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Hull Street Integrated Housing ProjectKimberley, South Africa – a project supported by Sida

It’s about creatingsustainable communitiesEcological Community HousingEcological Community Housing

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We decided that we could do better– we needed to move from blockhouses to homes and communities.

In Hull Street, residents will beresponsible for managing andcaring for their own environment.

City planners

By sharing space we will all havemore space.

By living together we will learn tounderstand each other – its aboutcreating neighbourhood.

Beneficiaries

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Achieving sustainable development is no easytask. Overcoming the legacy of apartheid inSouth Africa makes it even more difficult. TheUrban Development Framework, published bythe National Department of Housing in ,proposes a challenging vision beyond urbanplanning currently characterised by rows ofindividual matchbox houses, tiny plots andsquare grid layouts far from white suburbs andtown centres. Low cost housing developmenthas been the priority, and still is in manymunicipalities, with little consideration forquality of life or the environment. Lack ofimagination and care, and a bureaucraticmentality in township planning and archi-tecture have resulted in the sustained impove-rishment of the poor!

People have to live here

The Hull Street Integrated Housing Projectin Kimberley starts from different assump-tions and insights. People, their experienceand their environment matter. The characterof the built environment influences howpeople live, feel and relate. If you get it wrongyou can’t change it – generations have to livewith and suffer the consequences.

So what’s different about Hull Street?• Colourful double and single storey semi-

detached houses arranged in eco-blocks;• Central garden areas for recreation and

urban agriculture;

The legacy of apartheid lives on…?

• A variety of housing types, plot sizes andaffordability levels;

• Increased density of housing to stop urbansprawl;

• Mixed business and residential options toencourage small businesses;

• Black, coloured and white residents livingtogether;

• Alternative sanitation system that saves onwater 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.

These are some of the featuresthat will contribute to a uniqueand high quality urban livingenvironment, affordable forlow and medium incomeresidents.

Hull Street is designed to

be a sustainable human

community in social, envi-

ronmental and economic

terms.

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Planning for integrated development

Deconstructing the apartheid city

Apartheid has left an enduring legacy of aracially fragmented, divided city, with poorblack communities pushed to the peripheryor beyond.

Few municipalities have had the courageto challenge or change the structure of theapartheid city. Or the money. The cost of landhas provided a convenient excuse to maintainthe status quo.

During the Sida-supported Compre-hensive Urban Planning (CUP) process,Kimberley – now Sol Plaatjie – municipalplanners and Swedish colleagues werechallenged by a significant area of vacant landin the city. Only a stone’s throw away fromthe central business district and , km awayfrom the main industrial area, extensive un-developed De Beers mining property presenteda real opportunity for spacial integration.

A land swap was arranged that made thearea available for a unique municipal project.

The Hull Street Integrated Housing Projectwas born, as centre piece of the CUP andaccepted by the Integrated Development Planas a long term strategy for the sustainable de-velopment of an integrated city.

Planning principles

• Create a balance between natural andphysical environments, viable economicsystems and greater integration, equity andresponsibility;

• Promote Local Agenda programmes toinvolve all residents in meeting local needsin sustainable ways;

• Promote gender mainstreaming to in-corporate the needs and aspirations of menand women;

• Allow for ongoing public participation andownership of plans as the basis for sharedresponsibility for implementation, capacitybuilding 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 com-

munity;• Mix of residential and business use;• Blending in with existing adjacent areas;• Mix of urban and agricultural use.

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)

Our lives willbe enriched bysharing andco-operating.Taking responsi-bility together isbetter thanpeople onlylooking out fortheir owninterests.

Beneficiary

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ECOLOGICAL

SOCIAL

CULTURALURBANURBANURBAN INTEGRATIONINTEGRATIONINTEGRATIONPHYSICAL

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Local Agenda 21 on the ground

There is a lot of talk about Local Agenda , butoften not much progress in reality. Hull Streetwill lead the way in South Africa in puttingecological and sustainable developmentprinciples into practice.

Agenda 21 has identified these problemsas requiring local solutions:

Climate and pollutionOil, coal and nuclear energy increasinglypollute and threaten the habitable environment– this requires urban design for traffic re-duction, improved public transport, bicycle useand walking, clean sustainable energy sources,and recycling of waste.

Food and water securityFood and water scarcity, pollution andreduced quality threaten sustainable live-lihoods – solutions include water saving andrecycling, and ecological urban agriculture.

Bio-diversity and resource conservationContinued destruction of natural ecosystemsthreatens the conditions that sustain humanlife. Local level awareness, resource conser-vation, greening and responsible consump-tion are essential to maintain Northern Capesensitive ecological balance.

Democratic governanceDestructive trends are driven by the self-interest and profiteering of political and

economic elites, at theexpense of the poorand voiceless. Truly de-mocratic governanceand institutions atglobal, national andlocal levels promotingreal participation areessential to the solution.

Western life styles andconsumption patternsfor all are impossible – essential resourceswould be rapidly depleted and the environ-ment irreversibly damaged. Already the limitsto growth are being violated. Eco-technologiesare essential to avoid devastation and to meetbasic 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.

We need realagreements,commitmentand targets forimplementationat global,national, localand communitylevels, togetherwith individualawareness,responsibilityand behaviourchange.

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Hull Street areaHull Street area

RoodepanRoodepan

former coloured township

Green PointGreen Point

former coloured township

industrial area

GalesheweGaleshewe

former black township

former medium to highincome white area

City centreCity centre

KimberleyKimberley

N

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Hull Street – an urban revolution

In South Africa’s cities black and white peoplework and shop together, but at the day’s endpeople of different colours depart to resi-dential areas or townships largely segregatedon the basis of race and economy.

Hull Street aims to change this bycreating a socially and environmentally rich,cosmopolitan area, with a real communityenvironment. Add Agenda based eco-tech innovations, and you have whatamounts in South Africa to an urban designrevolution.

Normally politicians and bureaucrats justwant as many houses as possible, regardless ofquality. Hull Street planners started insteadwith a vision for the quality of life, communityand environment. Drawing on internationalbest practices, appropriate houses were seen asbut one element in designing a sustainable,community orientated urban environment asa 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 urbanagriculture;

• Variation in housing types, costs, plot sizes,layouts and land uses;

• Cost saving and environmentally soundservice provision;

• Promotion of economic opportunities andenterprise;

• Multi-faceted transport and movementplanning.

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

More than justbuilding newhouses…

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…a greenenvironmentenhances thequality of lifefor citizens, andattractsinvestment.

“ The entire Hull Street Integrated HousingProject consists of four Phases, with Phase I tobe completed early in , and consisting of housing units. The overall layout features twomain roads, one of them a boulevard, intersectingat a traffic circle in a commercial hub.

Boulevards will incorporate bicycle andpedestrian ways, trees and green verges. Inkeeping with the historical and culturalcharacter of Kimberley as a city of monu-ments, the boulevard to the north culminatesin a yet to be designed monument.

The east–west main road (Hull Street) isflanked by mixed residential–business,medium density sites, to be sold for individual

development. Schools, community facilitiesand parks flank the area to the north and south,enabling integrated use of these facilities, andeasy access via bicycle and foot paths.

Hull Street will thus include a full rangeof community and commercial facilities andopportunities, and enable easy access to thoseof 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 resi-

dential area.

Planning document

Hull Street – Phases and features

commercial/business

school

medium densityhousing

high density housing –eco-block

mixedland use

park

high density housing – eco-block

Hull StreetPHASE

II

PHASE

I

N

0 50 100 m

community centre

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Monument in Kimberley city.Future site for a Hull Street

monument.

Urban agriculture.

Demonstration houses at the eco-village.

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A central feature of the Hull Street IntegratedHousing Project is the arrangement of higherdensity houses in eco-blocks. Each block has to semi-detached houses around theperiphery of a large central area, creating anatural community of interdependentneighbours. Houses have small individualfront and back gardens, with the largecommon garden designed for sharedrecreation and urban agriculture, usingrecycled grey water. Interest in and willingnessto garden was included in selection criteriaof future residents.

Eco-blocks will be managed by residentscommittees who will decide on rules, rightsand responsibilities.

There will be better security whenone is away from home, and for thechildren, who won’t have to play onthe streets.

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Community blocks facilitaterelationships between neighboursand build community identity,belonging and responsibility…

“0 50 100 m

central garden areaused in various ways,playgroundwith a protectingfence,urban agriculture –food-gardens,green recreationarea,orchard

grey waterrecycling pond

Eco-blockEco-block

high density housing,variety of housing typesand plot sizes

N

Eco-block

communities

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Galeshewe eco-village pilot project

In old Galeshewe township, next to Gale-shewe Housing Support Centre, a colourfulnew eco-village is already occupied by

proud families – as a pilot for Hull Street.Though on a smaller scale, the entire eco-block concept, all types of houses andinnovations such as the dry sanitation systemare being tested here.

Eco-technologies

A key innovation is the alternative, drysanitation system involving urine diversionand composting of faeces in two containersrequiring a rotation twice a year. This system,in effective use in other parts of the world,including Sweden, saves significantly on wateruse, conventional sewers, and thus bothcapital and operating costs. Household greywater passes through sand filter sumps beforebeing collected in a common pond, forirrigating vegetable and other gardens andfruit trees.

Passers-by wonder at the shining solar waterheating panels, the electricity generating photo-voltaic panels and towering wind charger.Though these are not standard features forHull Street due to capital costs, these clean,sustainable energy and cost saving eco-technologies will be encouraged.

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People are very interested. Theystop to look and ask about it. Theylike the types of houses, the layoutand the colour.

Local contractor

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It makes economic sense – the sun and the wind don’t send billsProspective resident

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All houses in eco-blocks are town house style,flat roofed, single storey, semi-detached ordouble storey row houses. Five variations ofthe attractive, well-finished houses areavailable, ranging from to m2.

Housing costs and financing

Hull Street houses will cost from R toR . All residents will earn belowR per month, thus qualifying for fullgovernment housing subsidies of approxi-mately R , though families must saveabout R to access this. This reduces coststo R and R , to be covered byhousing loans, with monthly repaymentsranging from an easily affordable R toR , over a year repayment period. Thisshortened period virtually halves the totalamount repaid, and houses will be transferredto residents after four years.

Example, housetype 3

We view Hull Street as a long terminvestment by the city in partner-ship with residents, who for gene-rations will enjoy the benefits ofliving in a high quality, sociallyand environmentally rich, yetaffordable urban environment.

Municipal townplanner

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With separatehouses you getseparateinterests. Itsdevisive – eachtries to get asmuch as possiblefor themselves. Itaffects the moralfibre of thecommunity.Social housingre-kindles thespirit ofcommunity, ofpeople takingcare of eachother.Housing Support

Centre field worker

“front elevation

back elevation

ground floor

first floor

site plan

Hull Street houses

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Selection of beneficiaries

The Hull Street Integrated Housing Projecthas developed a successful approach to oneof the most problematic aspects ofdevelopment projects. Potential beneficiarieswere invited to a public meeting in the cityhall, and attended to hear presentationson the project and conditions for par-ticipation. Those interested filled outquestionnaires designed to screen applicantson the basis of the following main criteria:• Employed and/or able to afford repay-

ments;• Prepared to contribute by saving deposit

and taking a loan;• Good service payment record;• Do not own a house/eligible for govern-

ment subsidy (combined household in-come less than R );

• Keen on the Hull Street lifestyle;• Willing to participate and take respon-

sibility with others;• Accept alternative sanitation.

This process led to applications by

people, and selection of suitable andcommitted beneficiaries for Phase I. For themthe queuing system is simple and objective –your place in the queue depends on how soonyou save your deposit, equal to monthsrepayments. Enthusiasm regarding HullStreet is such that people are now onthe waiting list for phases II, III and IV.

Our strategy was to identify beneficiariesproperly first, and involve and train them aspart of the project.

City planner

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Social innovations – stakeholders and

structures

The Hull Street Integrated Housing Projectis putting an ideal into practice from the start.Residents are already taking part in infor-mation and consultation meetings, andcapacity building workshops on topics suchas Affordability and Household budgeting,and Urban agriculture.

The Hull Street Owners Association

Residents will be members of a legally consti-tuted association responsible for establishingoverall policies, rights and responsibilities for thearea. Residents’ committees will manage theirown eco-blocks, within this overall framework.

The Sol Plaatjie Housing Company

The housing company, an independent non-profit entity, acts as developer and projectmanager on behalf of the municipality andresidents, who are both represented on itsboard. Its functions include facilitation of

community activities, project management,financing and financial management.

The Contractors’ Forum

The collaboration of small local contractors,in building the eco-village pilot has developedtheir capacity and led to the formation of aconsortium able to build Hull Street. A projectof this scale would normally go to a largeconstruction company, making this a real smallbusiness empowerment success story!

Sida

The Swedish International DevelopmentCooperation Agency in partnership with theSol Plaatjie Municipality has played a key rolein supporting the IDP-CUP process, theHousing Support Centre and HousingCompany, and the initiation, conceptuali-sation, planning and management of the HullStreet Project. Sida support has included pro-vision of million Rand for the establishmentof the Housing Company, million for thedevelopment of the Hull Street project and a million Rand revolving loan fund, to facilitateand contribute to project financing.

Sol Plaatjie Municipality and North-

ern Cape Provincial Government

The commitment and active participation ofboth levels of government has been essentialin launching an innovative housing projecton the scale of Hull Street.

OWNERS

ASSOCIATION

HOUSING

COMPANY

SS S

S

Ownership andmanagement

Common area

Municipality

Financier

Provincial Gov.

Sida

Saving scheme

Installment saleagreement

Ownership

Residential unit

Prospectiveresident

Subcommittees

membership

manag

ement

management RESIDENT

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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 top-

down 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/loansrequired: R to R

• Monthly repayments: R to R

• Repayment period: years,with transfer after years

• Deposit: x monthly repayment• Estimated water saving: %

Respect gives you wings. There are differences, as in afamily, but we sit down, talk and resolve them together.Respect, perseverance and hard work – that’s ourformula for success.

Local contractor

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Contact details

Sol Plaatjie Municipality

Department of City EngineerP. Bag X 5030, 8300 Kimberley, South Africa

Sol Plaatjie Housing Company

Corner of John Daka & Moshoeshoe StreetGaleshewe, 8345 Kimberley, South AfricaTEL +27 53 871 27 54

SE-105 25 Stockholm, SwedenTEL +46 8 698 50 00

Sida – Swedish Embassy

P. O. Box 13477, Hatfield, 0028 Pretoria,South AfricaTEL +27 12 426 64 00

SIPU International

Box 70338, SE-107 23 Stockholm, SwedenTEL +46 8 698 06 00

Hifab International – SSPA

Box 19090, S-104 32 Stockholm, SwedenTEL +46 8 546 666 00

CONTACTS

Johan Schoeman, managing directorSol Plaatjie Housing CompanyTEL +27-53-871 27 54e-mail: jschoeman@kimberley.co.za

Selina Nkomo

Housing Committee chairpersonTEL +27-53-871 27 54

Gratitude Boysen, community facilitatorSol Plaatjie Housing CompanyTEL +27-53-871 27 54

Gabriel Marin

Senior adviser SIPU InternationalTEL +27-41-506 22 53e-mail: gmarin@global.co.za

PRODUCTION

This booklet and an exhibition are produced bySIPU InternationalTEXT John RouxGRAPHIC DESIGN AND TECHNICAL PRODUCTION Viera LarssonPHOTOS Albio Gonzales, Emile Hendricks, Viera Larssonand Stanislav VeselyPROJECT MANAGEMENT Bengt CarlssonPRINTING A.T.T. Grafiska, Stockholm© Sida, July 2002ISBN 91-586-8771-8

The exciting challenge andpotential is for replication of theHull Street concept, to createintegrated, quality urbanenvironments and sustainablecommunities, even at loweraffordability levels.

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