Research & Project Outputs

Reviews the contemporary urban studies literature and argues that with few exceptions this literature has ignored the rapidly growing literature on sustainable cities. The result is that SA urban development policies have not addressed the challenge of making urban development ecologically sustainable.

A Strategy for a Developmental Green Economy for Gauteng, January 2010. This report was commissioned by the Gauteng City Region Observatory (GCRO) on behalf of the Gauteng Government's Department of Economic Development (DED). It proposes that Gauteng becomes a 'green economy' and suggests an expenditure framework.  

Paper by Mark Swilling commissioned by the Isandla Institute for presentation at the Cape Town 2025 Conference, June 2005. Reviews the relationship between consumption, footprints, infrastructure planning and sustainable resource use in Cape Town.

Western Cape Sustainable Human Settlement Strategy - official policy framework of the Western Cape Provincial Government, compiled by a team coordinated by the Sustainability Institute 

Discussion paper prepared by Mark Swilling for the 7th meeting of the International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management - focus is on optimism about economic growth in Africa, but the resource curse remains.

This document, by Bryce Anderson who is based in the Sustainability Institute, summarizes 8 years of learning with respect to the land reform project on municipal land near to Lynedoch. The Sustainability Institute has played various roles in this pioneering project over the years.