Does Sustainable Development demand a new definition of "Value"?

Sustainability…suggests all humanity has a similar interest in 'sustainable housing' or 'sustainable urban development'; that if we simply recognized our common interests everything would be fine, we could end poverty, exploitation, segregation, inadequate housing, congestion, ugliness, abandonment and homelessness. Yet housing and urban development are conflict-laden areas, and this is very evident in the case of District Six.

-- Lucien Le Grange, director of the School of Architecture at the University of Cape Town.

District Six is a nearly empty chunk of land in Cape Town from which 60,000 former residents were forcibly removed under South Africa's apartheid government. A Draft Development Framework that outlines opportunities for sustainable development has been proposed, but according to local practitioners Lucien Le Grange and Nisa Mammon, it overlooks some key aspects necessary to foster a true sustainable redevelopment effort.

As I understand it, the Draft Development Framework has two main objectives:

1. To restore land to former inhabitants who were forcibly removed as a result of the apartheid politics and legislation such as the Group Areas Act.

2. To rebuild the urban area in such a way that enables a vibrant community atmosphere similar to that which the neighborhood once had and memorializes that which was lost.

Part-rebuilding, part-restitution, part-community empowerment, and part-memorial.

Not an easy task.

The proponents of the DDF, through a series of open public sessions, have identified a number of urban design principles that were present in the historic District Six site and that can be adapted to form the basis of a sustainable re-development effort. These include maintaining the original street grid and focusing on fine-grain physical development with small and varied plot sizes [similar to what was there] as opposed to using modern[ist] elements such as large super blocks, wide streets, or repetitive forms. The DDF also emphasizes the need for "positive street edges" [which I assume means mixed-use and "human-scaled", with shops, restaurants, and cafes for neighborhood use].

According to Architect Lucien Le Grange and Planner Nisa Mammon, these design principles - even in conjunction with existing policies such as the Restitution of Land Rights Act [which provides a legal mechanism for restoring land to those deemed to have an "inviolable right of reparation"] - are not enough.

Why is design + policy not enough?

Le Grange explains the problem like this: typically urban land is understood primarily [or, even exclusively] in economic terms, i.e. as a commodity. The goal of urban development is, typically, to use the land most efficiently and profitably in the service of individual or corporate enterprise.

Today, the urban land market in Cape Town wouldn't ordinarily be financially accessible to District Six land claimants on account of their socio-economic status. While The Restitution of Land Rights Act, makes this land suddenly accessible, it doesn't exactly solve all of their problems.

Le Grange argues that simply restoring legal ownership of the land of District Six to its former inhabitants is not enough to ensure the sustainable development of a new community there. He explains that most of these people 1] do not live or work in the inner city, nor do they "own enterprises that benefit from [urban] economies" 2] would depend on state or external resources to finance rebuilding efforts, a reality currently overlooked by the DDF and 3] are perceived by other [white] urban land owners to contribute to a decrease in urban land value due to the "likely type, form and cost of their home[s]" and, presumably, the color of their skin.

Pragmatically speaking, Le Grange contests that claimants do not receive enough money from the state to develop the free land they receive in such a way as to make it amenable for them to relocate there. Additionally, and perhaps even more importantly, they lack the community organization and supporting resources to make large-scale development happen.

However, the crux of Le Grange's argument is this: in order to encourage a more sustainable form of development it is imperative that people - government officials, land owners, developers, financial institutions, etc. - begin to view urban land as more than just a commodity. Decisions must be made based not only on economic realities, but also on a desire to uphold a positive vision of what Cape Town could be. Instead of simply a commodity, the urban land within District Six is, for Le Grange, an opportunity to make decisions that uphold principles of social justice, restitution, inclusiveness, and the preservation of heritage. "Value" must be redefined to incorporate more than just figures on a balance sheet.