Town and Regional Planning

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Town and Regional Planning is the accredited academic journal of the department of Town and Regional Planning of the University of the Free State.

Alternative title(s): Meralo ya Ditoropo le Mabatowa | Stads- en Streekbeplanning

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ISSN 2415-0495 (Online), ISSN 1012-280X (Print)

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Browsing Town and Regional Planning by Author "Cilliers, Juanee"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Considering spatial planning for the South African poor: an argument for ‘planning with’
    (University of the Free State, 2018) Cilliers, Juanee; Victor, Hestia
    This article considers the notion of ‘spatial planning’ in South Africa, elaborating on the challenges relating to the wide disparities between formal and informal areas. Town and Regional Planning theory and anthropological approaches are fused together in this article in an attempt to provide a more integrated approach to spatial planning, arguing in favour of ‘planning with’ poor South Africans, in contrast to ‘planning for’. By using qualitative participant observation, an ethnographic fieldwork study conducted in Marikana informal settlement, Potchefstroom, South Africa, helped form reflections that offer valuable insights in support of the ‘planning with’ approach. Marikana residents’ innovative DIY-formalisation plan of installing communal taps is considered a vivid example of pragmatic local solutions to service-delivery issues and it is argued that these solutions should be considered when ‘planning with’ the poor. The research argues that, despite being different in context, ‘planning with’ approaches have a prominent role to play in both formal and informal settlements. As such, the research elaborated on the value of ‘planning with’ approaches in South Africa, relating to environmental, social, economic, political and broader planning considerations. The article does not offer a generalizable solution to all planning challenges in South Africa. It concludes with a reflection of the ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the case study linked to broader themes of the possible planning interventions, considering the delineation of social power, context-based needs, ownership and accountability, and the importance of environmental education for all socio-economic classes, in an attempt to inspire planners, policymakers and anthropologists to find new ways of ‘thinking with’ and ‘planning with’ each other.
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    From green to gold: a South African example of valuing urban green spaces in some residential areas in Potchefstroom
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2015) Cilliers, Juanee; Cilliers, Sarel
    English: Recent scientific studies identified multiple benefits of green areas in terms of liveability and sustainability. As such, the need to value green spaces within residential areas is increasing, especially in developing countries. This article summarizes current approaches to green space planning, and introduces the Potchefstroom case study as example where 1) the value of green spaces were determined by means of hedonic price analysis and 2) the impact of green spaces were evaluated on site-scale and neighbourhood-scale, also identifying certain uses and benefits, described as ecosystem services. Five sites in the more affluent residential areas in Potchefstroom were selected to investigate the impact of proximity to green spaces in relation to residential property prices. This research illustrated contradicting results to most international case studies. Green spaces were found to have a negative impact on site-scale, but a positive impact on neighbourhood-scale. Similar studies need to be conducted in more areas to make evidence-based conclusions in this regard. This article can serve as point of departure for such.
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    From the guest editor
    (University of the Free State, 2017) Cilliers, Juanee
    The past is known for an epoch of overflowing and abundant resources. The present reality predicts the next World War to most likely be fought due to water scarcity. This is also true for South Africa, being the world’s 30th driest country and where water conservation, and water-use efficiency is a key national priority to address water scarcity.
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    Spatial planning and land-use management tools in aid of securing water sustainability: the case study of Mogalakwena Local Municipality in South Africa
    (University of the Free State, 2017) Rohr, Hildegard; Cilliers, Juanee; Fourie, Werner
    The concept of Water-Sensitive Settlements is gaining importance within broader sustainability thinking. There is limited research in urban planning literature, in particular, on the quantitative impact of land-use decisions on water resources. This article proposes a spatial modelling approach that combines land-use and water-consumption data in order to identify areas of intervention, which could feed into future development plans and strategies. The research considers the Mogalakwena Local Municipality as a case study, because of its socio-economic characteristics as well as the spatial and billing data that were generated from an ongoing research project funded by the Water Research Commission. It was evident that spatial modelling of land use and water consumption can be utilised as a tool to determine the impact of land-use decision on water resources. Having generated spatial information on ‘where’ and by ‘which’ land use the demand for water is highest, municipal planners are able to make informed future land-use decisions, which will ultimately affect water resources. In addition, the information can be used to enforce new thinking within the municipal spatial planning domain on, among others, implementing water-sensitive mitigation measures such as revisiting water tariff structures; re-evaluating the promised level of services; implementing water-efficiency building regulations, and rethinking the business-as-usual approach to settlement planning.
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    Towards more compact South African settlements through informal housing: the case of backyard densification in Bridgton and Bongolethu, Oudtshoorn
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2016) Lategan, Louis; Cilliers, Juanee
    English: This article engages the concepts of urban sprawl and density, as the foundations for a discussion on South Africa’s informal backyard rental sector. This research attempts to relate some of the spatial impacts levied by the backyard sector in post-apartheid South Africa, based on case study research in Oudtshoorn, Western Cape, the Rose Valley formalisation project, as well as the Bridgton and Bongolethu townships. This article employs both qualitative and quantitative analyses and arrives at several key findings. Results show that informal backyard rentals increase dwelling unit and population densities substantially in the case study, accommodating households who would otherwise occupy land illegally on the urban periphery, contributing to urban sprawl. Findings also suggest that these backyard tenants enjoy excellent access to services, placing increased pressure on Oudtshoorn’s already overcapacitated infrastructure network. This article posits that informal backyarding has to be encouraged and supported based on the sector’s contribution to urban compaction, but that related impacts on infrastructure be addressed in future planning interventions.