Frequently Asked Questions
Project Information
Is Milkwood a government development?
No, Milkwood is a private project facilitated by Regenerative whole-systems a private urban development company, Milkwood Holdings in association with communiTgrow Africa.
How long will it take to complete Milkwood?
The project timeline for Milkwood is 15 years.
When will construction of Milkwood begin?
Construction of Milkwood is planned to begin in 2023.
How big is Milkwood?
The area of Milkwood is approximately 3,100 hectares or 31km2.
How many homes will there be in Milkwood?
Current plans for Milkwood include 200,000 homes by the time the project is completed.
What facilities and public services will be available in Milkwood?
Milkwood will include crèches, schools, a university, health facilities, public service facilities, parks and public open spaces. There will be 30 health facilities, 400 education facilities, 370 public service facilities, and more than 600 public open spaces. (These numbers are derived from CSIR Norms and standards).
What will the average density of Milkwood be?
The average gross density of Milkwood will be in the range of 65 du/ha (dwelling units per hectare). This is comparable to the current density of Sea Point. The density of 65 du/ha will be spread out over areas of differing density within Milkwood, interspersed with access to green facilities and recreational opportunities.
How many jobs will be created by Milkwood?
Through the life cycle of the project, Milkwood will create around 200,000 jobs both directly and indirectly.
Location
Where is Milkwood located?
Milkwood is located north of the R304 and west of the N7, northeast of Melkbosstrand.
Why choose this location for Milkwood?
There is an opportunity for growth in the north-western areas of the City of Cape Town. Milkwood is situated within the Western Growth Corridor. The City of Cape Town’s Medium to Long-Term Growth Options Study indicates that there are only two directions in which the urban build can grow; up the West Coast towards Saldanha (Western Growth Corridor) and northwards towards Fisantekraal (Northern Growth Corridor). Milkwood will be located in this area of future growth and will assist in providing solutions to many of the metropole’s economic expansion requirements.
Why not build Milkwood closer to the urban build centre?
There is limited space for growth in the urban build
The City of Cape Town has limited options for growth beyond the current developed areas. Cape Town is surrounded by valuable farmland, biodiversity corridors and mountainous terrain that are unsuitable or too valuable for development. The City of Cape Town’s Medium to Long-Term Growth Options Study indicates that there are only two directions in which the urban build can grow; up the West Coast towards Saldanha (the Western Growth Corridor) and the limited area northwards towards Fisantekraal (Northern Growth Corridor). Milkwood must be seen within the context of the Western Growth Corridor, which will link the urban build in the south with Atlantis in the north. Milkwood constitutes approximately one third of this corridor.
The costs of developing land in the inner-urban build are high
High demand for property in the urban build centre drives up property prices as well as the costs of building residential developments. According to The City of Cape Town it estimates, approximately 10 000ha of land will be required to address the 400,000 housing backlog.
Long transactional times and the high costs associated with developing many small sites
Even the land available within the city is subject to certain constraints that cause it to be unsuitable for developing affordable housing. Because almost half this land is privately owned and because many small-scale sites would have to be developed rather than a single large scale site, the costs of development on this land would drive up the price of the finished product; homes. Therefore, developing on this land would raise costs dramatically, and homes built on these sites would not be affordable, especially to lower income earners. Developing on land further from the CBD where land prices are lower allows Milkwood to provide better quality homes in an affordable bracket.
The scale of Milkwood and the opportunity for integration
Milkwood is an ambitious development that views urban build building holistically as a long-term project. The size of the development, with all of its integrated services and amenities, such as schools, clinics, tertiary education institutions, public open spaces and community facilities, would not be possible at a site closer to the CBD.
Is Milkwood a “leap frog” development?
Milkwood is not a “leap frog” of development; rather, it is development of the western corridor of Cape Town. The Atlantis Corridor, north of Milnerton, is owned by a small number of landowners. Two companies in particular own a large portion of the land: Garden Cities and Milnerton Estate. Those companies are driven by their own particular development model, which is the same as the Parklands and Sunningdale developments.
While these developments have their place in the future growth of Cape Town, they do not provide suitable homes for lower income households. These developments that will eventually occupy the space between Milnerton and Milkwood will not address the needs of the majority of people on the housing waiting list. While it may appear that there is land available for development south of Milkwood, it is already privately owned and banked for future middle income development.
Homes
Will Milkwood be a low-cost housing development?
No, Milkwood will consist of different types of homes, catering for the large market for houses in Cape Town. Half of all the homes developed will be affordable for those households who fall into the GAP market (the gap housing market consists of households who typically earn too much to qualify for government subsidised housing, but too little to participate in the current private property market). The other half will be placed on the open market, aimed at households above the subsidy eligibility bands.
What type of homes will be built in Milkwood?
There will be a range of unit types in Milkwood to provide a variety of housing and lifestyle choices. In higher density areas, close to main roads and transport links, units will range between multi-storey apartment blocks and three-storey walk-ups, to row housing and some single-story buildings. In lower density areas, further from public transport and main roads, there will be freestanding homes.
Milkwood’s Landscape and Urban Design will create distinct neighbourhoods. The types of homes in these neighbourhoods will be specifically designed to create local variety and a sense of identity.
What number of homes will be allocated for the GAP market?
Half of the homes in Milkwood (100,000) will be available for the GAP market in the current subsidy eligibility band (the gap housing market consists of households who typically earn too much to qualify for government subsidised housing, but too little to participate in the current private property market).
Why does Milkwood include such a large number of homes?
The City of Cape Town’s population growth rate has been consistently higher than other South African cities population growth rates during the period of 2001-2011. In 2011, Cape Town’s total population was 3.7 million, up from 2.9 million in 2001, and projected to grow to 4.7 million by 2021, and 5.8 million by 2031.
The dramatic increase in population over the past two decades has resulted in severe development pressure and a significant shortage of housing opportunities, especially in the affordable housing market. Based on actual delivery, the City is currently able to provide around 8 400 opportunities per year. At the moment the City has 150 000 housing opportunities in the 10 to 15 year pipeline. This is less than 10% of the real and pressing need for housing opportunities in the lower and GAP income ranges. (The gap housing market consists of households who typically earn too much to qualify for government subsidised housing, but too little to participate in the current private property market).
Given the current rate of construction of houses it would take 33 years to house a further 200,000 households, or 66 years to house the current backlog of 400,000 without taking into account natural population growth. Milkwood will accommodate a significant number people in the lower income bracket who comprise a large proportion of the demand for homes in Cape Town.
What will Milkwood’s density be?
The average gross density of Milkwood will be in the range of 65 du/ha (dwelling units per hectare). This is comparable to the current density of Sea Point. The City’s Spatial Development Framework aims to achieve a minimum average gross base density of 25 du/ha in the next 15–30 years.
The density of 65 du/ha will be spread out over areas of differing density within Milkwood, interspersed with access to green facilities and recreational opportunities. Higher densities of development will be located along areas that are well serviced by public transport, access to jobs, goods and services. Lower densities will be located at appropriate areas along the edge of urban centres and between walkable community precincts defined by green edges.
These densities are capable of supporting regular and integrated public transport.
Infrastructure
Who will pay for the infrastructure needed to support Milkwood, like water and sewerage pipes, roads and electric lines?
Milkwood is a private project and Milkwood Holdings is a private development company. Milkwood will install all the bulk services required, including infrastructure for water, energy, waste and all internal roads. Unlike other developments, Milkwood has built provision for bulk services into its economic model. The City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Provincial Government or the National Government will not incur any cost for these services.
What will Milkwood cost taxpayers?
The development of Milkwood will not incur any direct costs to the taxpayer. There is existing public investment previously committed to the area that will impact Milkwood. A portion of this investment has already been implemented, for example, the extension of the IRT bus service through the Western Corridor to Atlantis. Existing plans for the upgrading of the Atlantis railway line into a commuter line have earmarked as part of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) prioritisation system. Milkwood will continue to improve the efficient use of these services.
Transport
Will Milkwood promote non-motorised transport like walking and cycling?
Yes, Milkwood settlements will be designed in such a way that all the facilities necessary to work, live, play and travel are located within walking distance. Pedestrian pathways, non-motorised transport (NMT) routes and high densities will all contribute to a pedestrian-oriented environment. The introduction of a well-run, functioning, well designed public transportation system will eliminate the need for an excessive number of trips using private transportation. Access to everyday facilities and services will be located both within neighbourhoods and the larger regions.
Walkability and design that prioritises pedestrians will increase activity in public spaces, creating natural safety and surveillance.
What public transport services will be available in Milkwood?
There will be rail and Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) bus services available in Milkwood.
What rail services will be available in Milkwood?
Of key importance to the urban build’s western corridor is the railway line which runs the length of the Western Growth Corridor to Atlantis. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) proposes to convert the railway line to commuter rail as the backbone of the corridor, with development opportunities on either side of this public transport corridor. When upgraded to a commuter line, development nodes will grow at the railway stations.
What roads will service Milkwood?
On either side of the railway line are important north-south connector routes. The R27 to Saldhana, along which the IRT runs to Atlantis, the M12 connecting Milnerton to Atlantis and the N7 connecting internationally up the west coast of Africa. In an east-west direction, the northern arm of the R300 will pass over the centre of the site bringing in traffic from the N1 and Metro-South-East. It will connect with the M12 in a diamond intersection. The R304 (class 2) from Philadelphia cuts through the northern part of the site and will eventually link all the way across to the R27.
A ladder of routes will create ease of movement throughout Milkwood.
Environment
Milkwood is located on farmland; shouldn’t this be used for farming?
Milkwood is located on a site that has an arid and exhausted land and soil system. This means that the land is no longer particularly productive as farmland and could be put to other uses to create value for the urban build and its people.
What impact will Milkwood have on the land and soil?
Milkwood is located on a site that has an arid and exhausted land and soil system characterised by shallow valleys and ridges;which are located within the sub-catchment of the Sout River. The urban design of Milkwood has taken the soil and water movement into consideration and transport routes are designed to run at the higher levels on the ridges, which will allow for watercourses and natural routes for rain and storm water in the valleys.
What impact will Milkwood have on the natural habitat surrounding it?
Milkwood has taken the natural habitat of the location into consideration in its design. With over 15% of the total land area at Milkwood given to greening, in either the form of the central Metropolitan Open Space System (MOSS) – which links the biodiversity corridors of the urban build and runs through the valley system of the site and consists of urban agriculture, forests, civic landscape or bio swales – the amount of land set aside for nature is extensive. This will be woven directly into the urban fabric. This will not only regenerate the ecosystem functions but also contribute to creating a distinct and enjoyable living environment.
Milkwood provides opportunities for biodiversity and habitat regeneration, which are addressed in various ways. There is an existing fragmented habitat corridor running through the site of Milkwood. The water cycle management system will create a central urban waterpark. The design and road drainage systems combined with urban landscape will slow down runoff and optimise groundwater recharge. These elements are integrated into the urban and ecosystem design to support and regenerate evolutionary ecological processes and, where possible, help regenerate ecological processes.
Is Milkwood responsive to climate change?
Yes, Milkwood is being designed to maximise the re-use of water, utilise solar power in many ways and reduce energy consumption drastically through conscious Urban Design at every scale and through the use of the most appropriate and cutting-edge technologies.
Will Milkwood be sustainable?
Yes, Milkwood considers principles of sustainability to be of the utmost importance to settlement design. In conventional urban build systems, water and food are brought into the urban build and leave the urban build as waste and pollution carrying away critical resources that have value. By using different systems of water sanitation and urban landscape systems, these resources can be recovered and used locally and deployed into the surrounding district.
Will Milkwood be energy and water efficient?
Yes. Milkwood’s strategy is to “daisy-chain” (interconnect as many interventions as possible), and obtain a yield from a number of strategies, rather than seeking one single solution. A number of alternative technologies have been designed conceptually and will be developed to increase water recharge, attenuate runoff and increase greening and solid systems.
How will Milkwood deal with waste reduction and recycling?
Milkwood aims to reduce waste to landfill by up to 90%. Milkwood will incorporate viable and sustainable alternatives for waste minimisation and resource recovery and management. Waste could be recycled into three streams: organics will be composted and turned into biogas and biochar; inorganic recyclables will be recycled to base compounds; and inorganic non-recyclable will be processed by Plasma or equivalent treatment. The combination of these will reduce waste to landfill by up to 90%.
Will Milkwood promote food security?
Yes, Milkwood will use organic and permaculture models for localised food production in both Milkwood itself and in the surrounding areas. This will create jobs for a large number of people on the site and take resolute steps towards reaching food security for residents of the community at a district level.
Will the buildings in Milkwood be energy efficient?
Yes, Buildings will use intelligent and regenerative design principles, passive cooling and heating, geothermal cooling, solar water heating and LED lighting. The integration of the buildings into their environment – the marriage of built and natural environment – is a key concept in the design of next generation of towns. Sustainable landscaping will be used to reduce the urban heat island effect and improve the water cycle.
Will Milkwood include green spaces?
With over 15% of the total land area at Milkwood given to greening, in either the form of the central Metropolitan Open Space System (MOSS) – which links the biodiversity corridors of the urban build and runs through the valley system of the site and consists of urban agriculture, forests, civic landscape or bio swales – the amount of land set aside for nature is extensive. This will be woven directly into the urban fabric. This will not only regenerate the ecosystem functions but also contribute to creating a distinct and enjoyable living environment.
Finance
Who is financing Milkwood?
The financing for Milkwood will be provided by a range of private investors. The long-term nature and sound economic model of Milkwood is an attractive investment opportunity that promises long-term returns.
What guarantees are in place to make sure that funding will not stop mid-project?
Milkwood is a large-scale development with a 15 year delivery time frame, addressing the development and growth needs of the urban build. Milkwood addresses this market demand with a business and job creation model to develop asset value, affordability and responsible ownership of assets. The property development portfolio is structured to generate returns for investors. This is an attractive model for funders who are looking to African continental growth as a place to invest over the next several decades.
Economy
How will Milkwood create an economy and jobs?
Initially, the construction and development required to build the infrastructure and homes in Milkwood will provide a large number of jobs. These initial jobs will grow as the facilities and services required for the Milkwood residents and commerce develop over the 15 year process of building Milkwood. Furthermore, because Milkwood is a long-term, ongoing development with a steady delivery cycle, it allows access to a supply value chain that contributes to the developmental investments. In this way, the labour based economy that is initially formed in the construction of Milkwood transitions towards a knowledge and green economy over the phases of the project. This jobs market, together with high quality facilities, attracts a broad spectrum of investors and developments.
Which companies have committed to establishing places of employment in Milkwood?
Many companies who are suppliers of goods and services in the built environment have expressed an interest in participating in Milkwood. These sectors include construction, materials supply, healthcare and education. These companies are also interested in engaging with the community building and developmental goals of the project. Access to a steady market demand, especially in housing, makes Milkwood an attractive opportunity to deploy productive and other resource capacities on favourable terms.
What will be the primary industries created in Milkwood?
The primary industries that will be created in Milkwood are construction, local manufacturing and enterprise, green services, financial services, public and civic services and commercial and retail.
Community
How will Milkwood maintain a high standard of living after the development is complete?
Milkwood, unlike other developments, is not merely the provision of houses. Milkwood includes in its conception the social and cultural features that shape a community and takes into account the unique challenges and opportunities of building communities in Cape Town. Milkwood understands that building houses alone does not weave a strong social fabric.
The building of structures is the first step of building a community and Milkwood will cultivate a culture of social involvement that is overseen by sound governance structures. These governance structures are outlined in the Governance Pillar of the communiTgrow’s 6-Pillar Model.
Does the public have input into Milkwood’s design?
Milkwood has fostered, and will continue to foster, many opportunities for creative conversations about the common vision for this development. Milkwood aims to contribute to understanding the purpose of this place in the life of Cape Town and Capetonians. Many sectors and individuals will need to contribute to the design process as the life of Milkwood unfolds.
Urban Design & Planning
Will Milkwood residents need to commute to the CBD for their needs?
Milkwood is located in an area that is still developing, but it is only a 25 minute drive from the CBD (25-34km). In terms of driving distance, Milkwood is in a similar range as Durbanville (29km), Bellville (26km), Khayelitsha (31km) and Kuilsrivier (32km).
The design of Milkwood is intently focused on building local economy and services in a way that residents will be able to live, work, and play in one place. By concentrating on factors beyond merely residential development, Milkwood will be a self-sufficient urban build that will not require residents to travel to the CBD for all of their needs. Much like the suburbs of Bellville, Somerset West, or Muizenberg, Milkwood will not depend on the CBD to satisfy the needs of its residents.
Is Milkwood located outside of Cape Town?
Milkwood is located just beyond the City of Cape Town. Milkwood is located directly adjacent to land identified for potential development in the short- and medium-term by the City of Cape Town’s Spatial Development Framework.
Is Milkwood in contradiction with the principle of inner-urban build development?
Inner-urban build development and development outside of the CBD are not mutually exclusive. There is a massive demand for housing in Cape Town, and with the population projected to grow over the next 15 years this demand will only continue to rise. Development of the inner urban build is necessary, but both inner urban build development and new developments are needed to plan for the urban build’s future if there are to be enough homes and economic development to accommodate Cape Town’s population.
How will Milkwood affect Atlantis?
Milkwood offers a unique opportunity to the City to facilitate the Western Growth Corridor of Cape Town by bringing in bulk services financed by the developer; and through introducing ground- breaking developmental and regenerative principles that will create a sustainable settlement.
The facilitation of the development of this corridor will create the vital link between the Atlantis community and the rest of the urban build, integrating the area spatially and economically into the greater economy. The economic growth that will result from Milkwood will provide job opportunities for residents of Atlantis, where unemployment rates are extremely high.
What makes Milkwood different from other large-scale projects previously built in Cape Town?
Milkwood differs from other large-scale developments built in Cape Town because its model is intently focused on a long-term vision of both societal and economic development. The aim of Milkwood is integration, both within the development and within the urban build at large.
The urban build remains spatially divided on the basis of race and class. Although there are indications that the level of integration has increased, significant levels of integration are confined to only a few suburbs in Cape Town. The relatively new suburbs of Parklands and Sunningdale are primary examples of new integration. Milkwood, based on the Regenerative whole-systems and communiTgrow’s approach to urban build building, differs dramatically from previous large-scale developments in Cape Town both in ideology and in method.
Unlike the apartheid models of development, Milkwood does not neglect the aspects essential for a community to succeed in the long-term: building a sustainable local economy, respecting the environment and instituting sound structures of governance.
Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Atlantis and several other large scale developments in the urban build were townships built to serve the Apartheid Government’s segregation agenda. Areas like Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha were built in the 1970s and 1980s as dormitory suburbs with rudimentary rental housing, infrastructure and facilities.
Because of the shortage of accommodation in these areas, subletting of rooms and backyard shacks became common. This caused severe overcrowding and overloaded sewage systems, infrastructure, schools and other public facilities. Atlantis was built on similar principles as a segregated township far from any commercial activity in the urban build. Its purpose was to provide labour for a local industrial economy. However, the incentives to keep businesses in the area were not sustainable, and because of this firms eventually relocated.
Milkwood takes into account the pitfalls that caused commercial activity to leave Atlantis and is focused on building a sustainable economic model that integrates commercial, civic and residential activities.
Koeberg Nuclear Power Station
Is Milkwood located in the 16km Koeberg Emergency Evacuation Zone?
Yes, Milkwood, like Melkbosstrand, Blouberg Strand and Atlantis, lies within the 16km Emergency Evacuation Zone for Koeberg Nuclear Power Station. This means that an evacuation plan will be in place for the area in case of an emergency.
Is it safe for Milkwood to be located in the 16km Koeberg Emergency Evacuation Zone?
The relevant plans and guidelines are being factored into the spatial and movement design of Milkwood. This is an aspect that will affect much of the development in Western Growth Corridor and will be addressed in conjunction with the Cape Town metro together with other disaster risk strategies relevant to the City.