- Cape Town’s new Spatial Trends and Implementation Tracking Report highlights significant urban development patterns since 2012.
- The report emphasizes challenges like urban sprawl, densification, and spatial inequality while showcasing efforts to integrate sustainability into city planning.
- Officials encourage the public to use this data-driven report to understand and contribute to the city’s future growth.
Land development shapes commuting and infrastructure costs. In other words, it’s the way a city develops land, directly influences the distance people need to travel to work as well as the costs its ratepayers must bear for essential infrastructure. So how and where development takes place affects spending on the provision of water, sanitation, electricity and the road network needed to support mobility across the city.
An overview of changes in land use and development patterns in Cape Town since 2012 is contained in the City’s Spatial Trends and Implementation Tracking Report issued on 8 November.
The informative and easy-to-read report indicates changes in densification and mixed-use development in the City, the extent of its built footprint, changes in the property market and the uptake of new development and human-settlement patterns. The report also tracks public investment and projects aimed at restructuring and upgrading urban areas, and monitors public capital expenditure.
According to Cape Town Deputy Mayor and Mayco member for spatial planning and the environment Eddie Andrews the documenting of trends is important for evidence-based planning. “The report provides guidance on spatial policies and interventions needed in ensuring residents’ quality of life, while protecting our finite natural resources and heritage assets.”
In a statement to the media Andrews pointed out the phenomenal population growth in Cape Town due to quality of life, economic opportunities and service delivery. “However, given Cape Town’s topography, we have limited land available for development, which means we have to make best use of this scarce resource and in a manner that is cost efficient, and also protective of our natural environment. This means we need to prevent urban sprawl, which has a direct impact on economic growth, money and time spent on commuting, inclusivity, spatial justice and Cape Town’s resilience to climate change and unforeseen shocks.”
Spatial justice in this context refers to addressing spatial inequality through integrated development, Andrews explained to TygerBurger, by improving access to social and economic opportunities, reducing the cost and travel time to reach these opportunities, and the quality of the areas in which people, most low-income families live.
“Do they have access to basic services such as roads, water and electricity, public open spaces, social and recreational amenities, school and medical facilities? All these factors have an impact on quality of life. Sprawling cities with uncontrolled urbanisation on the outskirts come at a tremendous cost, not only in providing the infrastructure, but also at a cost to the natural environment, and residents who need to travel long distances to get to their destinations; and most often these are low-income households.”
Balancing a challenge, yet positive
The indicators in the report depict significant spatial trends within Cape Town. While urban expansion continues to reshape the city’s landscape, environmental impact assessments highlight the ongoing efforts to balance development with sustainability.
The report shows residential density in targeted areas and a shift towards more inward growth, indicating progress towards the City’s policy objectives in terms of residential density.
Andrews states that densification is important as it allows more families to live closer to job opportunities, closer to available public transport such as minibus-taxi, bus and train networks as well as existing schools and social facilities.
In turn, non-residential development trends within the City’s development corridors reinforces these spatial patterns.
Andrews encourages residents, professionals, academics and investors alike to scrutinise this report, as it assists the City in planning better for the future.
The Spatial Trends and Implementation Tracking Report is available here: https://bit.ly/SpatialTrendsReport
