Implementing blue-green infrastructure in Cape Town: Barriers, enablers and the path to mainstreaming urban nature
In the face of rapid urbanisation and climate change, the integration of nature into development is increasingly recognised as a key strategy for enhancing urban resilience. This has driven growing interest in blue-green infrastructure (BGI), interconnected networks of green spaces and water features that provide multiple benefits through ecosystem services. Despite consensus on its value, effective BGI implementation remains limited, particularly in developing contexts. Cape Town, South Africa exemplifies these challenges, where attempts to expand BGI are hindered by persistent barriers, and the literature lacks a comprehensive, system-level analysis of the city’s implementation landscape.
This study examines Cape Town’s BGI implementation landscape to identify (1) key barriers and enablers and (2) opportunities for intervention to support mainstreaming. A multi-method approach was adopted, informed by an assessment of municipal policy, a structured literature review and nine semi-structured interviews with industry professionals, researchers and government officials. Insights were thematically analysed, with deductive coding identifying barriers and enablers to implementation, and further explored through systems mapping. A causal loop diagram illustrated key interconnections and revealed leverage points for intervention within the BGI implementation landscape.
Findings highlight BGI implementation in Cape Town as a complex socio-technical system constrained by siloed governance, limited funding, divergent stakeholder perspectives, and maintenance challenges, compounded by the city’s unique social and environmental context. Governance, knowledge and financial barriers emerged as the most influential, reinforcing ongoing challenges and perpetuating system lock-in. However, growing momentum and multiple enablers present opportunities for change. Key interventions include transversal management across institutional siloes, enhanced stakeholder forums for knowledge sharing and context-specific valuation standards to better demonstrate the benefits of BGI. These findings provide a pathway to mainstreaming BGI in Cape Town through context-specific strategies and cross-sector collaboration, reimagining urban planning in the city. Furthermore, the contextual nuances which arose in the findings highlight the need for city-specific BGI assessments, with the research approach providing a transferable framework for other developing cities to promote long-term socio-economic and environmental resilience.