ABSTRACT
South Africa's new state-led mega housing programme aims to address chronic housing backlogs through large-scale, integrated developments. However, the long-term sustainability of these new projects remains underexplored. This study presents an interpretive case study of Riverside View, the most advanced of Gauteng's mega human settlements, to assess whether policy ambitions have translated into lived sustainability outcomes. Drawing on three focus group discussions with 47 residents and six semi-structured interviews with project implementers, the research explores social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Thematic analysis is guided by the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, Urban Resilience Theory, and the Triple Bottom Line. While the project has delivered significant housing stock, the findings reveal challenges related to adaptability, service access, and local economic integration. This paper highlights the gap between planning rhetoric and lived experience, contributing new insights into the complexities of implementing inclusive urban policy in South Africa's evolving human settlements landscape.
