A new town at Uitvlugt: The foundation and development of Pinelands 1919-1948

The influenza epidemic of 1918 in the Cape Peninsula caused Richard Stuttaford, a city councillor of Cape Town and a leading figure in the Associated Chambers of Commerce of South Africa, to feel that better housing might have saved many lives. In his opinion the answer to the problem lay in the establishment of a 'garden city', and to that end he donated £10 000 in 1919 to institute a 'garden city; at Uitvlugt (Pinelands). The development of Pinelands is not only unique in the field of urban planning in South Africa; its historical significance also lies in its being an experiment in local government within the metropolitan framework of Cape Town. The creation of Pinelands had a considerable effect on the housing conditions prevailing in South Africa after World War I. This article emphasises the institutional aspects of the township because of their influence on the community.