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Item Open Access Spatial development frameworks on a broader scale: an integrative approach(Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2012) Dewar, David; Kiepiel, JulianEnglish: Recent exposure to a number of spatial development frameworks on a broader (district and regional) scale in South Africa indicates that there is considerable confusion as to what should be the content of these plans. In addition, many fail to pay any attention to some of the most pressing developmental issues which are emerging. This article argues that regional planning in South Africa has always been based on, inter alia, four central pillars (environment, economic development, settlement and service provision), which need to be informed by insights drawn from a number of disciplinary perspectives. It identifies some of the main developmental challenges in each of these disciplinary areas which these plans should be addressing, provides some disciplinaryspecific insights into them, and then demonstrates an integrative approach to link these divergent issues.Item Open Access Gated communities in South Africa: tensions between the planning ideal and practice(Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2012) Landman, KarinaEnglish: Gated communities are considered by many South Africans as a necessity – a place to stay in a safer environment in the context of high crime rates. At the same time, these developments can also challenge planning and development goals towards greater integration and accessibility. This article considers the views of planning masters’ students related to gated communities and the inherent tensions and presence of inconsistent attitudes prevailing within the students. This reflects the growing dichotomy between the planning ideal and practice in South Africa and raises a number of questions for planning education. With reference to the different roles of planning theory, the discusion explores different ways to read and interpret these tensions and attitudes and redirect planning education not only to reflect this, but also to effectively utilise it in an attempt to bridge the gap between normative visions and contextual realities.Item Open Access The transformation of municipal development planning in South Africa (post-1994): impressions and impasse(Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2012) Coetzee, JohnnyEnglish: In South Africa, the government’s transformation process, which effectively started in 1994, not only resulted in a new democracy, a new governmental dispensation or a ‘new South Africa’, but it also spearheaded a significant, rapid and radical transformation of local government in South Africa, as well as a radical transformation of municipal planning. During the mid- to late 1990s, significant strides were made in South Africa by government, planning institutions and planners to develop a new more appropriate, integrated, developmental, democratic, strategic and sustainable development planning system – in line with the international planning principles and the emerging focus of the new democratic South African government. Currently, almost two decades later, the South African municipal planning system, in spite of various efforts and policy developments, is still struggling to adapt to, and implement the new principles and is not addressing the development goals in all parts of the country effectively. In order to set a basis for assessing the challenges of, and gaps in the current planning system, this article discusses the characteristics of the (new) transforming planning system and examines some of the most important efforts being made on policy level and in practice to promote the new principles. This article presents an interrogation of the gaps in the planning system in an attempt to present some propositions to address these shortcomings.Item Open Access Tracing a decade of drafting, reviewing and assessing integrated development plans in KwaZulu-Natal: some key reflections(Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2012) Subban, Mogie; Theron, HenkEnglish: The next decade of planning in South African municipalities under democracy has dawned. The previous decade was characterised by drafting, reviewing and assessing outcomes of Integrated Development Plans (IDPs). Through the Local Government Municipal Systems Act, 32 of 2000 and Sections 152/3 of the South African Constitution, 1996, local government is responsible for development processes and municipal planning. It requires from municipalities to formulate and review IDPs. Two “generations” of IDPs were drafted and reviewed from 2001 to 2011 by KwaZulu-Natal municipalities. The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and its predecessors evaluated and measured legal compliance of drafting, approval and submission processes. Identification of factors critical to planning, observations and recommendations for IDPs are captured in this article. Direction, formulation and evaluation of third-generation IDPs for periods 2012/13 to 2016/17 municipal financial years is a focus of this article. The article also examines compliance, by focusing on quality and improvement of IDPs.