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Contents of April 2010
COMMENT
Climate change irrelevant?
LETTERS
More energy calculations
UPFRONT
What’s new and happening?
GREEN BUILDINGS
Emergence
of the ‘green lease’
A “green lease” is required to ensure optimal operation of a green
building.
GREEN BUILDING BRIEFS
CITY VISIT
Jo’burg flood warning
A climate-change adaptation plan prepares Johannesburg for increased flooding.
ENVIRONMENTAL
PLANNING & DESIGN
An inner-city park
for Johannesburg?
Urban Green File unpacks five different proposals for a large-scale park in the
Johannesburg inner city.
WASTE & POLLUTION MANAGEMENT
INSPIRATION
Johannesburg reclaims its “civic
spine”
INSULT
Lack of urban management remains
cause for concern.
VIEWPOINT
World Cup legacy: an environmental knowledge
base.
_____
COMMENT
Climate-change hype irrelevant
Whether or not
climate change is real, pollution remains unacceptable.
An astounding amount of energy is wasted on the debate about climate
change. This begs the question: Should we care at all whether or not climate change is
real? Recently, I attended a debate on climate change during the 2010 conference of the
South African Institution of Civil Engineering. A panel discussed the theory and science
of climate change; questioning the existence of this phenomenon. The debate was probably
inspired by serious questions that have been asked about climate-change theory since the
Copenhagen talks in December 2009.
All this effort to untangle climate-change theory,
though, could be much better expended on finding solutions to limit pollution, I believe.
When climate change first became a buzz phrase, most proponents of sustainable development
seized the opportunity to make the point that, with ongoing industrial pollution, we are
at risk of destroying the very planet that sustains us. Why do we need a vision of
Armageddon before we tackle pollution? And, if climate-change theory is compromised, will
we have a licence to continue our wasteful production and engineering processes?
Urban Green File believes that pollution should be
addressed in terms of responsible citizenship and not only when we face climate
catastrophe. The climate-change debate detracts from the real issue at hand: the need for
sustainability and, therefore, more efficient use of natural resources.
The opportunity to establish a cleaner and greener
future should not go to waste because we decided that climate change was just a
theoretical, propagandistic theory dreamed up by politicians. Surely, South Africa would
be better off focusing on responsible economic development? The benefits are obvious:
mines that do not decant acid drainage; clean energy rather than polluted air; compact
cities with proper public-transport infrastructure.
We should not wait for a natural disaster to spur
us into action. It would certainly be a catastrophe if South Africa failed to change its
wasteful and unsustainable development practices just because the theory of climate change
was questioned. The truth is simple: pollution is bad, especially if long-term
consequences are considered. We cannot sustain ourselves if the cost of cleaning water,
the air or ground is ever-increasing!
_____
LETTERS
Successful recycling
Our household is fortunate to fall under Pikitup’s Separation at Source
recycling pilot project as we live in the Johannesburg suburb of Greenside. It took just a
few days for us to become accustomed to separating our recyclables and non-recyclables,
and now we wouldn’t have it any other way. There is definitely a feel-good factor in
recycling with awareness that recyclables will be put to good use rather than contributing
to the country’s over-taxed landfill sites. We are also more than satisfied with the
reliable service from Pikitup. Well done, Pikitup. We hope that this initiative is soon
spread city-wide and that other cities will follow suit! - Karen of Greenside
Challenges remain
Urban Green File is delighted to receive
this positive response to Pikitup’s pilot recycling project. Clearly, this municipal
agency’s communication campaign, to promote recycling (read the article on page 36 of
Urban Green File’s June 2009 print edition), is paying dividends. However, much more
needs to be done before recycling becomes commonplace all over Johannesburg. In this
regard, contracts with buyers of recyclable materials are the key. Another concern is that
the many informal recyclers, who roam the streets of Johannesburg, go through waste bins
before the Pikitup truck arrives and remove many recyclables in order to sell the material
to waste buy-back centres. The City of Johannesburg cannot ignore these people who
already play a big role in recycling. Somehow, they will have to be incorporated into an
official, city-sanctioned recycling programme – Ed.
_____
UPFRONT
Cities consume too much energy
Energy consumption in South Africa’s major cities is up to par with
Berlin, London and Paris while development levels remain far lower. An additional concern
is that almost all energy consumption is fossil fuel-based while indicative modelling
shows that, without intervention, energy consumption will double within 20 years. This is
according to Megan Euston-Brown, programme manager at Sustainable Energy Africa.
Recently Sustainable Energy Africa celebrated the
12th anniversary of its Sustainable Energy for Environment and Development (SEED)
programme. This programme, funded by the Royal Danish Embassy to the tune of
R14,8-million over the past 12 years, sets out to proactively tackle the need for
sustainable energy in South Africa’s urban areas.
So far, the SEED programme has entailed four
phases. The first focused on the deployment of energy advisors within local government in
order to embed energy efficiency in the housing sector. The second phase integrated energy
data collection and planning processes; revealing that 50% of national consumption takes
place in South Africa’s major cities. “This affirmed the programme’s
objective of building city energy-management capacity and led to pioneering of integrated
city energy and climate-change strategies,” Euston-Brown tells Urban Green File.
“This actively guides city development in eight South African cities, including all
metro cities.”
In its third phase, the SEED programme established
that energy efficiency and solar water-heater implementation could reduce city energy
consumption by as much as 25%. It is, therefore, supporting the mechanisms for mass
implementation in these areas. “Phase 4 of the programme continues to grow with
knowledge-sharing networks to support sustainable urban resilience for South African
cities,” states Euston-Brown. “The focus entails rethinking the structural
underpinnings of our cities: spatial, transport and infrastructure planning.”
‘Open-information campus’ - the winner
“Everywhere is here – architecture and a developing information
society” is the title of the project that won Guy Ailion the 2009 Corobrik
Architectural Student of the Year Award. Ailion, a final-year student in architecture at
Wits University in 2009, designed an “open-information campus” in Kliptown,
Soweto.
His theoretical project for the Corobrik awards
was favoured by the adjudicators because of the thought-provoking way he chose to address
the issues that people face in an information era that surpasses cultural barriers. His
proposed structure encompassed various venues for learning new technology and housing a
traditional library.
Sustainability
profile raised
Sustainability is increasingly on the agenda in South Africa’s public
debate. A new book that illustrates this trend is Transient Caretakers by Mervin King and
Theodorina Lessidrenska. Although many of the statements and revelations in this book are
old news to environmental specialists, it plays an important role in raising the profile
of sustainability issues within the wider business community.
Transient Caretakers includes various case studies
of the actions taken by large corporates to reduce their impact on the environment in line
with the triple-bottom-line approach. While South African examples are mentioned, it does
not contain much detail on local innovations such as the many water-recycling projects and
methane-gas-to-electricity initiatives in South Africa. “But, as Transient Caretakers
is co-authored by South Africa’s doyen of corporate governance, his contribution to
the debate on sustainability over the years, be it corporate or the planet, will be
recognised as invaluable in time to come,” states Russell Loubser, CEO of the JSE
Securities Exchange.
Climate-change
White Paper imminent
South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs has undertaken to
conclude its National Climate Change Policy White Paper by the end of 2010. At the time of
writing, a draft Green Paper on this topic was scheduled for release by April 2010.
Energy-efficiency
incentives offered
Although not widely known, significant incentives for energy-efficiency
initiatives and the delivery of strategic infrastructure, such as clean technologies, are
available from SARS, Duanne Newman of Deloitte tells Urban Green File.
Speaking at a recent Nedbank Capital Future Green
breakfast, Newman elaborated on incentives announced in the 2009 budget speech. “The
Section 12K allowance states that any disposal after February 11 2009 by the originator of
a carbon credit will be exempt from tax (income tax and capital-gains tax). However
expenditure incurred in producing carbon credits will not be allowed as a deduction for
tax purposes. The Section 12L allowance, however, provides a tax deduction for
energy-efficient taxpayers. The allowance will apply in the first year when an energy
saving is achieved and the deduction depends on an energy-efficiency savings certificate
subject to regulations issued by the Department of Energy. Latest intelligence suggests
that regulations to support Section 12L are likely to be published in April 2010.”
‘Green
collar’ winner
WSP Group Africa has won Africa’s first Green Collar Award, part of the
2010 Achiever Awards, set up to recognise companies and organisations that play a key role
in helping to beat South Africa’s skills-shortage crisis. WSP was honoured for
actively developing new approaches to “green skills” training and green job
opportunities. According to the awards coordinator, Tanitha Jolly, WSP has shown complete
commitment to green training and the development of green skills in its consultancy areas.
“Its staff members have, for instance, made full use of the accredited professional
programme in green building – offered by the Green Building Council of South
Africa,” she informs Urban Green File.
Events
2010 ILASA conference
Highlights of the Institute for Landscape Architecture in South Africa’s
2010 conference will include a panel discussion on five proposals for an inner-city park
in Johannesburg (see article on page 24) and a presentation by Canadian landscape
architect, John Hillier, on the ongoing Toronto waterfront project. The conference is
scheduled to take place at the Wanderers Club in Illovo, Johannesburg, on May 13 and 14.
Website: www.ilasa.co.za
IFAT ENTSORGA 2010
This trade fair of magnitude, focusing on water, sewage, waste and
raw-materials management, is scheduled to take place in Munich, Germany, from September 13
to 17 2010 where one part of the exhibition will be dedicated to the creation of energy by
incinerating waste. Website: www.ifat.de
Green-building convention
The Green Building Council of South Africa’s 2010 convention and
exhibition is scheduled to take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre
from September 20 to 22. The international keynote speaker will be Joe van Belleghem
– a partner in Windmill Development Group of Canada.
Website: www.gbcsa-convention.org.za
_____
GREEN BUILDINGS
Next step: the ‘green lease’
Implementing
the latest “green” systems in a building has little value unless those systems
are guaranteed to operate optimally. For this, the “green lease” is the key.
As the concept of green building has been
entrenched in South Africa, the next logical step in the transformation of the building
market must entail the “green lease”.
At the moment, property owners are mostly
concerned with rates of recovery which means that they view a building’s success
purely from a financial point of view. This is the opinion of Eric Noir of WSP Green by
Design who remarks that this is illustrated by the move from gross leasing to a net
system. “As a result, the consumption patterns of tenants have become separated from
the consumption of the baseline building. However, the green lease goes back to a
gross-lease type of arrangement where you pay for space and energy, and rental is adjusted
according to electricity rates.
“In the net-lease situation, a developer
wishing to produce a green building will pay more and the tenants less,” notes Noir.
“So there is no incentive for the developer to bring down the building’s
consumption but, in going back to a gross-lease concept, tenants and developers have a
vested interest in bringing the consumption down. It’s about building attributes and
behaviour.”
Mutual commitment
required
The green lease is based on the premise that the performance of the building is
critically dependent on cooperation between the landlord and tenant, and it includes
strong elements of trust and transparency, as well as disclosure.
“There is a wide range of ways to occupy a
building,” states Paul Kollenberg of Growthpoint Properties. “That is
considering densities, electricity consumption and how the building is operated. In a
green building, it is essential that these aspects are regulated, and the joint commitment
of owners and tenants is crucial. In an owner-occupied building, the premium for green is
paid by the same person who receives the benefits. But in a landlord-tenant set-up, there
must be a partnership in the management and use of the building to make it financially
viable.”
Craig Roussac of the Australian firm, Investa
Property Group, elaborates: “Collaboration is important. Tenants can demand owners do
certain things and vice versa. However, the best outcomes are always achieved when the two
parties are in it together.”
Noir adds that there are also strong legal and
technical components that define, for example, the baseline building’s utilisation
and hours of operation. It becomes quite complex because the legal agreement relies
strongly on the technical side of the building and the information that comes out of it.
So you need to have effective management in place to proceed correctly. And it must be on
a willing developer/willing tenant basis.
“It does present a challenge to developers as
a tenant might only agree to occupy a building if it achieves a Green Star rating in order
to ensure the basic performance criteria of the building.”
Building operation
regulated
A green lease not only regulates the occupation of a building but also how the building
operates. For example, it would specify performance standards for the building which the
landlord has to deliver. This would include, for example, energy efficiencies while, at
same time, stipulating how the tenant must use the building to achieve those efficiencies.
In general, the lease documents also recognise the obligation, on the part of the
landlord, to make information and advice easily accessible to the tenant. Roussac observes
that, even in Australia, green leases are only loosely defined. “Any lease that
creates some sort of positive obligation for the parties to work together to achieve
better social and environmental outcomes could be regarded as green.”
Green investment
recovered
Traditionally, the green budget is a deal sweetener which developers have had
to invest in so that they can remain competitive, and attract and retain tenants for
longer. In this respect, a green lease can affect the development of a new building in
that the developer can capitalise on this investment from the outset.
Growthpoint is planning a development in Sandton,
Johannesburg, which will target a five-star Green Star SA rating. By implementing a green
lease, the idea is to recover some of the investment in the building’s green
technologies through reduced operating expenses. Kollenberg says: “With a traditional
lease, the difficulty for a landlord rather than an owner-user is that it costs more to
develop the building but the consequent savings effectively go to the tenants because
their utilities and operations costs will be lower. So the idea is to look at a package
rental which encompasses the total cost of occupation including utilities and operating
costs. I think it’s a direction that most major international firms are looking at,
specifically in view of the planned electricity increases. A lot of tenants also want more
certainty around their electrical costs and more control over their consumption. I think
that the more environmentally aware tenants also want more control over the quality of
their environment. They want their staff to be more productive as well as the enhanced
corporate image associated with green buildings.”
Lease terms increased
Roussac observes that the benefits of a green lease are highly dependent on the
clauses. The value is in the improved outcomes for tenants which increases the likelihood
that they will stay at the end of the lease term. Investa’s retention is now
approximately 80% – up from 70% a few years ago. “That’s real money,”
Roussac points out.
Existing leases revised
Roussac also points out that Investa’s achievements in reducing resource
consumption, for example, have been quite independent of the green-lease initiatives.
“The key outcome we’re after is for tenants to build appropriate office fit-outs
to have fewer tenancy walls, fewer supplementary air conditioning systems and better
materials that contribute to cleaner air. These factors are addressed in Australia’s
Green Star Office Interiors rating tool so our green-lease schedule explicitly recommends
that tenants seek this rating. Most choose not to, however. Having said that, Investa has
recently revised its entire suite of precedent leases, line by line, to avoid situations
where clauses compete with the intent of green-lease schedules. At Investa, for instance,
we sub-meter utilities at 15-minute intervals and the data is loaded onto our management
system. We hold ourselves accountable for performance as measured by the monthly
utility bills with results independently verified by KPMG. And there is a
preventative-maintenance regime and a reactive service tied to our tenant-help portal.
Tenant requests are tracked and answered almost immediately. Wherever we can control an
impact, we do.”
A green lease would include space planning and
refurbishment policies, Noir adds. “The technical aspects of the building are based
on certain assumptions which must be laid out clearly – in terms of energy and water
consumption, as well as the type of material that goes into the building to comply with
the Green Star rating from a fit-out point of view.”
More tools available to
reduce consumption
In terms of operational costs, Noir points out that a tenant would get more
tools to drive down consumption, such as a building-management system and a set reporting
structure to fine-tune the building, which is a more transparent way of management and
probably makes reporting easier. So, rather like time sheets, the process might be a
drain, initially, but this would probably have more to do with a resistance to change. But
the more you put in, the more you would ultimately get out.”
New concept for South
Africa
In South Africa, the green lease is still in its infancy. The pilot version of
the Green Star SA Retail Centre Tool was launched for public comment in October 2009. This
tool awards a credit for implementing a green lease. Noir believes that this practice will
percolate through to future versions of the office tool and tools for other building
typologies. “The market wants it but, at this stage, people don’t quite know
what to ask for or what they will be getting. Probably, at this early stage, tenants will
not be prepared to pay premium rental for it. However, people are now paying huge premiums
for implementing health-and-safety systems which was unheard of a few years ago.”
The Green Lease Guide, published by Investa
Property Group, picks up on the health-and-safety angle of going green. It states that it
is an employer’s duty of care to ensure a safe and risk-free working environment.
“Employees are becoming more demanding about their wellbeing at work. Occupational
health-and-safety regulations in New South Wales already encompass aspects of indoor
environment quality and national regulations are likely to follow suit. Prosecutions for
poor indoor air quality have already occurred in Australia. The liability implications now
extend beyond the organisation to individual directors and managers.”
In use in Australia
since 2007
According to Roussac, the Australian government’s green-lease schedule
has, theoretically, been in place since 2007. Two examples of government agencies that
have signed up for green leases are the Australian Agency for International Development
(AusAID) and the country’s
Department of Agriculture Fisheries & Forestry. Another example is 18 Marcus
Clarke Street in Canberra. This building contains large floor plates (typically 2 350 m2)
which will enable the tenant, the Department of Agriculture Fisheries & Forestry, to
achieve much higher levels of space utilisation than ever before. Owned by Makamatta, the
12-storey, 29 400 m2 building will target a four-star Australian Building Greenhouse
Rating.
Time required
Green leases are the next logical step forward in a growing green-building
industry. A period of adjustment and education, for clients and professionals, is
inevitable. However, cooperation and communication between all parties involved in green
projects will ultimately make an inevitable process much more palatable.
4 Case studies
Buildings on three different continents indicate that the green lease will play
a prominent role in the operation of green buildings of the future.
Sydney’s ark leads the world
In Sydney, Australia, 40 Mount Street (known as Ark) is a 21-storey A-grade
office building overlooking the harbour. It is nearing completion and will be occupied
this year. The building has been awarded a six-star Green Star Office Design rating, which
represents “world leadership” in environmentally sustainable design. It has also
been designed to achieve a five-star National Australian Built Environment Rating System
energy rating.
The Ark’s major tenants – Coca Cola
Amatil and Vodafone Hutchison Australia – have committed, through their leases, to
working with the owner, Investa, to maximise the opportunity afforded by the
building’s world-leadership rating.
USGBC achieves green interior
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) headquarters is the first
project to receive a commercial-interiors platinum rating under the new and more rigorous
LEED-CI Version 3.0 system.
The project achieved 94 points whereas 80 were
required for platinum certification.
According to Ken Wilson of the US firm, Envision
Design, the explosive growth of the USGBC drove the need to lease new office space that
was triple the size of the previous space. “The selected site was on the fifth and
sixth floors of a recently renovated 1970s-era office building in downtown Washington DC.
A “knowledge centre” explains the green
strategies employed in the design, and displays samples and information on all the green
products and materials used. “The success of the project lies in an integrated design
process where the client and all consultants, including the general contractor, were
brought to the table at the beginning of the project.”
Australian government leases green
The AusAID building in Canberra was officially opened in August 2007. The
six-storey, 11 000 m2 building received a five star Australian Building Greenhouse rating,
and includes a specially configured crisis centre that has the technology to enhance
AusAID’s ability to manage and respond to humanitarian disasters effectively.
Jo’burg gets more green offices
Buildings being developed in a Growthpoint project – the Sandhurst Office
Precinct on Rivonia Road in Johannesburg – will use thermal massing in order to
reduce HVAC requirements.
Introduced mechanisms will include solar shading,
solid walls to the east and west, and roof gardens for insulation. Water will be recycled
and provision is being made for a blackwater-treatment plant. The building will also
consider incidental green aspects, such as using land with existing services, and a
location near a public-transport node. Kollenberg tells Urban Green File that the
professionals have sat together as a team to work across disciplines and design a
structure that almost goes back to basics. “This cooperation and communication is
what has enabled the execution of the project,” he remarks.
A green-lease scenario is being investigated in
order to recover some of the investment in the green technologies within the building
through reduced operating expenses
Guidance for
owner-tenant relations
The Green Lease Guide, published by Investa Property Group in Australia, is
primarily divided into two sections which give a clear illustration of the relationship
required between owner and tenant:
1. Building owner’s commitments: What can this building do for you?
2. Tenant’s commitments: How can your office add value to your business?
Building owner’s commitments
This covers the most important aspects of a building under the following categories:
•
comfortable,
productive and healthy indoor environment;
•
low energy use and
greenhouse-gas emissions;
•
sustainable and
healthy transport options;
•
low potable-water use;
•
recycling of office
waste;
•
cleaning services;
•
building management
and tenant support; and
•
further innovations
Tenant’s commitments
This covers fit-out design and construction, including everything from floor
finishes and kitchen appliances to indoor plants and construction-waste management. Also
covered is office management where the owner and tenant nominate key commitments related
to:
•
company policies and
procedures;
•
purchasing smart
office equipment;
•
managing office
equipment;
•
purchasing stationery
and consumables;
•
lighting and HVAC
management;
•
waste management;
•
sustainable transport;
•
electricity-supply
contract; and
•
cleaning and
maintenance contracts.
_____
GREEN BUILDINGS BRIEFS
Greater demand for ‘green’ products
Manufacturers of building products and materials are beginning to experience a
shift in the market place as specifications are increasingly informed by “green”
credentials, according to Dirk Meyer, MD of Corobrik. He tells Urban Green File that the
architects of a warehouse project in Centurion have specified gas-fired bricks. As
Corobrik has switched from coal to gas at its Lawley and Driefontein kilns, the company is
strategically positioned to meet demand for bricks fired with clean energy.
CFLs
save 1 GW
About 1 GW of energy has been saved in South Africa through the distribution of
free compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) in an initiative of Eskom’s Demand Side
Management programme, claims Barry Bredenkamp, acting general operations manager for the
National Energy Efficiency Agency. As a tender for another 6-million CFLs was issued at
the end of 2009, significant additional savings are expected in future.
However CFLs are not necessarily the ultimate
answer to reducing energy consumption. Bredenkamp points out that CFLs have a limited
lifespan of three to five years. “Consumers may revert to buying incandescent lights
once the CFLs come to the end of their life cycles unless the former are banned in South
Africa by then.” His concern is informed by his doubt about the availability of
funding for further free distribution of CFLs in three to five years’ time.
The safe disposal of CFLs, which contain mercury,
is also cause for concern. “A recycling strategy is being formulated by Eskom and the
departments of Environmental Affairs and Trade & Industry but, even in countries with
stringent legislation and widespread accessibility of CFL recycling bins, the return rate
is low. For example, in Denmark, it stands at 30%.”
Bredenkamp, though, is confident that
light-emitting diodes (LEDs) will become competitive in comparison with CFLs within five
years. “LEDs are 90% more efficient than CFLs and should last six to 10 times
longer,” he remarks.
Energy consumption 30%
less
Energy consumption in the offices of the National Energy Efficiency Agency
(NEEA) and the Central Energy Fund in Sandton, Johannesburg, is 30% below the benchmark
set by SANS 204 for consumption per m2. Barry Bredenkamp, acting general operations
manager for the NEEA, tells Urban Green File that the building boasts cavity walls with
insulation while the roof has been designed to accommodate the weight of a thin-film PV
system to drive the IT network. Other design features include insulation between the
basement and the ground floor, as well as double glazing on all windows. Efficiency is
further optimised with solar water heating, infra-red motion sensors on the urinals,
bathroom taps, lighting and basement garage, as well as an energy-efficient
air-conditioning system.
Water harvesting a sound investment
The R218 000 investment in storage tanks for harvested stormwater at
Brightwater Commons has been recovered in just over four months through savings on the
municipal water bill. The installation of a water-reticulation and storage system to
harness stormwater run-off and rainwater came about as a result of Fountainhead Property
Trust’s “green campaign” for this shopping centre in Johannesburg. This
campaign entailed a carbon-footprint audit by A-Z Philosophy and OrganiCarbon. As a
result, certain green-building improvements have been implemented. The investment in four
reservoirs with a total capacity of 230 000 l proved sound, from an environmental and
financial perspective, as the centre’s average municipal water use decreased by
between 3 900 kl/month to 4 200 kl/month – amounting to a saving of nearly R50
000/month, according to OrganiCarbon. Reducing energy consumption at Brightwater Commons,
however, has proved more challenging as more than 80% of the centre’s total power
bill can be attributed to tenants’ electricity consumption. Massive savings are,
therefore impossible without tenant cooperation. However savings have already been
achieved through the installation of energy-efficient lights and an audit of all the
centre’s meters. Brightwater Commons recently received a Spectrum Award from the
South African Council of Shopping Centres for its green campaign.
_____
CITY VISIT
Flood warning
Although at high altitude, Johannesburg is at
severe risk of flooding as a consequence of climate change. The city, therefore, requires
an adaptation plan.
In terms of exposure to climate change-related
risks, Johannesburg is rated as the fourth best-positioned city out of 21 major cities in
Asia, the Middle East and Africa, according to an assessment undertaken in 2008 by
Mastercard Worldwide Insight. However, Johannesburg is still vulnerable to climate change.
“Johannesburg’s climatic conditions are different to those of Durban and Cape
Town, which are primarily affected by oceanic influences, but this does not mean that the
city is not vulnerable – it is,” says Linda Phalatse, deputy director of climate
change and cleaner production for the City of Johannesburg.
The City of Johannesburg recently commissioned WSP
Environmental to compile a climate-change adaptation plan. Essentially, the adaptation
plan investigated the anticipated climatic changes, specifically for the Johannesburg
region, and the vulnerabilities and risks that the city will be exposed to as a result of
these modelled changes.
According to Phalatse, the development of the
adaptation plan is part and parcel of the environmental-management department’s
objective to bring adaptation up to par with mitigation planning at city level. “To
date, mitigation initiatives and planning have received first priority from city
authorities and the adaptation plan aims to push adaptation interventions higher on the
agenda.” Although it is the first study of its kind, Phalatse states that the
adaptation plan addresses the big picture of how Johannesburg will be affected by climate
change in terms of direct statistical analysis – answering many of the
“when” and “how” questions in a concrete manner.
Wetter, hotter
environment envisaged
The University of Cape Town’s Climate Systems Analysis Group (whose
members have been contributors to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change working
groups I and II) conducted the modelling for the adaptation plan.
Seven internationally accepted climate models
– appropriate to Southern Hemisphere conditions – have been applied to make the
prediction, says Elan Theeboom, climate-change specialist for WSP Environmental.
Statistical downscaling was built up from historic data sourced from eight weather
stations around the city of Johannesburg. The modelling has been applied to three time
periods: a control period (1961 to 2000), near future (2056 to 2065) and far future (2081
to 2100).
Although the models differ in terms of magnitude,
there is general consensus that Johannesburg will experience an increase in minimum and
maximum temperatures throughout the year. The models suggest that temperatures in
Johannesburg may increase by 2,3°C in the near future and by 4,4°C in the distant
future. There is also a substantial risk that the city will experience an increase in
annual rainfall; characterised by a higher frequency of storm events and a longer rainy
season, as well as higher humidity levels. According to Theeboom, the models predict a
rise in temperature with greater certainty than a rise in precipitation although the
balance of the evidence does predict more rain for Johannesburg.
Risks unpacked
Following the climatic modelling, a vulnerability study was conducted to
identify the various risks that Johannesburg will face as a result of climate change. The
risks have been categorised according to action levels (with Level A requiring immediate
action and Level D referring to no direct concern). Among the issues that require
immediate attention, 10 risks have been prioritised. According to Theeboom, the risks that
are most likely to result in deaths are flagged as the highest priority. These include
heat waves, increased water and energy demand, health risks as a result of biodiversity
impacts, disruption to water security and the issue of “climate-change refugees”
and migration. The risk of urban flooding – a pressing issue for the city – has
been subcategorised into damage to water supply and sanitation infrastructure, damage to
property, personal injury and impacts on livelihood, increased road accidents and traffic
congestion, and damage to electrical and telecommunications infrastructure. “We have
now determined the level of our vulnerability,” remarks Phalatse. “So the key
questions we need to ask are: How are we going to plan ahead? How are we going to educate
and make sure Johannesburg adapts to these identified risks?”
Risk-specific adaptations have been identified for
the top 10 concerns whereas the municipality has also identified four “strategic
adaptations” to address climate-change adaptation more holistically. These include:
•
Integrating
climate-change adaptation into existing strategic-planning mechanisms.
•
Developing alternative
financing options for funding adaptations (Phalatse emphasises that funding will be a
critical factor).
•
Developing an
information-management system to support ongoing climate-change risk assessment and
cost-benefit analysis.
•
Maintaining and
expanding stakeholder engagement.
Urban flooding a major
concern
With more than its fair share of seasonal rainfall and general damage to road
infrastructure this season, urban flooding is the flavour of the day in Johannesburg.
According to Theeboom, the existing strain on the city’s stormwater infrastructure,
potentially, gives rise to the greatest cause for concern in the future as most of the
systems likely to feel the impact of climate change are already severely stressed under
existing climatic conditions. “Johannesburg already has serious urban flooding issues
which make the municipality very vulnerable,” says Theeboom. “The modelled
implications of climate change on Johannesburg are not that serious compared to other
places in the world. The city will not experience a series of catastrophic events, like
hurricanes or typhoons, and it’s not close to the coastline like Durban or Cape Town.
However, because existing stormwater infrastructure is under pressure, the slightest
change in rainfall becomes substantial.” The urban-flooding problem arose due to a
multitude of interacting causes such as an increase in hard surfaces, development over
natural drainage areas like wetlands, loss of natural open spaces, and inadequate
stormwater infrastructure and maintenance. Emergency crews and depots of the Johannesburg
Roads Agency (JRA) were overwhelmed by the number of urban flash floods in the 2008/2009
rainy season and the knock-on effect of poorly managed stormwater flows on receiving
surface water. Theeboom says many of the adaptations related to urban flooding are actions
that need to be taken, or are taken by the city regardless, to deal with the overloaded
system.
Sustainable drainage systems required
The JRA has embarked on several initiatives to address the issue of stormwater
management. More stringent engineering requirements have been put in place to deal with
new applications.
The entity recently released new stormwater
by-laws that follow a more integrated approach to stormwater management. A case in point
is the inclusion of the philosophy of sustainable urban drainage systems embedded in the
by-laws. Large residential projects, for instance, will be required to have buffer dams to
act as stormwater-attenuation measures. “The by-laws are a step in the right
direction; moving towards an integrated approach to stormwater management instead of just
getting the water off your land as quickly as possible,” notes Theeboom. “There
must also be stronger urban-management intervention. The situation is bad now and
it’s likely to get worse so it’s an incentive for local authorities to address
poor stormwater infrastructure now.”
Richard Holden, acting director: development
management for the City of Johannesburg, says: “When we look at new site-development
plans, we encourage the use of less hard surfaces and more landscaping so that you have
environmental measures to assist with stormwater attenuation apart from the engineering
interventions taken by the JRA. We are already affected by stormwater problems so we need
to make sure that developments are designed differently.” According to Theeboom,
there is significant scope for further assessment to establish whether or not the existing
infrastructure is able to cope with additional rainfall. This relies on the translation of
the evolving science of climate-change modelling into “engineering language”.
Holden adds: “We also need to obtain correct
flood-plain information. Many of the flood plains have changed. What was a 100-year flood
line is not any more.”
Accurate assessment of flood lines has been
identified as a problematic issue in present and past developments. Inaccurate data leads
to inappropriate development and higher risk of floods – specifically in vulnerable
communities. Although preliminary studies have been conducted by the JRA to evaluate
Johannesburg’s flood lines under additional precipitation load, further assessment is
critical, Theeboom points out.
Long-term vision
lacking?
Flooding is a recognised issue within the City of Johannesburg. This is evident
in the adoption of an integrated stormwater-management plan and the release of the
stormwater-management by-laws which will be supported by a stormwater attenuation-design
guideline (being prepared).
These are the issues of the day but Theeboom notes
that it’s vital for authorities to address these problems and constantly plan ahead
for an increase in precipitation load. “Addressing the flood plains and releasing new
by-laws are good steps in the right direction and they will go a very long way towards
addressing adaptation if they are implemented properly. However, a more long-term vision
is required but it is not there now because of short-term pressures.”
An underappreciated
risk
Apart from stormwater-management adaptation, other risks, which are highlighted
in the adaptation plan, also need to be tackled.
Although concrete statistics on heat-related
deaths are scarce in South Africa, statistics reveal that heat waves are among the biggest
killers during any weather-related event in the US. Theeboom emphasises that it’s one
of the most underappreciated climatic risks – locally and abroad. The people most
susceptible to heat are the elderly and the sick. Higher average temperatures in
Johannesburg will mean that heat waves are likely to have far more severe consequences
than they do now. The projected increase in humidity for Johannesburg will also exacerbate
this risk.
Adaptations include early-warning systems,
communication programmes with key institutions such as old-age homes and hospitals, and
green-building interventions.
“It’s not rocket science,” says
Theeboom. “It’s about basic green-building principles like planting trees at a
north-facing window and putting fans in old-age homes when a heat wave is detected. Basic
interventions can save lives.”
Urban heat islands
– cause for concern
From an urban-planning perspective, more research needs to be conducted on the
urban heat-island effect. Hypothetically, thermal scans in built-up areas, such as the
Johannesburg CBD, will indicate higher extreme maximum peaks because of the hardscaped
surfaces. “The municipality first needs to assess how serious the urban heat-island
effect is in built-up areas,” says Theeboom.
According to Holden, urban-planning interventions
could go a long way towards addressing the effects of urban heat islands.
“When we look at development applications, we
will be encouraging a lot more greening, landscaping and tree planting to reduce the
effect of urban heat islands,” he points out. “This is particularly important if
the city is going to become hotter – as predictions indicate. We are very strict with
regard to increasing the intensity of landscaping within new developments.”
The integration of greening initiatives in
low-cost environments should be placed high on the agenda by city authorities, Theeboom
adds. In the development of low-cost housing projects, engagement with provincial
government is also critical.
Malaria belt expands
southwards
Increased rainfall and greater risk of flooding could result in unsanitary
conditions which cause disease and breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The
life cycle of a malaria mosquito is controlled by frost. Cold, dry winter conditions break
the mosquito’s life cycle so high-altitude cities in tropical Africa are free from
malaria.
However, temperature predictions indicate a
decrease or complete absence of frost in Johannesburg in winter so the city could be at
risk of becoming part of the southwardly expanding malaria belt.
According to Theeboom, quantitative studies
conducted in Limpopo prove that the malaria belt is extending southwards.
“Gauteng is a small province and there is a
lot of human movement so, by default, the city will be exposed to that risk,” he
states.
Security of Lesotho
water uncertain
For Johannesburg, the integrated nature of climate change is most evident in
water supply.
The most substantial portion of
Johannesburg’s water – earmarked to increase – comes from the Lesotho
Highlands Water Scheme.
“We have the downscale climatic predictions
for Johannesburg but what are the predictions for Lesotho?” asks Theeboom. “We
don’t know. One of our proposed adaptations would be to engage with Lesotho
authorities to set up weather stations.”
At the moment, the quantity and quality of weather
stations in Lesotho are unknown. It is also not known if the designers and engineers of
the dams in Lesotho considered the impact of climate change on water provision.
“The issue of water security remains an
uncontrolled risk for the City of Johannesburg until further data can be obtained,”
says Theeboom.
Difficult to plan for
migration
It is difficult to quantify and plan for migration as a socio-economic risk,
Phalatse points out. Similar to the risk of urban flooding, migration is an existing risk
that will, hypothetically, only be enhanced by the impacts of climate change. “There
is already a sensitive system in place,” notes Phalatse. “The climate-change
projections for sub-Saharan Africa conclusively indicate that food security will become a
bigger issue. Flooding events along coastal neighbouring countries such as Mozambique have
already proven to result in an influx of immigrants to Johannesburg.”
Again, engagement with various stakeholders will
be the key adaptation strategy as solutions to deal with migration should not only come
from the City of Johannesburg but also from national government and its relations with
other African countries.
“It is difficult to plan for migration,”
says Holden. “The city tries to understand the quantities of immigrants and it is
engaging in ongoing programmes to formalise existing informal settlements.”
Adapting for the future
By mid-March 2010, the climate-change adaptation plan for Johannesburg had been
circulated, internally and externally, for comment.
According to Phalatse, it was expected to go
public by the end of the financial year (June 2010).
“The adaptation plan is a cross-departmental
issue,” observes Theeboom. “It is all about resourcing. You need management to
support this. You will never be able to address the long-term issues if you don’t
have the management drive and long-term vision from other units within the
municipality.”
Phalatse says: “We need to review
organisational structures and, where appropriate, form new structures to address
adaptation.” The Johannesburg climate change-coordination committee has been a useful
resource and steering committee in the development of the adaptation plan. It will
continue to address the issues of climate-change adaptation in inter-governmental meetings
and workshops. The adaptation plan comprehensively addresses the risks and vulnerabilities
that the City of Johannesburg will face as a result of climate change. It’s clear
that many of the risks are a result of already sensitive systems. Urban flooding is
highlighted as the most critical. A key challenge in the implementation of the adaptation
plan will be to effectively engage with stakeholders on a cross-departmental level and
ensure that forward planning does not only entail a five-year vision but one that supports
the modelled climatic results of what Johannesburg will look like in 2056 and beyond.
Risks defined
An increase in hard surfaces has already caused higher levels of flooding in
the Braamfontein Spruit (photographed above in December 2009), for instance.
Climate-change models for Johannesburg predict further increases in rainfall and flooding
within the city. Risks related to climate change in Johannesburg include:
•
Urban flooding,
resulting in damage to:
-
water and sanitation infrastructure
-
property
-
electrical and tele-communications infrastructure
•
Consequences of urban
flooding would include:
-
impacts on livelihood
-
increased road accidents traffic congestion
•
Heat waves
•
Increased water demand
•
Increased energy
demand
•
Biodiversity changes
impacting on health
•
Disruption of water
security
•
Refugees and migration
Jo’burg’s vital statistics
The landlocked province of Gauteng is the smallest and wealthiest of South
Africa’s nine provinces. Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa, and the
commercial, industrial and financial hub of the country – if not the continent.
Johannesburg, almost uniquely for a major metropolis, is not located on a navigable river
or estuary and it does not have a sea port. The City of Johannesburg covers approximately
1 640 km². According to the 2001 national census, the population of the City of
Johannesburg was estimated at
3,2-million people (this excludes the neighbouring metropolis of Ekurhuleni). In
2007, the City of Johannesburg was home to close on 3,9-million people. Population
estimates for 2010 vary from 4,3-million to 4,6-million people.
Source: City of Johannesburg Climate
Change Adaptation Plan
Change in stormwater
treatment required
Comment by Gerald Garner
It is encouraging to read that the City of Johannesburg is planning to
introduce new by-laws and guidelines for the management and treatment of stormwater. WSP
Environmental’s climate-change study makes it abundantly clear that the city will
face an increasingly complex stormwater situation in future. This is not only because of
the possible impact of climate change but also due to constant and ongoing expansion of
hard surfaces throughout the city. Urban Green File believes that property developers,
municipal officials and residents should change the way they view stormwater. Too often,
stormwater is directed away as quickly as possible rather than harvested and reused on
site. The same is true for roads. The accepted road-building method entails directing
water into underground channels that eventually discharge into streams and rivers with
dire consequences in terms of erosion. Is it not time for the high concrete
“edges” on road islands to be removed? Is it not time to build road islands
lower, rather than higher, than the road surface? The islands could then be landscaped
into wetland-like bioswales where stormwater can be collected and directed to retention
ponds to be reused for irrigation purposes, for example.
_____
ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING & DESIGN
Inner-city park possible?
Following an
extensive design competition, the Johannesburg Development Agency has shortlisted
inner-city park proposals from five consortiums. But is it at all possible to turn one of
these theoretical concepts into reality?
Urban designers, architects, engineers and
landscape architects responded with enthusiasm following the Johannesburg Development
Agency (JDA)’s call for proposals for the development of an inner-city park. After an
extensive submission process, five proposals were shortlisted and the winning proposal has
been recommended as the basis for discussion and further development by the City of
Johannesburg. However, at this stage, there is little chance of the efforts resulting in a
large-scale green lung for the densely built-up centre of Johannesburg. At the heart of
the problem is the feasibility of the park as the municipality simply does not own an
appropriate portion of land. The brief for the design competition did not specify a
specific site within the city and part of the consortium’s proposals included the
identification of the most appropriate site. Of the five shortlisted proposals, three
chose the area around Park Station; proposing, in various ways, to reclaim the significant
piece of land lost to the railway lines. Two others focused on the south-eastern part of
the city, adjacent to the M2 Highway, where the municipality owns various properties
accommodating support services such as the traffic department and bus depot.
Not easily achievable
Once the shortlisted entries had been closely scrutinised, it became blatantly obvious
that the implementation of a large-scale, inner-city park would not be easily achieved.
Apart from the dilemma of no specific site available, a successful park would require a
total overhaul of inner-city development patterns. The success of a park would not only
depend on its functional, aesthetic and ecological design but also on the right land-use
and economic development interventions along its edges – most importantly the
development of large-scale residential buildings to bring enough “users” to the
space. While Urban Green File is excited about the initiative shown by the JDA, it is
clear that the dream of an inner-city park would depend on a collective vision by all role
players within the municipality. Such a massive intervention in the urban fabric cannot be
implemented in isolation by a municipal agency but must form part of a central vision for
the city and be supported by all stakeholders, including the city entity responsible for
the operation and upkeep of the space – presumably Johannesburg City Parks. At this
stage, the JDA does not have a clear road map in mind to turn the dream of a park into
reality. The proposals discussed in this article must, therefore, be viewed in a purely
theoretical manner. However, Urban Green File believes that, by starting to imagine what
is possible for Johannesburg’s inner city, a long-term plan can be devised for a
greener city centre.
Upcoming panel
discussion
The proposals presented on the following pages will be the subject of an
extensive panel discussion during the Institute for Landscape Architecture in South
Africa’s 2010 conference at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg on May 13 and 14. The
five shortlisted consortiums, as well as representatives of the JDA and Johannesburg City
Parks, will discuss the merits of a large-scale, inner-city park and deliberate the
realisation of this vision.
Five proposals shortlisted
The five proposals in this article:
1.
“Jo’burg beyond
2010” by Urban Solutions, Arup, studioMAS and African Environmental Design
2.
“Urban Tapestry” by MMA
Architects, Fiona Garson, Cohen & Judin, Newtown Landscape Architects and Rhizome
Management Services
3.
“Inner-city parks
system” by Co-Arc International Architects, Consultium Project Planning &
Management, Landscape Architects Uys & White, MPA Consulting Engineers and BTKM
Quantity Surveyors
4.
“Central and wetland
park” by Albonico Sack Mzumara, Green Inc and Arcus Gibb
5.
“History-inspired green
network” by Insite Landscape Architects and ADA Urban Designers
In the JDA’s own words
The Johannesburg Development Agency’s request for proposals read as
follows:
“The JDA, in collaboration with Johannesburg City Parks and the Department
of Planning & Urban Management’s Inner City Charter office, is calling for
proposals for service providers with urban design, architectural and landscape-design
expertise to develop a concept and design for a large-scale, inner-city public urban park.
The growing residential densities within the inner city, coupled with the lack of adequate
green public open spaces, suggest the need for a large-scale, inner-city public urban
park. This assignment calls on professionals to develop a concept for the urban park which
is innovative and creative but also realisable in an inner-city context. The vision for
this park should be of the nature of Central Park in New York. Upon selection of a
concept, the service provider will also require the necessary expertise to undertake a
design and then detailed design of the proposed urban park. The proposals for the urban
park will be framed within the city’s inner-city urban design implementation plan and
inner-city charter. The inner-city boundaries for the purpose of this project refer to the
existing designated urban development-zone boundary, including the section south of the M2
until the Booysens railway line. The City of Johannesburg has, over the past years,
developed an inner-city regeneration charter – a strategic document which outlines
how the municipality will address issues of urban regeneration and economic development in
the inner city. This process has been extremely significant in highlighting the importance
of the inner city with the charter, specifically tackling six key issues:
1.
Urban management, safety and
security
2.
Public spaces, arts, culture and
heritage
3.
Economic development
4.
Community development
5.
Transportation
6.
Residential development
The vision for the inner city is as follows:
•
that it is the
business heart of Johannesburg as a whole but also accommodates a large increase in
residential developments for a diverse range of people;
•
that it offers a
high-quality urban environment with available social and educational facilities, generous
quality open spaces and ample entertainment opportunities;
•
that it acts as a key
transportation transit point for the Gauteng global city region but also a destination of
choice where people want to walk the streets; and
•
that it showcases best
urban-management practices – clean and safe, with strong by-law enforcement and
maintenance of public space. Part of the process of achieving this vision is the creation
of high-quality public space. It is within this context that the public urban park is
considered a strategic intervention. The inner-city charter makes particular reference to
the development of a ‘metro park’.
In broad terms, this public space will endeavour to:
•
create a greener inner
city;
•
create much-needed
urban public space;
•
support the growth of
residential accommodation in the inner city; and
•
convey to inner-city
residents that the city is intent on creating a safe and healthy urban environment where
they can live in dignified circumstances, and to investors that it is a viable investment
location where future value returns are not at risk.
The inner-city public urban park will link directly with the JDA’s and
City of Johannesburg’s strategic objectives:
•
to promote economic
growth through the development or promotion of efficient business environments in
Johannesburg;
•
to regenerate decaying
areas of Johannesburg to enhance its ability to contribute to the economic development of
the city and the quality of life of its residents; and
•
to promote productive
partnerships and cooperation between all relevant
stakeholders on area-based initiatives.”
PROPOSAL 1
Imagine Jo’burg beyond 2010
A deck across the railway lines will provide a
public space to accommodate Johannesburg’s civic life and represent a physical
manifestation of the common good.
A park on a deck over the barrier-like railway
that divides the inner city of Johannesburg is proposed by the consortium of Urban
Solutions, Arup, studioMAS and African Environmental Design.
The primary area will cover 2 km x 250 m;
stretching from Park Station in the east to Page View in the west.
“It is placed at the heart of the city,
within its historical beginnings, and feeds off Metro Mall, Park Station and the new
Gautrain station,” states Ludwig Hansen of Urban Solutions. “The park is on the
threshold of a variety of amenities and activities where most of its citizens live and
work. It links and makes sense of the numerous green open spaces dotted around the inner
city. We hold the perspective that a city can be defined as a man-made ecosystem which
requires much diversity to sustain itself. The diversity inherent in cities has developed
organically over time and the varied components are interdependent in complex ways.
However, this principal of complexity has been ignored and controlled in Johannesburg by a
variety of planning decisions and ideologies. Our city has suffered many great
indignities, including the constant encroachment of our public spaces and parks. We have a
responsibility to create a greater sense of ‘civicness’ in our city. In our
opinion, the public realm has two roles in our city. Firstly, it is the dwelling place of
civic life and, secondly, it is the physical manifestation of the common good. When we
degrade the public realm, we automatically degrade the quality of our civic life and what
our society stands for. We, therefore, believe that we have a responsibility to create
common spaces that are worth caring for. We are proposing a bold step to change the
urbanscape of the inner city of Johannesburg – an intervention that addresses a
variety of challenges and shortfalls which underlie our choice of location.
Project team
Urban design and vision: Urban Solutions
Structural engineering, traffic studies, energy efficiency and feasibility:
Arup South Africa
Transit-oriented development and architectural typologies: studioMAS
Landscape architecture: African Environmental Design
Illustrations: Adriette Myburgh Designs
PROPOSAL 2
Urban tapestry
Central railway shunting yards are relocated and/or progressively covered, similar to
a tapestry, to make way for a central urban park.
“Braamfontein’s shunting yards represent
inefficient use of urban land,” reasons Mphethi Morojele, a director of MMA
Architects. “These rail functions could be relocated to more appropriate locations at
acceptable costs. The opportunity costs of this land far outweigh the actual costs of
relocation although it is accepted that the lines for moving trains should be maintained
with allowance for future expansion.”
As the shunting yards form a buffer between the
knowledge and business centre of Braamfontein, the CBD, Fordsburg, the Newtown housing
district and the Park Station Precinct, this scheme proposes reclamation of a piece of
urban blight for a new central open space and park. The proposal is the work of MMA
Architects, Fiona Garson, Cohen & Judin, Newtown Landscape Architects and Rhizome
Management Services.
The design concept is based on the notion of the
park as an urban tapestry that allows cross-programming across different cultural
boundaries. It uses the site desire lines of movement and visibility to stitch together
the city grids on either side and creates a patchwork of changing zones of activity and
biospheres. The proposed space reinterprets the agricultural landscape found in the rural
outskirts of the city and creates a framework for incremental development in response to
different socio-economic forces – a process that gradually erases but leaves traces
of history and process.
Ultimately, the park provides a strong iconic and
representational space that contributes to the
transformation and changing perceptions of the
inner city of Johannesburg.
Densification on the
edges
In terms of urban-design considerations, the scheme promotes the densification
of the park edge by developing sites bordering the park into medium- to high-density
housing and different mixed-use environments. It allows for new movement routes connecting
previously disconnected parts of the city. These routes cater for occasional vehicular as
well as pedestrian, bicycle and other forms of movement.
The park comprises several distinct precincts
– each with functions compatible with the surrounding environment. “The aim is
to create meaningful spaces rather than mere picturesque settings,” observes
Morojele. The concept of a patchwork is intended to ensure that all members of a diverse
citizenry find a sense of ownership and, at the same time, belonging in the park.
Sustainable landscape
proposed
In terms of landscape design, the park strives to establish a “second
nature” which is different to “natural nature” and “artificial
nature”. The proposal sets out to create a sustainable landscape which requires
restricted use of water, captures and canalises water run-off, employs predominantly
regionally indigenous planting and it creates zones of intense landscaping (formal and
informal) with intimate spaces, as well as more open event spaces with appropriate
functionality, safety and security.
Landscaping is exploited to limit crime and grime
with clear lines of site, concentrated movement routes, adequate lighting and public
amenities. The park includes controlled spaces for urban agriculture and horticulture, and
establishes a framework for “seasonal rotation” as with crops in the field
offering the city an ever-changing experience of the park.
Water management plays
central role
Water management is a key element in the park’s design. Stormwater run-off
is captured and directed along open canals as is the case in farmlands. The main canal
cuts through the whole park – metaphorically, the railway line as Jo’burg’s
river – and follows the route of the original track. Along this route, various
water-related functions are distributed including swimming pools, baths, splash pools and
water features.
Project team
Architects: MMA Architects, Fiona Garson and Cohen & Judin
Landscape architect: Newtown Landscape Architects
Management consultant and research specialist: Rhizome Management Service
PROPOSAL 3
Inner-city parks system
Three new inner-city parks will connect to an
extensive network of open space stretching for many kilometres throughout Johannesburg.
A series of three large park precincts is proposed
by a consortium comprising Co-Arc International Architects, Consultium Project Planning
& Management, Landscape Architects Uys & White, MPA Consulting Engineers and BTKM
Quantity Surveyors. These are Doornfontein Park, Faraday Park and Station Precinct.
The proposal reinforces the city’s intent to
develop world-class station precincts as arrival points in the city and, in the process,
establish safe, secure and direct pedestrian access though an open-space network to points
of destination.
According to the design consortium, the proposal
addresses urban decay and neglect in the areas most affected while it also provides a
much-needed open space structure that links primary residential areas with the urban core,
as well as new residential areas. “It recognises and builds on the investment in
infrastructure and urban design of recent years, such as those in Braamfontein,
Doornfontein, the jewellery precinct, Kerk Street and Western Station. It creates a
greener inner city with more housing developments and a greater number of safe areas
between disparate areas by providing additional pedestrian connections. It provides
distinct neighbourhood parks – each with clear and legible edges within a larger
open-space network of parks. It connects to existing open-space networks within the areas
adjacent to the study area – many extend kilometres into suburbia and thus create the
potential for an urban park of enormous extent.”
Southern park promoted
The proposed Faraday Park is situated in the south of the city, adjacent to the
M2 highway and along the historic Salisbury Claims line. Much of this land belongs to the
City of Johannesburg although some portions would need to be expropriated at high cost.
Municipal service departments, such as the traffic authority and bus department, would
need to move to adjacent land. The new park would include recreation and sports
activities, as well as denser development of commercial and residential buildings along
its edges.
Detailed park design
Danie Rebel, of Landscape Architects Uys & White, states: “The park
comprises a 22 ha core area and is supported by a secondary open space usage zone within
which new urban development is proposed. Three urban landmarks are distributed along the
central visual line and the core area is framed by a 2,5 km circular recreational route
that will be uninterrupted by vehicular traffic. The park edges are defined by new urban
development consisting of high-rise residential developments, office, retail and hotel
developments, as well as an international convention centre and public amenities which
will be accommodated in certain retained historic buildings. The transformation of
existing underutilised, low-density development or vacant land into public open space
creates the core park.”
Five overriding principles inform the design of
this park:
1. The
park will act as a catalyst for further
urban regeneration.
2. The
established city grid is extended into the newly-created open space.
3. The
open space and recreational needs of all city dwellers are addressed.
4. Sustainability
in terms of park usage, maintenance, management, safety and security is achieved.
5. Pedestrian
accessibility and connectivity with the surrounding city and public amenities is ensured.
Rebel adds: “The park is spatially defined by a hierarchy of open-space uses –
focused on a variety of proposed new urban functions. A public outdoor amphitheatre is
proposed for the park adjacent to the convention centre, which flows into a
multi-functional exhibition space. Across Eloff Street, the park becomes the portal or
pedestrian link between the city and Faraday Station with newly proposed associated retail
and refreshment activities. A central social gathering space, capable of accommodating 20
000 people, is proposed and can be used for concerts and public events. Across Von
Wielligh Street the park is designed mostly for informal sport, educational stimulation,
public play and passive recreation. A 1 ha public lawn with terraced seating is provided
for informal sport and ball games. The space flows into a structured and age-specific
playground area catering for the recreational needs of children and teenagers. Some
buildings of historic value will be preserved, renovated and modified to accommodate
public amenities such as galleries, museums, clinic and crèche, a community centre and
places of refreshment. An area of passive recreation and quiet respite is provided along
the edges of the 0,2 ha irrigation water-storage facility, elaborates Rebel.
Sustainability
considered
According to Rebel, sustainability of the park is critically addressed by the
minimalist design approach for memorable legibility and ease of maintenance. The park
consists mainly of drought-tolerant open lawn areas with structured tree planting and
walkways, and will have only strategic placement of accent planting. Stormwater run-off is
harvested for irrigation use and wastewater of all new developments will be treated
locally in a submerged facility, and also used for park irrigation. Sustainability is
further addressed by ensuring pedestrian connectivity with the city, good public
surveillance and maximising park potential by providing a flexible variety of recreational
and open-space uses.
Project team
Architects and urban designers: Co-Arc International Architects/Consultium
Project Planning & Management
Landscape architect: Uys & White
Engineer: MPA
Quantity surveyor: BTKM
PROPOSAL 4
Central and wetland parks combined
Focused on the city’s central railway
lines, two interlinked parks are proposed – one incorporating Park Station and
Joubert Park, and the other a more natural, wetland park.
Two interlinked parks – to be developed as
one grand linear parkway or as two independent, phased projects – are proposed by the
consortium comprising Albonico Sack Mzumara, Green Inc and Arcus Gibb.
“Our intention is to use the programme of a
large inner-city urban park to reclaim and recapture lost and negatively perceived urban
spaces,” says Monica Albonico. The proposed scheme is defined by bridging the railway
tracks to form an extensive, interconnected, green parkway system running east-west
through the heart of the inner city.
A central park of significant size could be
achieved in the inner city of Johannesburg as a by-product of the implementation of
strategic development projects already identified in the Joburg Inner City Urban Design
Implementation Plan, Albonico observes.
Viaducts and aerial
parkway form central park
The eastern and central sections of the larger parkway run along the railway
cutting and incorporate End Street Park and Joubert Park. Also forming part of this
central park are some strategic projects identified in the Joburg Inner City Urban Design
Implementation Plan of June 2009. These include the Park Station International Trade &
Transit Centre (ITTC), Joubert Park residential regeneration and Doornfontein residential
densification.
Construction of a viaduct is proposed to create a
series of bridges over the railway cutting. This, in turn, will create a continuous
pedestrian environment linking the various parts of the central park.
In developing the new intermodal transport node
and ITCC at Park Station, the redesign of the Park Station concourse building is proposed.
Apart from three new levels of intermodal interchange between trains, taxis and buses, a
new concourse above the station will accommodate the ITCC and other public amenities such
as a contemporary art gallery, hotels and tourism facilities. The roof will be designed as
an undulating, landscaped aerial parkway linked to the viaduct. Leisure amenities, such as
play grounds, skate parks, performance arenas, ball-sports courts, as well as cycling and
strolling trails could be placed on this surface which will be lined by private
residential or commercial buildings along its perimeter. Apart from the viaduct and aerial
parkway, a third aspect of the central park is a street-level parkway which incorporates
End Street Park and Joubert Park. Space freed up by the new intermodal node will afford
the extension of Joubert Park by reinstating the park to the east of the station as it was
before the space was occupied by taxis. This “new” Station Park will be linked
to Joubert Park by landscaped and tree-lined streets.
Lastly, development of a rooftop park above the
Jack Mincer Square taxi rank, and a link from this park to the larger system via a bridge
over the railway lines, is also proposed. This bridge will lead to the Johannesburg Art
Gallery and Joubert Park. At the same time, the rooftop garden will be linked to the
aerial parkway by the viaduct.
Ecological wetland park
proposed
West of Park Station, a large, shallow body of water is proposed by decking the
marshalling yards with an articulated concrete slab. This platform will accommodate a lake
surrounded by artificial wetland reeds and waterfront embankments. Harvested stormwater
from the surrounding city and greywater from new developments along its edges will feed
this wetland. Reed beds will act as a filtering system for the water.
A kilometre-long boat lane will be provided for
regattas, dragon-boat events and leisure boating. At the higher eastern end of the
wetland, artificial rapids are proposed for kayaking and rubber-tubing activities.
“The old, disused Park Station building in Newtown can be used as a boating and
leisure clubhouse while the entire 45 ha area will include walkways, sculpture parks,
cycle tracks and amenities for clubs and outdoor recreation,” enthuses Anton Comrie
of Green Inc.
Project team
Architects and urban designer: Albonico Sack Mzumara Architects & Urban
Designers
Landscape architect: Green Inc Landscape Architects
Engineer: Arcus Gibb
PROPOSAL 5
History-inspired ‘green’ network
A series of public spaces, inspired by
Johannesburg’s gold-mining history, will be linked to a city-wide “green”
network.
“A large-scale urban park is not feasible in
the Johannesburg inner-city context as the space required for this development is
insufficient,” reasons Fritz Coetzee of Insite Landscape Architects. “If
pursued, it will cause large-scale disruption of the urban fabric.” Together with ADA
Urban Designers, Insite proposes a park development at one of the southern entrances to
the CBD.
“Factors that restrict inner-city park
development include land ownership, buildings of historic significance and rerouting of
infrastructure – all involving significant costs,” Coetzee points out. “It,
therefore, makes more sense to focus on integrated green networks; involving the upgrading
of existing public space and the creation of pedestrian-friendly environments. In this
way, green corridors can draw connections between various aspects of urban green
infrastructure comprising various community parks – each with a unique
identity.”
Landmark city entrance
proposed
The site proposed by ADA and Insite is situated next to a prominent entrance
into the city. It is, therefore, an important landmark space. The area includes various
bad buildings that can be demolished and transformed into additional green space to
increase the size of the park. Mostly council-owned land, the site is a feasible option
for public development and large enough to accommodate a new park with numerous
possibilities for future development of green space. Municipal-owned facilities, such as
the adjacent bus depot, can be relocated for this space to become a green link or
corridor. As the population density in this part of the city is less than it is in other
areas, a new park could be a catalyst to attract people to this side of town through new
residential development. A park in this area would fill a “gap” in an area with
a significant lack of green space – a park that is an essential element for creating
a green network system in the city.
Historic gold theme proposed
As Johannesburg owes its existence to the 1886 discovery of gold and the main
reef runs beneath the site, the proposed park is informed by a mining theme. The area
incorporates the three original claims of 1887: Wemmer Mine, Jubilee Mine and
Salisbury Claims. As there is no existing gold museum within the inner city, the site
provides an opportunity to tell the historic story.
The design will focus on creating much-needed
public space with strong pedestrian links to the rest of the city. The urban edges of the
park space will be well-defined, selectively retained, enforced or open where deemed
necessary while landmarks will welcome visitors to the inner city. Visual links will be
provided to nearby green spaces while public art will form an integral part the
development as it gives expression and sense of place to a space.
Seven principles applied
The design is informed by the seven principles of an excellent city park system as
defined by P Harnick in the book What makes it great and how to get there: the excellent
city park system:
•
a clear expression of
purpose;
•
ongoing planning and
community management;
•
sufficient assets in
land, staffing and equipment to meet the system’s goals;
•
equitable access;
•
user satisfaction;
•
safety from physical
hazards and crime; and
•
benefits for the city
beyond the boundaries of the parks.
Sustainability prioritised
The implementation of the proposed inner-city park
will rely on various sustainability principles:
•
celebrate a sense of
community ownership;
•
encourage economic
activity in and around urban parks;
•
celebrate local
culture by promoting identity through art, music and language;
•
improve quality of
life for inner-city dwellers by devising a network of public spaces that respond to the
social character of the surrounding community;
•
provide informative
parks where children can learn about natural life cycles and ecology;
•
create a green network
that extends indigenous vegetation and natural habitats to the heart of the city;
•
identify conservation
areas and use these for promoting biodiversity;
•
manage stormwater
responsibly through retention strategies such as permeable surfaces and ponds;
•
promote the use of
renewable energy (for example, solar-powered lights); and
•
stimulate future
public and private development by strategically planning new public spaces.
Project team
Urban designer and architect: ADA
Landscape architect: Insite
The way forward?
With so much effort spent on the five
proposals, what is the next step in turning the city’s park dream to reality?
The JDA’s competition was adjudicated by Lone
Poulsen of the Wits School of Architecture & Planning and Piet Vosloo of the
University of Pretoria’s school of landscape architecture within the department of
architecture. Although no firm has yet been appointed to take the project to
implementation, the preferred proposal was the urban tapestry submitted by MMA Architects,
Fiona Garson, Cohen & Judin, Newtown Landscape Architects and Rhizome Management
Services. Urban Green File has asked Poulsen to comment on the concept of a large-scale,
inner-city park for Johannesburg. “A lot of merit exists for a park of this
nature,” she states. “With the city’s character increasingly changing from
commercial to dense residential, the existing green ‘breathing’ spaces are
insufficient and the idea of a big park for the city is relevant.”However, Poulsen
believes that the brief for the call for proposals was too open-ended. “It was a
fantastic ideas competition to determine what is, ultimately, possible in the city but,
without a specific site available, it would have been unrealistic to expect this
competition to result in the construction of a park. How can a consortium estimate the
project cost without knowing the precise conditions related to a site?”
More research required
To turn the dream of an inner-city park into reality, the city council and its
agencies, such as the JDA, have to conduct much more research in order to determine the
exact needs and scope for a park project. The city will need to decide whether or not it
is willing to remove or cover the railway lines and this will involve tough negotiations
with Transnet. It will also have to decide whether or not it is willing to sacrifice some
of its own buildings in the southern section of the inner city.
Flexibility preferred
“I preferred the urban-tapestry proposal because of its flexibility,”
says Poulsen. “It can be implemented over a long period of time and can be adapted to
accommodate whatever the results of land negotiations are. The other proposals, I felt,
were more rigid in that they assumed the land they chose would become available. Before
the design of an actual park is commissioned, though, a much bigger debate needs to be
undertaken and this should involve as many stakeholders as possible. One would have to
weigh up the concept of a string of parks versus one single, large park. The usefulness
and appropriateness of the park in a specific location, and not only the cost of the land,
should also be in the equation. It is essential that a park development fits into the
various development frameworks of the city. In this regard, one needs to ask whether or
not the city council has a coherent view as it sometimes seems as if the city is not
communicating internally between its various agencies and departments.
Urban place-making required
Poulsen believes the biggest environmental issue within Johannesburg’s
inner city entails public place-making. “Although the city has changed significantly
in the past decade, the public domain and interface has not yet been adapted. The
development of an urban park could make a prominent contribution to place-making. However,
the concept should be applied to all development within the city and not only to a
park.” She cites the implementation of the bus rapid transit (BRT) network as a lost
opportunity. “The BRT is an engineering-driven transport intervention but it fails to
improve public spaces surrounding the transport infrastructure. This is a real opportunity
lost!”
Wider vision needed
Poulsen adds: “Perhaps the city is trying to do too much too quickly.
While this boldness should be commended, one is concerned that it is not always correctly
informed and a wider vision is lacking.” He believes the next step should be to
establish a forum, possibly including all the shortlisted consultants in the second stage
of the competition, and city officials and community stakeholders, to exchange ideas and
debate the best path to achieve the city’s park dream.
But is a large park appropriate?
Comment by Gerald Garner
While Urban Green File is delighted about the JDA’s initiative and
vision, the appropriateness of a single, large park solution needs to be questioned.
Undoubtedly, the Johannesburg inner city is in
need of more and better-quality park space. Also obvious is the negative impact of the
railway marshalling yards at the centre of the inner city where the core of Johannesburg
is divided in two. The potential for a park to bridge this space is obvious and the value
it can add to surrounding land could possibly help offset the cost of the actual decking
infrastructure.
While Urban Green File wants to encourage the City
of Johannesburg and the various consortiums to keep working on the concept, and to pursue
the dream of a large-scale park in the long term, it must be stated that a short-term plan
is also needed. This plan, though, must be linked to a long-term vision.
Perhaps a start should be made by studying the
history and geography of Johannesburg more closely? Three aspects in this regard are of
major importance, Urban Green File believes. Firstly, the inner city’s very small
city blocks have been posing traffic-flow problems for, at least, the past 60 years.
Secondly, a lot of “lost” space exists within the city. And, thirdly, the
city’s location on the continental watershed – where springs well up to feed the
rivers that eventually reach the Indian and Atlantic oceans – should be considered.
With regard to the size of city blocks, Urban
Green File believes that a start could be made by removing some vehicular streets from the
city grid. Perhaps the arterials that carry the new BRT system should be pedestrianised
with significant tree planting and the development of pocket parks? This space belongs to
the municipality and it is easier to redevelop than land owned by third parties. But this
shows that public-space development cannot take place in isolation because it must connect
to the development of public transport, for example.
With regard to lost space, Urban Green File wants
to point out that many pockets of open land exist along the periphery of the inner city
– most notably along the edges of the M1 and M2 highways. This land could be
developed into continual parkland that could serve many different nodes within the city.
Imagine the introduction of cycling and jogging tracks along this route; encircling the
city!
Considering the continental watershed, Urban Green
File believes that any park development should set out to restore the city’s original
fountains and wetlands, and the opportunity should be used to restore habitat and promote
biodiversity. There is tremendous potential to turn the entire inner city into a green
precinct where water harvesting and recycling could be pursued en masse!
_____
WASTE & POLLUTION
MANAGEMENT BRIEFS
Wetland treats stormwater
A R7,5-million artificial wetland is being developed to clean the water flowing
from the Motherwell stormwater canal into the Swartkops Estuary in Nelson Mandela Bay
Municipality. Designed by SRK Consulting, the facility will only accommodate part of the
low-flow volumes in the canal. The level of pollution of flows entering the system will
then be assessed and compared to that leaving the wetland. This will provide important
data on the efficiency of the wetland in cleaning the water to a level that is acceptable
for release into the river, and it will determine the additional area of wetland necessary
to take the full flow, Urban Green File has learned.
New clean-energy role player
Austrian Energy & Environment Group (AE&E) is a new role player in
South Africa’s search for cleaner energy sources. By establishing a presence locally,
AE&E hopes to focus on the conversion of underutilised fuels to electricity and steam.
The company hopes to introduce solutions for a broad range of energy sources such as
waste, biomass, industrial by-products and conventional fuels, as well as flue-gas
cleaning systems.
Incinerator remains open
Wasteman’s Klerksdorp incinerator continues to operate as the Minister of
Water & Environmental Affairs, Buyelwa Sonjica, has instructed the company to
undertake “proof of performance” of the incinerator prior to a final decision on
whether or not to shut it down.
The suspension of the facility shutdown has been
granted subject to, among others, a four-month proof-of-performance period, submission of
the annual audit report, submission of a full status report of the monitoring committee,
and further emission-testing results, the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA)
informs Urban Green File.
According to the DEA, in granting a suspension of
the instruction to shut the facility down, the minister considered improvements made and
the work undertaken by the facility, including implementation of processes and protocols,
to bring the facility into compliance. “In addition to mitigation against the
release of fugitive emissions from the site, the latest air-emission test results confirm
that the limits now fall within the permitted limit values. A continuous monitoring system
is now in place to ensure that monitoring is undertaken in line with the permit
requirements. It will be critical for Wasteman to demonstrate over the four-month,
proof-of-performance period that this incinerator is able to operate within the parameters
of the permit requirements as well as other environmental legal obligations. Inspectors
will monitor these operations closely and any problems will be reported directly to the
minister’s office.”
_____
INSPIRATION
Public place reclaimed
Johannesburg is successfully reclaiming what was
once derelict and unsafe public space.
Johannesburg is finally reclaiming some of its
inner-city public space. The city’s “civic spine” was developed with much
fanfare in the 1980s. However this architectural intervention proved disastrous. Wall and
steel lattice structures were built on the edges of spaces such as Library Gardens. The
theory was to provide tranquil space away from the city’s congested streets but the
result was a dirty and unsafe space; cut off from the street and the surrounding
buildings. More than two decades later, the Johannesburg Development Agency has broken
down the unsightly barriers. Surprisingly, yet delightfully, city dwellers are now
rediscovering Johannesburg’s lost public space.
_____
INSULT
Ongoing lack of urban management
New projects
are rolling out, at rapid pace, throughout Johannesburg but, in terms of management and
maintenance, there is much to be desired.
On another recent visit to the impressive Ellis
Park Precinct in Johannesburg, Urban Green File was perplexed to find that most of the new
infrastructure and landscaping had been maintained immaculately yet some areas had been
left to deteriorate. It seemed as if a contract had been set up to maintain some of the
new landscaping but other areas fell outside of this arrangement. The worst area was
inside and adjacent to the grounds of the Johannesburg Stadium – neighbour to Coca
Cola Park.
Why is a proper urban-management system not in
place? Admittedly, we did notice that some of the person-high weeds were being cleared but
why were the plants left to grow in the first place? The problem is not isolated to Ellis
Park but a symptom of the overall lack of a strategic urban-management strategy.
Urban Green File believes that part of the problem
is the silo structure of local government, particularly with regard to the corporatisation
of municipal departments. It seems that agencies, like Johannesburg City Parks, City
Power, Johannesburg Water, Johannesburg Roads Agency and the Johannesburg Development
Agency, all work in isolation. Each corporate entity can only become involved in issues
directly under its jurisdiction lest it erodes its profitability. But city management and
service delivery lose out in the process.
Urban Green File advocates that the City of
Johannesburg should appoint a facilities manager for each precinct or suburb. This person
would be responsible for proactive monitoring of maintenance in a specific area. Whenever
a problem with litter, the upkeep of a park or pavement, or a pothole in a road is
anticipated, the facilities manager would contact the relevant city agency and ensure that
the job is done. Only then will the city’s many infrastructure investments be
protected for the future! Another example of the urban-management conundrum is mentioned
in Neil Fraser’s Citichat newsletter of January 2010. Discussing the city’s
performance in terms of urban management, safety and security in 2009, Fraser writes:
“This cluster reflects the best progress at 82%, previously 72%. However I still
question the practical application of urban management. In my Citichat of November or
December, I referred to a pole (no-parking or no-stopping notice, I think) that was
flattened by a car at the corner of the City Hall/Legislature. Last week, when I was in
the city, I noticed that it was still there, crushed and flattened, on the pavement. Urban
management should be such that the pole should have been replaced within 24 hours! A walk
through the inner city reflected numerous ‘new-design’ refuse bins also crushed
and flattened but why were they left in position? I also noticed that some of the great
mosaic works on the pavements around Jewel City were deteriorating badly. Pieces of mosaic
have gone missing. Not good enough!”
_____
VIEWPOINT
Green World Cup legacy
The 2010 FIFA
World Cup will leave South Africa will a “green” legacy. Ethekwini Municipality
has worked particularly hard in this regard.
“Ethekwini Municipality established its
Greening Durban 2010 Programme as a means of ensuring that the city could host the 2010
FIFA World Cup in an environmentally sustainable way,” says programme manager, Nicci
Diederichs. “The aim of this programme is not only to ‘green’ the event but
to implement a range of projects which will leave a positive legacy for Durban post-2010.
The main target of the Greening Durban 2010 Programme is to host a climate-neutral World
Cup in Durban. This is being achieved through the development of a series of carbon
emission-reduction (CER) projects in Durban, and the reforestation of large tracts of land
in the north and west of the municipal area, which will act as carbon sinks.
These initiatives have launched the municipality
into a new realm of thinking about the opportunities and benefits presented by carbon-sink
and emissions-reduction projects. Through Greening Durban 2010, we have been able to
successfully demonstrate that climate-mitigation projects have real, measurable benefits
at local level. The Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project has created
more than 200 “treepreneurs”: local community members who grow and trade tree
seedlings. Some of these people are trading trees to the value of more than R1 000 in our
Tree Stores every few months in each community.”
Diederichs also tells Urban Green File that
Ethekwini Municipality is backing the establishment of five new renewable-energy projects
that will result in CERs. “Once the carbon footprint of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in
Durban has been offset, these projects will generate millions of rands of revenue for the
municipality from the sale of carbon credits and renewable energy, which can be used to
invest in additional renewable-energy and emission-reduction projects.
“Other elements of the programme include the
development of waste-management plans and environmental-
management systems for all of the event venues in Durban, and ensuring that
these venues have been designed to achieve maximum energy and water-use efficiency,”
adds Diederichs.
The Greening Durban 2010 Programme has a strong
focus on demonstrating new approaches and developing new thinking around the importance of
“greening”. As a result, a Green Guideline Series has been launched recently. It
aims to provide businesses, architects, engineers, schools and homeowners with an
easy-to-use tool kit on the options for establishing more energy- and water-efficient
buildings and landscapes, and reducing waste outputs. The Green Guideline Series is one of
the legacy projects of the programme which will benefit Durban long after the 2010 FIFA
World Cup is over. It is also likely to spark a reshuffle of local by-laws and building
standards to meet increasing challenges, as well as the costs of energy, water and waste
disposal. This series has four guideline documents:
•
Energy-Efficiency
Guideline
•
Water-Conservation
Guideline
•
Sustainable
Waste-Management Guideline
•
Green-Landscaping
Guideline
The documents can be downloaded at
http://fifaworldcup.durban.gov.za/Pages/GreeningDurban2010. |
