TRP 2013 Volume 63

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http://hdl.handle.net/11660/2546

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Browsing TRP 2013 Volume 63 by Subject "Settlements"

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    A critical evaluation of the operational application of various settlement typologies in South Africa
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2013) Schmidt, Isabel; Du Plessis, Danie
    English: This article critically evaluates the definition and operational application of various settlement typologies across selected government departments for the purposes of the planning, implementation and monitoring of development programmes. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods are applied and informant and group interviews are conducted with 21 different government departments or entities. Nine different typologies are identified and compared on the basis of the requirements highlighted during the group interviews and international best practice. Discussions with the various interest groups highlight the need for a functional typology that consists of a number of categories or classes that can be combined as needed and not be restricted to a simple urban-rural dichotomy. A more dynamic and accessible linkage between the spatial units of analysis of the various typologies is also required. It is found that the South African City Network/ Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) settlement typology meets most of the criteria set by the literature as well as the groups interviewed. In view of the widespread use of the Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) data and typologies, it is recommended that the South African City Network/CSIR typologies should dovetail as much as possible with the 2011-census data and classification system.
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    Economic and demographic trends of municipalities in South Africa: an application of Zipf’s rule
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2013) Morudo, Hlabi; Du Plessis, Danie
    English: There are vast differences among South African local municipalities, with a limited number of large municipalities (both in terms of population size and economic activity) and a seemingly disproportionate number of intermediate-sized and small municipalities. No clear systematic national approach has yet been adopted to assess the distribution of core variables at municipal level in South Africa. Zipf’s rule, which postulates a consistent regularity in the size and rank of cities, is applied to disaggregate the performance of South African local municipalities in terms of three variables (population, Gross Value Added and municipal income) within the overall national settlement pattern. The results indicate that the Zipf rank size rule distribution is applicable to municipal level population data in South Africa, but less so for Gross Value Added and municipal income. The position and relative changes of municipalities along the Zipf curve between 2001 and 2011 also provide plausible indications of potential future trajectories of the three variables classified according to the dominant settlement typology within each municipality. The results also emphasise the significant conceptual limitations when using only legally defined administrative municipal boundaries for analysis purposes without also considering economically functional boundaries.
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    The relationship between settlement type and undercount in the South African census of 2011
    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2013) Maluleke, Risenga; Van Eeden, Amanda
    English: Holding a population and housing census is both a momentous undertaking and a costly challenge for any government. It requires vast planning and organising, but the results are vital for constructive planning. The aim of a census is to collect, process and disseminate detailed statistics on population size, composition and distribution at small-area level. As an undercount could affect the trust and use of census data, a major challenge in any census is dealing with the effects of an undercount. This article investigates some of the causes of the undercount in the South African National census of 2011, and how these causes vary across different geographic areas. The aim of the investigation is to determine the relationship between settlement type and the undercount in the 2011-census with the intention of laying the groundwork for lower undercounts in future censuses and survey implementation strategies. The key objectives of this article are to determine whether geographic location affects the census undercount and to understand how results based on geographic location are distributed spatially across the country.