TRP 2014 Volume 65

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http://hdl.handle.net/11660/2544

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Browsing TRP 2014 Volume 65 by Author "Oranje, Mark"

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    Proxy indicators as measure of local economic dispositions in South Africa: an exploratory study
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2014) Barnard, Nico; Oranje, Mark
    English: Despite rapid advances and sizeable middle-class formation in many African countries, development planning is still frustrated by the absence of reliable, relevant and up-to-date data. Even though South Africa is in a more fortunate position with regard to the availability of such data, it also has data gaps, notably with regard to informal economic activities in the rural areas of the country. This exploratory article engages the use of proxy indicators to provide cues as to the state of a local economy. The article explores the relationship between a number of potential proxy indicators and the national economy in order to identify those proxy indicators that mirror the national economy. An interview approach was used to test the identified indicators in three small towns in order to establish whether the nationally determined proxies reflect economic trends in practice. The six proxy indicators that closely mirrored the local economies of the three sampled towns represent a modest, introductory exploration of an area worthy of far more empirical research.
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    A successful local economic development-urban renewal initiative: a case study of the Mandela Bay Development Agency
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2014) Oranje, Mark; Voges, Pierre
    English: Despite the urgent need for local economic development in South Africa, Local Economic Development (LED) as area of professional endeavour/activity has largely failed to live up to this need. In this article, an alternative approach to local economic development, which involved a ‘bottom-up’ approach to urban renewal is explored. The urban renewal work of the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality is used as a case study of a ‘successful example of an LED-initiative’. By taking into account the needs of the customer (or local community), a respect for difference, a conscious drive to ensure participation of, and benefit for all affected parties, keeping the eye on the ball, a desire to learn and innovate, and a pragmatic action-orientation, the MBDA achieved success in its local economic development initiatives. The value of this article lies in the experience of lessons learned, the overall understanding of urban planning, and the necessity for urban planning to respond to the local economy of a particular city.