NEWS RELEASE                                                                                          28 September 2001 

CITY’S ADOPTS VITAL URBAN EDGE STUDIES 

The City of Cape Town has adopted recommendations contained in three urban edge studies that define an ideal future urban development perimeter for the city. 

The principle elements contained in the Peninsula Urban Edge, Northern Metro Urban Edge (inclusive of the Melkbosstrand Urban Edge) and Helderberg Urban Edge studies are to be promulgated into municipal by-laws. 

The primary function of these studies is to create an effective strategy to counter urban sprawl and protect the natural resources and unique character of different areas within the City of Cape Town. 

The advent of Unicity and a merging of the previous municipal areas into one management structure has highlihted an obvious need to finalise a consensual policy for future urban development in consultation with all stakeholders and the public. 

It has been agreed that the ideal is to create a more compact and efficient city that takes cognisance of the needs of its people and rich natural heritage. 

“We live in a city facing substantial growth in the years ahead,” said Member of the Executive Committee for Planning and the Environment, Councillor Brian Watkyns. “It’s critical that we clearly define the extent of urban development in order that we curtail any possibility of potential low-density, haphazard and discontinuous sprawl into our valuable agricultural and natural areas.

“In this spirit, our task now is twofold. Firstly we have to better manage land usage in our existing city metropolitan area. We also have to market and enforce the idea that from pure necessity, future urban development must focus on higher urban densification to bring about a more efficient and environmentally sustainable living and working environment. 

“Higher densification has many benefits in terms of greater efficiencies in delivery of municipal services, commercial development and transportation,” said Councillor Watkyns 

The Urban Edge studies are a fundamental part of the city’s Metropolitan Spatial Development Framework (MSDF), a substantial and highly detailed policy study focusing on a wide range of issues defining ideal existing land usage in the city as well as a model for future development within a defined urban edge.

__________________________________________________________________________