Founded in 1886, Johannesburg is one of the world’s youngest major cities. The metropole grew up fast, however, quickly taking on enormous proportions – both in size and impact. Expanding from a tented camp, to a town of tin shanties, it soon morphed into a city of modern skyscrapers. Today is the commercial, industrial and financial hub of South Africa. …
The promise and peril of stormwater management in Durban
Durban’s location is at once a blessing and a curse. While the city hugs world renowned beaches, it is also placed squarely in the way of rainwater on the way there. As for any city, the route and impact of stormwater in Durban depends very much on where it is placed. Welcome to the eThekwini municipality The eThekwini Municipality, that …
The promise and peril of stormwater management in Cape Town
Cape Town is a place like no other. That’s why millions of local and international visitors stream to the city’s famous shores each year. A large part of the attraction is the natural environment that it’s built on – not only the famous Table Mountain, the endless beaches and the icy sea, but also a vast array of rivers and …
Pushed aside, Atlantis once took the lead for water wise cities
In fiction, Atlantis is a city that fell out of favour with the deities and sank to the bottom of the ocean. In South Africa, the town of Atlantis had similarly volatile dealings with the powers that be. But, it will go down in history books as a place that rose above one of its biggest challenges. Placed far away …
Gough: The remote island that brings the weather close to home
Every October, a small crowd gathers at the East Pier Quay at Cape Town to welcome the SA Agulhas II home. On-board is a small group of people that just spent a year at one of the most remote places on Earth with a constant human presence. It’s called Gough Island. The Subantarctic and Antarctic are extreme regions both in …
How green roofs save Toronto on the cheap
Toronto, Canada’s most populous metropolitan area, sits anchored on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The city is incredibly diverse. The roughly 2.7 million people here speak over 160 languages. The city rests on a broad sloping plateau crossed with rivers and ravines, though the skyline is marked by skyscrapers and high-rise buildings. The city is famous for being one …
Why do we send water down the drain?
One of the most disrupting things we do when we build cities, is also one of the least obvious to those who walk along the streets. Our cities upset the water cycle. As a basic rule, a city is developed to prevent the natural flow of water from taking place. When people develop a place to live, plants are the …