Buying into residential eco-estates: perception and reality of "green living" in eco-estates in Gauteng, South Africa

Abstract

With few studies focusing on the construction of green buildings in South Africa, there is a need to understand the reasoning behind the development of residential estates that have classified themselves as “eco”. The aim of this study was to establish whether or not residential estates that market themselves as “eco” are in fact sustainable. This study looks at the environmental sustainability of residential eco-estates (n=7) and compares them to non-eco-estates (n=7) in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The study used content analysis to evaluate the marketing material of the 14 estates sampled for the study. The data gathered through content analysis was then used to determine the environmental sustainability for each estate using an adapted version of the Sustainable Building Assessment Tool. The findings indicate that although the residential eco-estates had higher environmental sustainability scores when compared with non-eco-estates, the overall score for many of the eco-estates was too low for them to be classified as sustainable. The results of the study also highlight that a number of the eco-estates use greenwashing methods to attract potential homeowners. By selling nature, these estates are able to attract homeowners who may be interested in protecting the environment. When looking at these findings, it is possible to assume that the development of residential eco-estates has less to do with the sustainability of nature and has more to do with a desire to increase profits. In order to achieve environmental sustainability, it is therefore important to provide guidelines for developers to use if they are genuinely interested in creating estates that focus on the protection of the environment and natural resources. These guidelines can be developed through frameworks that exist to evaluate the sustainability of developments. Although much of the focus of this research is placed on the developers of each estate, it is important to acknowledge that the individuals who live within these estates are just as responsible for achieving sustainability.