Sustainability assessment form

This worksheet provides a tentative introduction to assessing the sustainability of residential developments, with the
aim being to expose you to some of the considerations and metrics that can be used in this regard. It must be stressed
– assessing the sustainability of a development typically takes a few days of training, and requires a far more
comprehensive framework than the one provided here. This is meant merely as an introduction to this type of tool,
specifically, Neighborhood Sustainability Frameworks. Also, this framework has been created with a specific
biophysical emphasis.

For each question, start with answering it by stating yes, no or NA (not applicable), and then provide a short
justification of your answer.

Locational aspects & land use mix

One of the first considerations when looking at any site is to understand how it fits within the broader settlement. This
is important from a number of perspectives – from a household perspective, if a site is far away from amenities, shops
and employment opportunities, then considerable time is wasted accessing these facilities, and transport cost rises.
For the state, generally speaking, poorly located sites means that maintenance costs of roads and other transport
facilities is higher, given the greater usage of these assets.

It is also generally assumed that within larger residential developments, there should be a mix of land uses and
dwelling types (apartments, smaller townhouses, larger townhouses, etc.) The mix of land uses ensures that there is
easy access to amenities and shops, which ideally should be in walking distance of the houses. The mix of dwelling
types helps ensure that a wider range of households can be accommodated within the development, for example,
younger couples, larger families, retirees, etc. Collectively, it is assumed that a development with a mix of land uses
and dwelling types will also result in a more positive sense of place than a mono-functional residential development.

To complete this, use Google maps.

How far is this site from the

Bloemfontein CBD?
(Travel time)

How far is this site from nearby

primary schools?
(Travel time)

How far is this site from nearby high

schools?
(Travel time)

How far is this site from the nearest

grocery store?
(Travel time)

How far is this site from major

shopping complexes?
 Is this development in line with the
municipal spatial policy?

Assuming that a maximum travel time

for trips to work of 30 minutes, and
15 minutes for accessing schools and
shops, is this site well located?

Efficiency of design
There are a number of aspects relating to design efficiency, with one of the most important of these being dwelling
unit density.

Density has a substantial impact on the cost of providing services, and on travel time. One of the best examples of this
is Alan Bertaud’s comparison of Atlanta and Barcelona. Both cities have similar population sizes, and levels of
development, but Barcelona is 26 times denser than Atlanta. This has a substantial impact on public transport. In
Barcelona, 60% of the population live less than 600m away from one of the city’s 136 train stations. If Atlanta wanted
to achieve the same level of accessibility, it would need 2,800 new train stations and 3,400 new kilometers of railway
lines. This shows how density substantially affect the cost of providing services.

While there is no solid agreement on what constitutes a good density level, it is generally accepted that from 25 to 50
dwelling units per hectare (gross) is the minimum acceptable density level. To calculate gross dwelling unit density,
divide the number of dwelling units by the total area of the development.

What is the gross dwelling unit density?

(Divide the total area by the number of
dwelling units)

Is there a mix of dwelling types in this

development, if so, what are they, and what is
the percentage assigned to each?

Is there a mix of land uses in this development,

if so, what are they, and what is the
percentage assigned to each??

Are there any community amenities such as

libraries, community halls, daycare facilities,
etc.? (If so, list them.)

Is there evidence of other measures taken to

make sure that the development is efficient,
for example, by double blocking the ervent or
having narrow frontages?
 Based on the aforementioned, provide a
tentative assessment of how well this
settlement is designed with regard to
efficiency?

Solar efficiency and natural ventilation at a settlement scale

and building envelope scale.
When sitting a building, it is important to take note of the climate – for
example, in colder climates (Norway, Sweden, etc.), the goal is to
maximize exposure to the sun and limit exposure to prevailing winds. In
hot climates (Middle-East, Tropics, etc.), the opposite is true.
Bloemfontein is classed as having a Cold Semi-Arid Climate, which means
that the goal is to ensure that the houses have maximum solar exposure
in winter, and to have streets orientated around 300 off the dominant
summer wind direction.

In Bloemfontein, the dominant wind direction in summer is north and

Figure 1: Block layout in temperate locations (Brown and
westerly winds. In winter, while northern winds dominate, there is more Dekay in Osman 2011)
of an even
mix of
westerly,
southern and
eastern
winds.

In terms of solar
orientation, the
rule of
thumb is that
the axis of the
house (the
width)
should run east
 to west (± 15°), with the main living rooms and largest windows being on the northern side of the building (± 15°)1. In
addition, roof lights with adequate insulation on the northern side of the building can assist with heating in winter.

What this means for building a sustainable settlement in Bloemfontein:

● Streets should be orientated NW in order to channel the wind.

● Buildings should be orientated E-W (± 15°)

An example of this is shown by the adjacent image, noting that the buildings are orientated a bit too easterly in
this image.

In addition, trees can assist considerably with shading the house in summer. To avoid over shading in winter, the trees
should be deciduous.
Figure 2: Wind direction in Bloemfontein
The eaves of a roof can be designed to block (https://weatherspark.com/y/92847/Average-Weather-in-Bloemfontein-South-Africa)
sunlight in summer, but allow sunlight in winter, as per the adjacent image.
Very roughly, in Bloemfontein, for a window 1m in height, the eave should
Figure 3: Examples of good street orientation be 0.45m, and the space between the top of the window to the eave itself
(image: Google Earth) should be 0.26m. For a window 1.5m in height, the dimensions are 0.67m
and 0.39m2.

Figure 4: Eaves of the roof and sunlight
(Source: https://greenpassivesolar.com/wp-
content/uploads/2010/04/Picture-3-
228x300.png)
Lastly, features can be incorporated into the building that enable natural
ventilation. Natural ventilation uses natural airflow to aid in cooling a
house, thus reducing energy demand as less or no mechanical devices are
required in this regard. While strategies vary, typically they will include an
inlet for air to pass into the house, typically a window or a louvered wall
panel, and an outlet at roof level, such as a roof vent. (Some systems
designed for roof level incorporate both an inlet and outlet, for example,
wind catchers.)
For evaluation purposes, the following questions should be answered:

What is the orientation of the street (N, NE,

E, SE, etc.)?

Is this orientation 300 to the dominant wind

direction?

Is this orientation of the houses along an

East-West axis?

Are the largest windows on the northern

side of the building? (Take into account
roof lights as well)

1
http://www.saiat.org.za/XA%20GUIDE.pdf
2
https://www.ecowho.com/tools/passive_solar_eaves_calculator.php
 Do the windows take up more than 15% of
the wall? If so, do they appear to be double
glazed or have any other features of
retaining heat?

Are the main living rooms of the building

on the northern side of the building?

Are there trees that can shade the

buildings?

If so, are they deciduous?

Are the eaves of the house designed to

block sunlight in summer, but allow
sunlight in winter?

Is there any evidence of features that allow

for natural ventilation?

Based on the aforementioned, provide a

tentative assessment of how well this
settlement is designed with regard to solar
efficiency and natural ventilation
purposes.

Wildfire
One of the lesser considered, but vital considered aspects of sustainability is vulnerability to wildfires. This phenomena
causes a few billion rand’s worth of damage every year in South Africa, and the prevalence and extent of damage
wildfires caused is partially mitigated by how well we plan for the wildfires. Some of the most important considerations
when it comes to planning for wildfires is to slow the spread of the fire and provide firefighters access via fire breaks
or more preferably, by a perimeter road. On the property itself, some of the pertinent considerations include setting
back the buildings on the property, and any other feature that could pose a fire risk, a considerable distance from the
wildfire hazard (typically 10-30m), using fire resistant plants in the garden and ensuring that shrubs and trees are
spaced far enough apart that fire spread is limited, and ensuring that within 5m of all buildings, there are as few
combustible material as possible.

Also important is the design of the house – for example, ensuring that the walls, roof, doorways, etc. are made of
highly flame resistant material. Windows and other features that provide entry into the dwelling (for example, vents),
should also be designed to withstand wildfires.

The adjacent image provides an example of what a property on the wildlife urban interface should look like with regard
to building placement and landscaping. Area 1 refers to the area with combustible materials cleared away. Area 2
shows a dispersed pattern of
landscaping, with fire resistant
plants. Area 3 has taller trees
which are less dispersed – these
trees can act as ember catchers,
stopping embers from the wildfire
spreading to the buildings on the
property.

Figure 5: Defensible space

(Source: ttp://www.king5.com/img/resize/content.king5.com/
photo/2016/05/13/wildfire_1463163288345_2274102_ver1.0.JPG?preset=534-401)
Are the properties adjacent to an area which is
susceptible to wildfires (i.e. any large open
space)? (If no, indicate N/A to the remaining
questions)

Noting that flame height is typically 3X the

height of the fuel load (the grass, shrubs, etc.
that burn), does the vegetation surrounding the
properties indicate that a wildfire would be a
mild, moderate or severe risk to properties?

If so, have the buildings been setback an

adequate distance from the wildfire hazard?

Has any attempt been made to build a perimeter

road, fire trail or fire break?

Is there any evidence of an attempt to plan for

wildfire risk?
 Based on the aforementioned, provide a
tentative assessment of how well this
settlement is designed with regard to wildfire
risk.

Recreation and green space

One of the most important features of a sustainable settlement is that it meets the needs of residents. One of the vital
needs of individuals is that of recreation – children in particular need safe open areas to play in, whereas adults need
spaces to socialize and exercise in. At a settlement level, this translates into provision of parks and sports facilities,
noting that sport facilities can be shared with schools. As a rough guide, around 8m2 of open space per dwelling should
be provided.

One of the common mistakes in this regard is however to treat any open space as being a positive attribute. Much of
the research into crime in South Africa, and open spaces, has pointed that undeveloped, and typically large, open
spaces are often crime hotspots, and often become dumping areas. It also must be noted that the Apartheid
government used large tracts of open space to ‘buffer’ townships from other areas. The legacy of this is that many of
the open spaces in South African cities were used as devices to divide communities, and were not created to be positive
spaces for recreation. Thus, the goal is not just to provide open space, but to build pockets of well landscaped, small
to medium, open spaces that have clear visibility from surrounding dwellings (surveillance), and which are integrated
into the urban form.

The below images provide an example of a contrast between a positive and negative open spaces. The image on the
left shows a pocket park in Copenhagen. This park is compact, well furnished with tables and chairs, landscaped, easily
surveilled from surrounding buildings, and integrated into the settlement. The image on the right however shows a

Figure 7: Park in Copenhagen Figure 6: Open space in Cape Town township

(Source: http://www.dac.dk/media/35558/ (Source: Google Maps)
blog_lommepark_KKgron_scj_281010_0.jpg)

open space in a Cape Town township. This tract of land is massive, unmaintained and not landscaped, has no features
like play equipment, and fronts onto the back of the surrounding residential properties. As such, while it plays a role
as an ecosystem service given the wetlands on it, in every other respect it is not an asset or of benefit to the local
community.

Also important is the presence of trees in the streets and in private gardens. Trees have a long list of benefits that they
provide settlements, from improving the aesthetics of the space, cleaning of air pollutants, reduction of storm water
costs, producing oxygen, providing shade (see earlier section on energy efficiency), providing a habitat for birds,
amongst many other benefits.

How much land is set aside for open space and

recreation within this development? (In square
meters or hectares.)

What is the nature of these spaces? (Are they

pocket parks, sports fields, undeveloped buffer
spaces.)

Do these spaces have any installed features such

as play equipment, braais, goal posts and other
sports equipment, etc.?

In what condition are these open spaces? (Clean

and well maintained, clean but poorly managed,
dirty, etc.)

Roughly, how many street trees are there? (One

per a house, one per every three houses, etc.)

Roughly, how many houses have large trees in

their gardens? (One per a house, one per every
three houses, etc.)

Based on the aforementioned, provide a tentative

assessment of how well this settlement is
designed with regard to recreation and green
space.

Water & drainage 3

With the frequency of drought increasing in South Africa, and also the number of severe weather events which lead
to flooding, there is a renewed emphasis in South African planning on understanding how to plan settlements in a
manner which is water efficient and designed in a manner that prevents flooding, and which does not result in
worsening flooding downstream. To understand this, one main concept must be understood – sustainable urban
drainage systems (SUDS). The key to SUDS is a simple premise – the run-off from a site should be the same pre- and
post- development. In conventional development, typically an open site is covered with buildings and roads, all of
which consist of impermeable surfaces and thus the result is that there is reduced infiltration into the ground. This in

3
http://www.wrc.org.za/Knowledge%20Hub%20Documents/Research%20Reports/TT%20558-13.pdf
turn results in increased run-off, which results in the
storm water system having to cope with an increased
amount of water. This costs the municipality money
as they have increased demand, and wear and tear,
in its storm water infrastructure. This reduced run-off
also can contribute to worsening of flood events
when they occur.

What SUDS attempts to do is avoid this situation by

ensuring that the development is designed with
features that aid water permeating into the surface,
and which encourages use of rainwater for the
purpose of irrigating plants in the development. The
below image illustrates this – in the second part, you
can see that almost all the run-off is channeled into
the river system. This results in a lowered water table.
In the third part, which shows a SUDS system, the
illustrated development uses permeable pavements,
French drains, swales, and wetlands to encourage
permutation into the ground, thus maintaining the
natural water table. This has advantages for the
natural environment, but also reduces the Figure 7: SUDS vs natural drainage vs conventional storm water
(Source: http://www.capetowninvasives.org.za/sites/default/files/
municipalities cost of managing storm water, and uploads/documents/SUDS%20Thumbnail.png)
also reduces the possible damage that occurs during
flood events.

Also important is to ensure that none of the buildings

are located where they might be at risk of flooding,
either due to rivers overflowing their banks, high
water tables, or buildings been placed in the path of
stormwater drainage paths.

Refer to the attachment which shows

certain type of drainage tools which are
used to implement SUDS – have any of
these been implemented in this
development?

Do any of the houses appear to have

greywater systems installed, or other
features that reuse water?

Do any of the houses have rain water

tanks, or any other features that store
water?
 Are there any features that require
extensive watering in the development –
large gardens with large lawns, pools,
etc.?

Do the plants in the development consist

of water saving – for example,
succulents, - or water hungry species –
for example, Eucalyptus trees and many
other alien tree species?

If there are any rivers or wetlands

nearby, has the development been
designed to maximize access and use of
this green feature?

If there are rivers or wetlands nearby,

have the dwellings been set back at least
30m from the river, and that no dwelling
is located in or obstructs a drainage
channel, wetland or flood plain?

Based on the aforementioned, provide a

tentative assessment of how well this
settlement is designed with regard to
planning for water use?

Fauna and Flora

The impact of urban development on fauna and flora is immense. The most obvious effect is reducing the amount of
area available for natural plants to grow, and the indigenous wildlife to roam. Over and above this, urban development
fragments natural habitats, limiting the ability of animals to move, and for plants to pollinate. Pollution literally poisons
the rivers and lands, which in turn poisons animals, and creates a nutrient load in rivers that favors certain plants over
others, which upsets the natural balance. And urbanization is often associated with introduction of alien invasives,
both in terms of fauna and flora, which often take over the habitat of natural fauna and flora.

To understand the extent of this, according to the 2016 State of the Environment Report in South Africa, it is estimated
that 53% of the main rivers and tributaries are in suboptimal state. In terms of alien invasion, 20 million hectares of
South Africa is invaded, which equates to 16% of South Africa’s land mass, and there has been a loss of natural habitat
on over 18% of South Africa’s land mass.

Look at the vegetation in the streets and in

peoples gardens, how much of this appears to be
indigenous species?

Are there open spaces which contain indigenous

plants?

Has there been any attempt made to remove alien

invasives?
Has there been any attempt to repair natural
features such as wetlands and riparian habitats?

Does the development appear to fragment a

natural habitat (e.g. divide it in two)? If so, has any
attempt been made to bridge these two divided
landscapes?

Based on the aforementioned, provide a tentative

assessment of how well this settlement is
designed with regard to conserving fauna and
flora?
Energy
Is there any evidence of off-grid energy
production, such as solar panels, solar water
heaters, etc.?

Other sustainability concerns

As mentioned in the beginning of this document, this I meant to be an introduction to sustainability assessments and
not a comprehensive tool. As a result of this, a number of key concerns have not been addressed. Given this, this last
table contains a serious miscellaneous questions which are deemed too vital to exclude in understanding a
development’s sustainability.

Is there any evidence of there being

recycling facilities in the development,
or any attempt to encourage
recycling?

Do the houses use building materials

that are sustainable, such as earth
building techniques?

Are there any minibus taxi

embayments or bus stops?

Are there any features in the design of

road design that promote pedestrian
safety – e.g. speed bumps, pedestrian
crossing, etc. ?

Does the development appear to

encourage walking or automobile
use?

Does the look and design of the

development give the appearance of
an attractive and/or happy space?
Final assessment
Based on the aforementioned sections, tick the applicable smiley face with regard to your assessment of this
settlements level of sustainability, and provide an explanation for your choice (overall assessment of this settlements
sustainability)

Explanation