape Town  faces the dual challenge of addressing socio-economic inequalities while reducing its environmental footprint and adapting to the increasing risks posed by the climate crisis. Despite public policy commitments, carbon reduction is often perceived as a distant and separate issue. Fairness and equity must be the starting points for any change initiatives. The concept of a regenerative built environment could help to align immediate social and economic challenges with efforts to mitigate climate change. While significant barriers exist to transforming the built environment, engaging diverse stakeholders, fostering a shared vision, and developing a common agenda for joint action through facilitated dialogue, as well as enhancing knowledge sharing and learning, could enable Cape Town and the Western Cape to progress towards a more regenerative and equitable future. This approach would contribute positively to the planet while promoting equitable, inclusive, and resilient urban communities.

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The Cape Town case study is additionally supported by the Toni Piech Foundation. For further information, read our news posts.

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