Through writing these blogs, and you reading them, we’ve most likely come to the same conclusion. The fundamental crux of Cape Town’s uneven, urban metabolism is its systemic racism and the physical legacy of Apartheid.

Once an ideology that sought to control one race by another; racial segregation was not only institutionalised by the state in 1948, but also ingrained into urban planning (see fig. 1), the development of infrastructure and distribution of socio-ecological services. This blog will propose a framework for reshaping Cape’s urban metabolism, that ensures both the long term sustainability and wellbeing of its people, including those residing in Townships.

First and foremost, informal settlements are here to stay. 

It would be naive to suggest that Cape’s Townships could be cleared, with its residents relocated to some kind of Utopic suburbia. Such top-down imaginaries are unrealistic and would merely perpetuate the dichotomous relationship in question. Recalling the reasons discussed in these blogs, we must remain critical of how informal settlements operate to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their inhabitants.

A plethora of literature has framed the informality of informal settlements as opportunistic (Hart 1973). The mechanisation of labour in urban metabolisms created a surplus of labour, subsequently rejecting the sprawling urban poor (Davis 2004). Townships may offer solutions to housing and unemployment, but in the context of Cape Town, these must not mask a legacy of Apartheid planning. In addition, it would be parochial to outweigh the benefits of informal settlements over a fundamental neglect in human rights by the state, with dwellers subjected to a lack of access to fresh drinking water and sanitation. Some level of integration into the ‘formal city’ is therefore necessary, but how can this be achieved? 

As aforementioned, a top-down intervention would send the wrong message and may fragment social cohesion. Cognisant of these concerns, participation and inclusive planning are essential in not only supporting, but enhacing existing community networks. Brown-Luthango found that a maintained and sustained distribution of socio-ecological services (electricity, fresh drinking water and sanitation) and upgrade of paths and communal spaces would significantly improve the health and wellbeing of Township dwellers (2016). Small-scale and localised upgrades to some services have already taken place, but Townships are yet to receive such comprehensive packages.

Looking forward, Cape Town must unite in shaping a more sustainable and equitable city-wide metabolism. Brunner outlined three metabolic issues cities must address in the 21st century: resource availability, justice in resource access, and environmental loadings (2007). Cape Town is no exemption, with resource inequalities and environmental injustices key themes raised throughout my blogs. 

The solution? A circular economy (see fig. 2). The Ellen MacArthur Foundation illustrates how this would realistically pan out for cities, offering an optimistic blueprint to transform access, efficiency and the security of urban resources.

A circular economy would require wholesale change, shifting interconnecting business that shape Cape Town’s economy and infrastructure from its linear state to a circular trajectory. This would generate new job opportunities for all Capetonians (see fig. 3) and lift thousands out of unemployment (see fig. 4).

The municipality can take inspiration from Cape’s waste pickers, who have already shown bottom-up resource recovery. More support and investment is needed from the local government to enact a holistic framework that facilitates both community-led, circular enterprises and top-down infrastructural change. Finally, the climate crisis will put more pressure on Cape Town to become cooler, cleaner and more circular, with increases in temperatures expected to affect all walks of life. 

The incorporation of Townships into a new, circular economy would directly address the systemic racism, empowering nonwhite communities and hopefully unifying a divided city.

List of References:

Brown-Luthango, M., E. Reyes. And M. Gubevu. (2016) “Informal settlement upgrading and safety: experiences from Cape Town, South Africa”, Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, 1-23. 

Brunner, P. H. (2007) “Reshaping Urban Metabolism”, Journal of Industrial Ecology, 11, 2, 11-13.

Davis. M (2004) Planet of Slums, New Left Ltd: London.
Hart. K (1973) “Informal Income Opportunities and Urban Employment in Ghana”, Journal of Modern African Studies, 11, 1, 61-89.