Abstract
Water Sensitive Design (WSD) is gaining attention as a Nature-based Solution (NbS) to urban water problems which incorporates green infrastructure within conventional urban water systems through innovative building and landscape design. In Africa, Johannesburg and Cape Town are two cities engaging with WSD. This paper uses the Strategic Niche Management (SNM) approach in a comparative analysis of ongoing engagement with WSD in Johannesburg and Cape Town. We explore the extent to which this engagement signals acceleration in the transformation towards water resilient futures. Results indicate a progressive engagement with WSD by different actors at regime level as a niche that is symbiotic with urban water management regimes in both cities. However, the lack of coordination and capacity issues due to limited social networks and higher order learning are challenges that constrain acceleration. Furthermore, we find practitioners struggle with reconciling the pursuit of visions of sustainability to be realised through nature-based urban development with the pressing infrastructure deficits that persist in most African cities.
