Strategic Planning and the Environment: Cape Town Perspectives

Gregg Oelofse: Environmental Policy and Strategy

City of Cape Town

Context: Environmental Strategy Remains a Key Challenge

In a developing context where:Service provisionEconomic growthPoverty alleviationSocial development

Must remain urban priorities

Where massive disparities in wealth and living standards remain

Environmental management and sustainable development risk being left as peripheral issues

Key Challenge: Environmental Paradigm

Comes from a history of protectionist activismStuck in a people or environment dialogueAs a result remains on the periphery Has to shift toward broader principles of common good, quality living environments, urban health, recreation and proactive integration into urban planningShift to an ecosystems approach

Key Opportunity: Environmental Integration with Spatial Planning

City planners are central to environmental outcomesEnvironmental issues and objectives must be integrated into planning City planning must take the lead in environmental planning and strategyCity of Cape Town’s SDF has integrated key environmental objectives:

Biodiversity and ecosystemsEMF’s for district plansCoastal EdgeUrban Edge

Planning must protect the built environment, cultural heritage and sense of place

Real costs to ecosystem lossUnder-estimate and under value “free” ecosystem servicesCapital costs of replacing ecosystem servicesCape Town’s valuing of the natural environment:

R2 - R6 billion annual benefitIn comparison only 2,5% OPEX and 2,1% CAPEX investedEnvironmental sector has 1.2 to 2 times greater return than any other municipal expenditure

Cost of poor environmental planning

Challenge: Better-understand the real cost and economics of the environment

Challenge: Environmental planning must reduce risk to the City and its communities

We must entrench a long-term view over short-term gainsMust make decisions in the interests of the many as opposed to the fewReduced risk means reduced economic cost and reduced opportunity costsInformed and wise decision making Ratepayers ultimately carry the cost

Challenge: Environmental legislation and compliance

Strategies to facilitate environmental approvals of appropriate developmentFree up city development to enhance economic growth within environmental legislative frameworksReduce costs of environmental approvalsLead by example through ensuring complianceReduce negative association with environmental governance

Six key strategies if we are to adapt:Its not so much an environmental issue but a social and economic riskWe need to trust the scienceCannot continue with “business as usual”Demands strong and decisive leadershipShift local government toward longer term planningShared responsibility – universities, business and civil society

Opportunity: Climate Change – the need for proactive planning

In summary: Strategic lessons

Sustainable development agenda risks being left on the peripheryNeed to move environmental management out of its historical protectionist context to a proactive urban approach.City planning and planners will ultimately determine environmental qualityNeed to understand the true economic value and role of our environmental assetsNeed to understand the real risks and costs of environmental degradation and lossNeed a strategic approach to environmental legislation Climate change is not an environmental issue

Thank you