On Friday the 17th of August the Sustainability Institute hosted a workshop with Western Cape Shack Dweller’s International affiliates. The Institute is currently working on a Cordaid funded project which will build capacity in the Sustainable Neighbourhood Design sector. SDI affiliates, which include COURC, Fedup and PPM have been invited to tour the Lynedoch Eco-village over the next several months in order to see and experience alternate ways of building communities. This social participation process will not only help to inform communities about ecological design, but will also help SI researchers to understand the needs of communities and how to balance these needs with local ecosystems within the RDP and sustainable settlement environments.