+IMPACT MAGAZINE ISSUE 26

PROJECT
The retail centre is located
at the entrance of the
Newinbosch neighbourhood.
Great effort has been taken to help
restore local fauna and flora habitats
with locally indigenous plants and trees.
niche, with openable windows directed at thoroughfares,
or breaking up the day by heading to the lifestyle centre,”
says Harms. Newinbosch is based on the five-minute
neighbourhood concept, allowing residents to reach
amenities within a five-minute walk/ride from any point
in the neighbourhood.
When it comes to the handling of the environment
and land that Newinbosch is being developed on, there
is a commitment to not only minimise the effect on the
site, but to also enhance the biodiversity, habitat and
quality of the green spaces. “The existing ecology had
been heavily invaded due to commercial agriculture and
the use of herbicides and the like, so there was a lot of
room for improvement, but the team has really taken it
to the next level,” says Dr Brom. “The original land was
quite interesting ecologically, located on a narrow finger of
Swartland Shale Renosterveld, which contains the highest
concentration of threatened plant species.”
Great effort has been taken to help restore local fauna
and flora habitats, with locally indigenous plants and trees
planted in parks and green spaces. The landscaping design
has been integrated with water-sensitive urban design
(WSUD) solutions such as swales, thereby combining
flood resilience with ecosystem regeneration. Pocket
forests all around the precinct provide shade and cooling.
“Biodiversity corridors have been included so that fauna
can travel through the site. The water network provides
pathways for freshwater organisms such as amphibians
to move along and connect with existing stormwater
The development includes a variety
of apartments, simplex homes,
townhouses and stand-alone homes.
The neighbourhood has
been designed to encourage
community and a relaxed lifestyle.
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