Durban has been at the forefront of South African efforts to honour Agenda 21 commitments made at the 1991 Rio Earth Summit. Has the city turned Agenda 21’s promise of sustainable urban development into reality? What lessons have been learned in overcoming scepticism and building support and consensus among stakeholders? Research from Durban’s eThekwini Municipality analyses the difficulties faced when sustainable development is applied to a city whose rapidly growing population is having a negative impact on the natural environment.