Derek Chittenden is a Cape Town–based professional planner and the Director of BlueGreen Planning + Design, with more than 35 years of experience in urban planning, sustainable development, and environmental design. Growing up in Zimbabwe, he developed a deep connection to Africa’s landscapes and a lifelong commitment to finding ways for development and conservation to coexist.
His work has encompassed urban design, land-use and development planning, conservation strategies, and regenerative approaches across South Africa and internationally, including projects in Costa Rica, the Seychelles, Comoros, Tanzania, and Malaysia. Among his notable projects are conservation and development frameworks for Table Mountain National Park and the Makuleke Contractual National Park, as well as planning strategies for the Macassar Dunes, Hout Bay River corridor, and Knysna Western Heads.
His work has received numerous professional awards, reflecting a planning philosophy centered on creating resilient, sustainable places that strengthen both communities and the natural systems on which they depend.
Learn more about Derek's work here: https://sacplan.org.za/consultant/bluegreen-planning-and-design/
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