Doctoral Degrees (Geography and Environmental Studies)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Geography and Environmental Studies) by Author "Du Plessis, Daniel Jacobus"

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    The impact of spatial planning on the structure of South African cities since 1994
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Du Plessis, Daniel Jacobus; Geyer, H. S.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography & Environmental Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South African cities have been shaped by colonial and post-1948 apartheid city policies resulting in what is commonly referred to as ‘apartheid cities’. The vision of urban spatial transformation supported by goals such as compact urban form, increased population densities, and a greater mix of land uses hence emerged as key elements of the spatial planning doctrine after the transition into democracy in 1994. The aim of this research is to establish the influence of spatial planning and spatial plans on urban structure in South Africa since 1994 through empirical analysis across a range of metropolitan and intermediate sized cities. A comprehensive methodology for evaluating the influence of spatial planning processes and spatial plans is developed based on an analysis of alternative paradigms of procedural planning theory. A framework to incorporate the spatial planning evaluation methodology into the existing prescribed SDF preparation process is provided. Elements of this methodology are applied to evaluate the evolving spatial structure of eight South African cities since 1994. The results established modest increases in net population densities since 1994, and only marginal changes in the overall levels of land-use mix. The density increases occurred mostly at decentralised suburban locations but, in the case of the four largest metropolitan cities analysed, also in and around the traditional CBD areas. The results also led to the identification of five different variants of the double-linear density model to describe urban built-up space of cities. The influence of spatial plans on population density and land use mix was found to be limited, but the influence on the location of new economic activities over the study period was significant. The results of the plan quality assessment indicated that spatial plans require substantial improvement in the areas of spatial analysis of the urban economic space, quantifying infrastructure and capital investment, translating broad sustainability principles into quantifiable sustainability indicators and targets, focusing more specific attention on the informal sector, and applying innovative spatial statistical analysis techniques in the preparation and evaluation of spatial plans. Spatial plans to drive ‘reconfiguration’ will require consistent intervention at various scales and across different timeframes. Spatial plans and policies based on a limited number of principles, rather than complicated ‘integrated’ plans, are most likely to produce persistent and systematic outcomes aligned with the spatial planning vision. The precondition for such a planning approach is a rigorous process of ongoing evaluation and feedback to assess the effect of the established planning principles. Improving the influence of urban spatial planning will require a shift in focus from planning activities primarily aimed at the plan preparation phase to spatial plan evaluation during the implementation phase.