The City of Cape Town is participating in the second round of the C40 Reinventing Cities Programme, a worldwide competition for carbon-neutral developments. The City is considering making available four underused City-owned sites to the private sector and is calling on Capetonians to comment on the proposal.
Cape Town is a signatory to C40, a global network of large cities that are committed to developing and implementing policies to address climate change.

Cape Town aims for carbon-neutral developments. Image credit: Lonely Planet
The second round of the C40 Reinventing Cities Programme will be launched in Copenhagen in October this year, and the City has now identified four underused City-owned sites that could be made available for carbon-neutral development as part of this programme.
The four underused sites are close to public transport services in Athlone, Mitchells Plain, Diep River, and Goodwood, and could be repurposed for transit-oriented development. Together, these sites comprise of approximately 40ha which could be developed to include a mix of market-related and affordable housing opportunities, commercial space, and community services. Also, we want to see proposals that address urban sustainability and include features that will address water and energy conservation. The combined market value of the sites is R316-million.
The sites are ideal for higher density housing as they are close to train stations, minibus-taxi services, and bus stops, says Alderman Marian Nieuwoudt, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment.
The City is calling on the public to take note of the proposal to make the sites available for development, and to submit their comments by 8 September 2019:
- Athlone station car park opposite the entrance to the Athlone train station. This site comprises of 3.7 ha. Apart from being close to the station, the area is well-served by minibus-taxis and about 8km from the Cape Town central business district.
- Kapteinsklip station precinct in Mitchells Plain. This City-owned site is located to the north and south of Baden Powell Drive at the intersections of Eisleben and Weltevreden Roads. It comprises of 30.6 ha. The site includes underused car parks and undeveloped open spaces, and is located on the False Bay coast close to the Mnandi resort and the Kapteinsklip station.
- Moquet Farm in Diep River. The site is on the intersection of Main and Kendal Roads and comprises of 2.1 ha. The rail station is a block away, and the site is ideal for higher density mixed-use development.
- Tygerdal site at the Montevista station, Goodwood. The site comprises of 7.6 ha. It is underused and is close to major retail and commercial centres. The site is ideal for a mixed-use transit-oriented development, and could include different tenure options and housing opportunities to a wide range of income groups.
The purpose of the C40 Reinventing Cities Programme is to transform underused urban sites into beacons of zero carbon emissions and resilient development.
Should the City decide to make the land available for development, the bidders will need to submit design proposals that minimise the amount of energy a building uses for heating, cooling, hot water, lighting, ventilation, electrical services, and so forth. The projects will have to reduce energy demand, use energy efficiently, and use renewable energy, or low-carbon energy.
Source: Cape Town Media Department