Green building concepts and town planning policy: assessment of practices in Gaborone, Botswana

Date
2013-07-23
Authors
Matsila, Georginah Kgakgamatso
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This study examines the inter-related concepts of Green Building and Town Planning using Gaborone, Botswana as a case study. Modern cities are faced with urban and environmental challenges and the major question faced by practitioners trying to plan environmentally friendly development is: what can be done in planning practice to address the identified challenges? Conventional buildings consume huge amounts of construction material, use a lot of portable water, use energy and emit a lot of green house gases during operation which contributes to climate change. Green building is considered as a means of addressing some of the environmental challenges associated with conventional buildings. The study follows both a qualitative and quantitative approaches to collect data to establish whether GB is practiced in Gaborone and if not what barriers exist. It is established that people in the property development sector in Gaborone are aware of the need to practice GB. However, planning authorities and policy makers are not supportive GB initiatives. Green Buildings have a higher initial construction cost but they also attract higher rental turnover and a high value. This study concludes that an incorporation of Green Building concepts into Town Planning policy and practice can provide meaningful contribution towards safer, more comfortable and sustainable environment for urban communities.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Collections