Construction in Cape Town, much like the rest of South Africa, is entrenched in carbon-intensive materials and techniques. A complex array of building, planning and labour codes and policies – implemented by property developers, building material suppliers, insurance agencies, and built environment professionals – reinforce these carbon-intensive practices.
Developed by the African Centre for Cities in collaboration with Bauhaus Earth, the Cape Town Roadmap explores how the Western Cape and its bioregion can unlock regenerative opportunities rooted in local dynamics.
ReBuilt Cape Town: A Collaborative Roadmap for the Transition to a Regenerative Built Environment, emerges at a critical juncture. It addresses not merely a technical challenge of construction but a fundamental question of urban futures: How can a city reconcile the imperative for climate resilience with the urgent need for spatial justice?
It highlights key pathways to transformation:
- dignified self-build and community-led construction
- a just transition in the housing market
- circular and bio-based material systems
- future-proof capacities for long-term change
The roadmap turns these opportunities into clear, actionable steps — from policy reform and supply-chain innovation to platforms for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. The result is a blueprint for regenerative design rooted in place and practice, aligning materials, economies, and equity.
The ReBuilt-Roadmaps are deep dives into Bauhaus Earth’s ReBuilt Transformation Labs, funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.