It’s about creating sustainable communities Ecological Community Housing
Hull Street Integrated Housing Project Kimberley, South Africa – a project supported by Sida
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We decided that we could do better – we needed to move from block houses to homes and communities. In Hull Street, residents will be responsible for managing and caring for their own environment. City planners
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By sharing space we will all have more space. By living together we will learn to understand each other – its about creating neighbourhood. Beneficiaries
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The legacy of apartheid lives on…? Achieving sustainable development is no easy task. Overcoming the legacy of apartheid in South Africa makes it even more difficult. The Urban Development Framework, published by the National Department of Housing in , proposes a challenging vision beyond urban planning currently characterised by rows of individual matchbox houses, tiny plots and square grid layouts far from white suburbs and town centres. Low cost housing development has been the priority, and still is in many municipalities, with little consideration for quality of life or the environment. Lack of imagination and care, and a bureaucratic mentality in township planning and architecture have resulted in the sustained impoverishment of the poor!
• A variety of housing types, plot sizes and affordability levels; • Increased density of housing to stop urban sprawl; • Mixed business and residential options to encourage small businesses; • Black, coloured and white residents living together; • Alternative sanitation system that saves on water and municipal connection costs; • Recycling of grey water to gardens; • Bicycle and pedestrian paths integrated with green corridors; • Management of eco-blocks by residents committees; • Closeness to the city centre and industrial area.
People have to live here The Hull Street Integrated Housing Project in Kimberley starts from different assumptions and insights. People, their experience and their environment matter. The character of the built environment influences how people live, feel and relate. If you get it wrong you can’t change it – generations have to live with and suffer the consequences.
These are some of the features that will contribute to a unique and high quality urban living environment, affordable for low and medium income residents.
So what’s different about Hull Street? • Colourful double and single storey semidetached houses arranged in eco-blocks; • Central garden areas for recreation and urban agriculture;
Hull Street is designed to be a sustainable human community in social, environmental and economic terms.
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Planning for integrated development Kimberley – a caring community that supports its environment and challenges its residents to actively contribute to their own social, economic and ecological well-being. Vision of the Comprehensive Urban Plan (IDP-CUP) SOCIAL
CULTURAL
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URBAN INTEGRATION
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PHYSICAL
ECOLOGICAL
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Our lives will be enriched by sharing and co-operating. Taking responsibility together is better than people only looking out for their own interests. Beneficiary
Deconstructing the apartheid city Apartheid has left an enduring legacy of a racially fragmented, divided city, with poor black communities pushed to the periphery or beyond. Few municipalities have had the courage to challenge or change the structure of the apartheid city. Or the money. The cost of land has provided a convenient excuse to maintain the status quo. During the Sida-supported Comprehensive Urban Planning (CUP) process, Kimberley – now Sol Plaatjie – municipal planners and Swedish colleagues were challenged by a significant area of vacant land in the city. Only a stone’s throw away from the central business district and , km away from the main industrial area, extensive undeveloped De Beers mining property presented a real opportunity for spacial integration. A land swap was arranged that made the area available for a unique municipal project. 4
The Hull Street Integrated Housing Project was born, as centre piece of the CUP and accepted by the Integrated Development Plan as a long term strategy for the sustainable development of an integrated city.
Planning principles • Create a balance between natural and physical environments, viable economic systems and greater integration, equity and responsibility; • Promote Local Agenda programmes to involve all residents in meeting local needs in sustainable ways; • Promote gender mainstreaming to incorporate the needs and aspirations of men and women; • Allow for ongoing public participation and ownership of plans as the basis for shared responsibility for implementation, capacity building and monitoring. Hull Street – dimensions of urban integration • Physical integration – filling gaps in city; • Social, environmental, economic integration; • Mix of races and class; • Mixed density; • Formation of neighbourhoods and community; • Mix of residential and business use; • Blending in with existing adjacent areas; • Mix of urban and agricultural use.
Local Agenda 21 on the ground There is a lot of talk about Local Agenda , but often not much progress in reality. Hull Street will lead the way in South Africa in putting ecological and sustainable development principles into practice. Agenda 21 has identified these problems as requiring local solutions: Climate and pollution Oil, coal and nuclear energy increasingly pollute and threaten the habitable environment – this requires urban design for traffic reduction, improved public transport, bicycle use and walking, clean sustainable energy sources, and recycling of waste. Food and water security Food and water scarcity, pollution and reduced quality threaten sustainable livelihoods – solutions include water saving and recycling, and ecological urban agriculture. Bio-diversity and resource conservation Continued destruction of natural ecosystems threatens the conditions that sustain human life. Local level awareness, resource conservation, greening and responsible consumption are essential to maintain Northern Cape sensitive ecological balance.
economic elites, at the expense of the poor and voiceless. Truly democratic governance and institutions at global, national and local levels promoting real participation are essential to the solution. Western life styles and consumption patterns for all are impossible – essential resources would be rapidly depleted and the environment irreversibly damaged. Already the limits to growth are being violated. Eco-technologies are essential to avoid devastation and to meet basic needs in sustainable ways. Local Agenda key result areas: • Transport and traffic alternatives; • Sustainable, clean energy; • Waste management and recycling; • Pollution control; • Greening and ecological agriculture; • Resource conservation.
Democratic governance Destructive trends are driven by the selfinterest and profiteering of political and 5
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We need real agreements, commitment and targets for implementation at global, national, local and community levels, together with individual awareness, responsibility and behaviour change.
Kimberley
Roodepan
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former coloured township
industrial area
Galeshewe former black township
Hull Street area
City centre
former medium to high income white area
Green Point former coloured township
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Hull Street – an urban revolution In South Africa’s cities black and white people work and shop together, but at the day’s end people of different colours depart to residential areas or townships largely segregated on the basis of race and economy. Hull Street aims to change this by creating a socially and environmentally rich, cosmopolitan area, with a real community environment. Add Agenda based ecotech innovations, and you have what amounts in South Africa to an urban design revolution. Normally politicians and bureaucrats just want as many houses as possible, regardless of quality. Hull Street planners started instead with a vision for the quality of life, community and environment. Drawing on international best practices, appropriate houses were seen as but one element in designing a sustainable, community orientated urban environment as a living system. Key planning objectives were: • Enhancement of community and shared responsibility; • Social and physical integration; • Densification to enhance opportunities and lower costs; • Beneficiary and residents participation and capacity building; • A green, healthy environment with shared spaces for social interaction and urban agriculture;
• Variation in housing types, costs, plot sizes, layouts and land uses; • Cost saving and environmentally sound service provision; • Promotion of economic opportunities and enterprise; • Multi-faceted transport and movement planning.
Hull Street’s position close to the central business district and industrial area will provide its low and medium income community with easy and low cost access to economic, social and cultural opportunities. Planning document
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More than just building new houses…
Hull
mixed land use
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et
PHASE
PHASE
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II high density housing – eco-block commercial/business
school
N medium density housing
community centre
park
high density housing – eco-block
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50
100 m
Hull Street – Phases and features
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…a green environment enhances the quality of life for citizens, and attracts investment.
The entire Hull Street Integrated Housing Project consists of four Phases, with Phase I to be completed early in , and consisting of housing units. The overall layout features two main roads, one of them a boulevard, intersecting at a traffic circle in a commercial hub. Boulevards will incorporate bicycle and pedestrian ways, trees and green verges. In keeping with the historical and cultural character of Kimberley as a city of monuments, the boulevard to the north culminates in a yet to be designed monument. The east–west main road (Hull Street) is flanked by mixed residential–business, medium density sites, to be sold for individual 8
development. Schools, community facilities and parks flank the area to the north and south, enabling integrated use of these facilities, and easy access via bicycle and foot paths. Hull Street will thus include a full range of community and commercial facilities and opportunities, and enable easy access to those of the greater city. The development site is of the same standing and importance as the rest of Kimberley’s central area, and not to be treated as a peripheral dormitory residential area. Planning document
Monument in Kimberley city.
Future site for a Hull Street monument.
Demonstration houses at the eco-village.
Urban agriculture.
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Eco-block communities
high density housing, variety of housing types and plot sizes
A central feature of the Hull Street Integrated Housing Project is the arrangement of higher density houses in eco-blocks. Each block has to semi-detached houses around the periphery of a large central area, creating a natural community of interdependent neighbours. Houses have small individual front and back gardens, with the large common garden designed for shared recreation and urban agriculture, using recycled grey water. Interest in and willingness to garden was included in selection criteria of future residents. Eco-blocks will be managed by residents committees who will decide on rules, rights and responsibilities.
central garden area used in various ways, playground with a protecting fence, urban agriculture – food-gardens, green recreation area, orchard
grey water recycling pond
Eco-block
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50
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100 m
There will be better security when one is away from home, and for the children, who won’t have to play on the streets. 10
Community blocks facilitate relationships between neighbours and build community identity, belonging and responsibility…
Galeshewe eco-village pilot project In old Galeshewe township, next to Galeshewe Housing Support Centre, a colourful new eco-village is already occupied by proud families – as a pilot for Hull Street. Though on a smaller scale, the entire ecoblock concept, all types of houses and innovations such as the dry sanitation system are being tested here.
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People are very interested. They stop to look and ask about it. They like the types of houses, the layout and the colour. Local contractor
Eco-technologies A key innovation is the alternative, dry sanitation system involving urine diversion and composting of faeces in two containers requiring a rotation twice a year. This system, in effective use in other parts of the world, including Sweden, saves significantly on water use, conventional sewers, and thus both capital and operating costs. Household grey water passes through sand filter sumps before being collected in a common pond, for irrigating vegetable and other gardens and fruit trees. Passers-by wonder at the shining solar water heating panels, the electricity generating photovoltaic panels and towering wind charger. Though these are not standard features for Hull Street due to capital costs, these clean, sustainable energy and cost saving ecotechnologies will be encouraged.
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It makes economic sense – the sun and the wind don’t send bills Prospective resident
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Hull Street houses
With separate houses you get separate interests. Its devisive – each tries to get as much as possible for themselves. It affects the moral fibre of the community. Social housing re-kindles the spirit of community, of people taking care of each other.
All houses in eco-blocks are town house style, flat roofed, single storey, semi-detached or double storey row houses. Five variations of the attractive, well-finished houses are available, ranging from to m2.
front elevation
Housing costs and financing Hull Street houses will cost from R to R . All residents will earn below R per month, thus qualifying for full government housing subsidies of approximately R , though families must save about R to access this. This reduces costs to R and R , to be covered by housing loans, with monthly repayments ranging from an easily affordable R to R , over a year repayment period. This shortened period virtually halves the total amount repaid, and houses will be transferred to residents after four years.
back elevation
ground floor
Housing Support Centre field worker
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first floor
site plan
Example, housetype 3
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We view Hull Street as a long term investment by the city in partnership with residents, who for generations will enjoy the benefits of living in a high quality, socially and environmentally rich, yet affordable urban environment. Municipal townplanner
Selection of beneficiaries The Hull Street Integrated Housing Project has developed a successful approach to one of the most problematic aspects of development projects. Potential beneficiaries were invited to a public meeting in the city hall, and attended to hear presentations on the project and conditions for participation. Those interested filled out questionnaires designed to screen applicants on the basis of the following main criteria: • Employed and/or able to afford repayments; • Prepared to contribute by saving deposit and taking a loan; • Good service payment record; • Do not own a house/eligible for government subsidy (combined household income less than R ); • Keen on the Hull Street lifestyle; • Willing to participate and take responsibility with others; • Accept alternative sanitation. This process led to applications by people, and selection of suitable and committed beneficiaries for Phase I. For them the queuing system is simple and objective – your place in the queue depends on how soon you save your deposit, equal to months repayments. Enthusiasm regarding Hull Street is such that people are now on the waiting list for phases II, III and IV.
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Our strategy was to identify beneficiaries properly first, and involve and train them as part of the project. City planner
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Social innovations – stakeholders and structures Saving scheme
Municipality Financier
Installment sale agreement
HOUSING COMPANY
Ownership
Provincial Gov. Sida
Residential unit ma
Ownership and management
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e ag
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nag
OWNERS ASSOCIATION
t en
an
Common area
Prospective resident
membership
em
ent
RESIDENT
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S S
S
Subcommittees
community activities, project management, financing and financial management.
The Contractors’ Forum The collaboration of small local contractors, in building the eco-village pilot has developed their capacity and led to the formation of a consortium able to build Hull Street. A project of this scale would normally go to a large construction company, making this a real small business empowerment success story!
The Hull Street Owners Association Residents will be members of a legally constituted association responsible for establishing overall policies, rights and responsibilities for the area. Residents’ committees will manage their own eco-blocks, within this overall framework.
Sida The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency in partnership with the Sol Plaatjie Municipality has played a key role in supporting the IDP-CUP process, the Housing Support Centre and Housing Company, and the initiation, conceptualisation, planning and management of the Hull Street Project. Sida support has included provision of million Rand for the establishment of the Housing Company, million for the development of the Hull Street project and a million Rand revolving loan fund, to facilitate and contribute to project financing.
The Sol Plaatjie Housing Company The housing company, an independent nonprofit entity, acts as developer and project manager on behalf of the municipality and residents, who are both represented on its board. Its functions include facilitation of
Sol Plaatjie Municipality and Northern Cape Provincial Government The commitment and active participation of both levels of government has been essential in launching an innovative housing project on the scale of Hull Street.
The Hull Street Integrated Housing Project is putting an ideal into practice from the start. Residents are already taking part in information and consultation meetings, and capacity building workshops on topics such as Affordability and Household budgeting, and Urban agriculture.
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Some facts and figures Opportunities need to be created to enable people to actively contribute to their own well-being. People need to accept the obligation to take their own fate in their hands to help themselves. The present dependency syndrome of people waiting for the authorities to provide for them needs to be changed. This change can only occur with topdown assistance in order to achieve bottom-up action Hull Street Housing Association Business Plan
Hull Street Integrated Housing Project, four phases – total of 2 200 houses • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Phase I: houses Cost of Phase I: R . million Completion date: February Capital cost: R . million Operating costs: R . million (funded by Sida) Building cost: R /m2 Eco-blocks: to houses each Types of houses: designs Size of houses: to m2 Size of plots: to m2 Size of common area in eco-blocks: to m2 Cost of houses: R to R Goverment subsidy per house: R Approximate cost to residents/loans required: R to R Monthly repayments: R to R Repayment period: years, with transfer after years Deposit: x monthly repayment Estimated water saving: %
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Respect gives you wings. There are differences, as in a family, but we sit down, talk and resolve them together. Respect, perseverance and hard work – that’s our formula for success. Local contractor
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Contact details Sol Plaatjie Municipality Department of City Engineer P. Bag X 5030, 8300 Kimberley, South Africa Sol Plaatjie Housing Company Corner of John Daka & Moshoeshoe Street Galeshewe, 8345 Kimberley, South Africa TEL +27 53 871 27 54
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The exciting challenge and potential is for replication of the Hull Street concept, to create integrated, quality urban environments and sustainable communities, even at lower affordability levels.
SE-105 25 Stockholm, Sweden +46 8 698 50 00
TEL
Sida – Swedish Embassy P. O. Box 13477, Hatfield, 0028 Pretoria, South Africa TEL +27 12 426 64 00 SIPU International Box 70338, SE-107 23 Stockholm, Sweden TEL +46 8 698 06 00 Hifab International – SSPA Box 19090, S-104 32 Stockholm, Sweden TEL +46 8 546 666 00 CONTACTS
Johan Schoeman, managing director Sol Plaatjie Housing Company TEL +27-53-871 27 54 e-mail: jschoeman@kimberley.co.za Selina Nkomo Housing Committee chairperson TEL +27-53-871 27 54 PRODUCTION
Gratitude Boysen, community facilitator Sol Plaatjie Housing Company TEL +27-53-871 27 54 Gabriel Marin Senior adviser SIPU International TEL +27-41-506 22 53 e-mail: gmarin@global.co.za
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This booklet and an exhibition are produced by SIPU International TEXT John Roux GRAPHIC DESIGN AND TECHNICAL PRODUCTION Viera Larsson PHOTOS Albio Gonzales, Emile Hendricks, Viera Larsson and Stanislav Vesely PROJECT MANAGEMENT Bengt Carlsson PRINTING A.T.T. Grafiska, Stockholm © Sida, July 2002 ISBN 91-586-8771-8