Spatial/ urban background and context (to our strategy)

Spatial/ urban

background and context

December 2009 Human Settlements Dept. 1

background and context

(to our strategy)

RegenerationUrban RenewalPlanned gentrification

Urban development

Major Urban

RegenerationUrban RenewalPlanned gentrification

Urban development

Major Urban

Different Settings = Different InterventionsDifferent Settings = Different Interventions

New/Emerging/Existing


Secondary City &Large towns

Dense rural

Low density rural

Urban

Rural

Secondary City &Large towns

Dense rural

Low density rural

Urban

Rural

Existing-----------

Precinct

Area-wide

City-wide

Mun-wide----------

Mixed Character &

needs

The urban reality

• Spatial and housing issues:

– Urban South Africa is very low density by global

standards – thus pointing to in-built inefficiencies

– Need to overcome barriers to densification

– Housing not always well located (jobs, livelihood etc)


– Housing not always well located (jobs, livelihood etc)

• Infrastructure development & finance:

– Policy options and choices need to be sustainable

• Right money for the right things at the right time

• Investment for growth v/s consumption

– Choice of solutions (services) technology

• Solar v/s fossil fuel for energy

• Minimise waste (recycle and re-use optimal options)

Consider Spatial Geography…• Like other countries, South Africa is undergoing an

urban transition

• Migration is Cyclical and ‘quasi-permanent’

• Urbanisation and densification:

– Are inevitable

Generate productivity and economic growth


– Generate productivity and economic growth

• Apartheid tried to stop workers living close to jobs/

opportunities – stubborn spatial “legacy” remains

• Today Government provides housing for the poor,

though not necessarily close to jobs / opportunities

• Management of urban built environment big issue

Municipality Categories: Urban/ Rural View

Cape

Town

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3

Land Area

Population

GVA

December 2009 Human Settlements Dept. 5Data source: UNEP/ GRID

http://na.unep.net/globalpop/africa/

eThekwini

Johannesburg

Tshwane

Polokwane

Group 1

Municipalities

Group 2

Municipalities

Group 3

Municipalities

1960 Population DensityCape Town

Pretoria



Durban

Johannesburg

Polokwane

Cape Town

Pretoria

1970 Population Density



Durban

Johannesburg

Polokwane

Cape Town

Pretoria




Durban

Johannesburg

Polokwane

Cape Town

Tshwane




eThekwini

Johannesburg

Polokwane

Investment/ Development Potential


Informal Settlements in 45 Municipalities represent

approx 80% of Total


Group 1: 27 Municipalities

(Mostly urban)

– 80% of South Africa’s GVA! (economic activity)

– 52% of population

– 54% of infrastructure investment need

– 6% of land area


– Munis’ budgeting /spending capacity increasing sharply

– Most of SA’s municipal borrowing capacity

– Interesting to private sector lenders

– 60% of Informal Settlements are here!

Group 2: 140 local municipalities

(Mostly rural)

– 79% of land area! – very large land space





– 15% of GVA (economic activity)

Large and small towns (Most commercial farming)

Municipal performance mixed

Primary target “destination step” for migrating households

Group 3: 70 local municipalities

(Also mostly rural)

– 5% of South Africa’s GVA - very little economic activity


– 26% of investment need

– 16% of land area


Mostly rural (Subsistence farming)

Municipal performance mixed to low

Urban vs. rural is a false dichotomy

• One national economy - however unbalanced

• Transfers to rural areas largely financed by taxes

from urban areas (via national fiscus)

• Jobs for rural dwellers and their kids will

increasingly be in urban areas


increasingly be in urban areas

• Successful rural areas are generally close and

connected to successful urban centers

• Social outcomes can/ should be relatively flat

across spaces (regardless urban or rural)

• So, universal access to basic level of services!!!

Strategic issue: spatial and housing(human settlements)

• Issues:

– Legal and regulatory framework for spatial development perpetuates

apartheid-era approaches and

– continues to embed inefficiencies and high costs

– Governance and management of development

– Are we trying to reverse or stop urbanisation…?


• Possible solutions:

– Review legal and regulatory framework for planning to authorise/

encourage higher densities and greater efficiencies in urban areas

– Review housing policies to focus on household subsidies that are:

• portable in time (i.e. rentals) and

• Portable in space (citizens decide on space/location trade-offs)

– Support growth of Cities and make appropriate rural development choices

• NOTE: issue of “spatially blind policies”

What is our urban future…?

…


…

What future are we seeking for

our settlements…?

• Widespread informality?

• Inefficient and dysfunctional?

• Segregation by class, and in some cases, race?

December 2009 Human Settlements Dept. 19November 2009 Human Settlements Dept. 19

• Segregation by class, and in some cases, race?

• Conflict and contestations over access/ space?

• Lack of sustainable access to basic service?

• Squalor and inadequate shelter?

• Social and community collapse?

Rural area: Dispersed households. So type and form of infrastructure?


?


Implications of Urbanisation• Deforestation

• Rapid Land use changes:

– Loss of Agricultural production land

– Increased hard surface (paving) coverage – more runoff

• Pollution (Rivers/ open spaces/

• Waste Management – more & more landfill sites


• Waste Management – more & more landfill sites

• High probability for Floods (note recent floods)

• More Energy requirements: CO2….renewable… variety

• Complex Transport infrastructure and systems required

• Widespread Social and demographic changes

• Household-level food production lost

Spatial/ urban background and context (to our strategy)

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