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Item Open Access Spatial policy, planning and infrastructure investment: lessons from urban simulations in three South African cities(Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2014) Coetzee, Maria; Waldeck, Louis; Le Roux, Alize; Meiklejohn, Cathy; Van Niekerk, Willemien; Leuta, TsepangEnglish: This article is based on the assumption that more spatially efficient investment choices in both economic and basic infrastructure spending can make a significant impact on the equity, efficiency and sustainability of human settlements. Emerging from work conducted as part of a Department of Science and Technology (DST)- funded Integrated Planning and Development Modelling (IPDM) project, the article argues that decisions about infrastructure investment in South African metropolitan areas ought to be grounded in robust and rigorous analysis and scenario evaluation. More evidence, and better evidence, an understanding of spatial trends and the underlying forces that shape them, are needed to support planning and infrastructure investment. Urban simulation platforms offer valuable tools in this regard. Findings of simulation work in three metropolitan areas (eThekwini, Nelson Mandela Bay and Johannesburg) are presented to demonstrate this, and some implications for spatial policy, planning and infrastructure investment are highlighted.Item Open Access Backyard housing in Gauteng: an analysis of spatial dynamics(Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2014) Shapurjee, Yasmin; Le Roux, Alize; Coetzee, MariaEnglish: This article examines the phenomenon of backyard housing in Gauteng, a prominent driver of urban spatial change in South Africa’s housing market. Backyard housing in South Africa increasingly attracts the attention of policymakers because of the large number of households that this sector accommodates. Moreover, the role played by backyard housing in the overall small-scale rental-housing sector is significant, particularly in Gauteng where a large proportion of households rent their primary dwelling. Drawing on quantitative geo-demographic data from GeoTerraImage (GTI) (2010), Knowledge Factory’s Cluster Plus (2010) as well as StatsSA Census 2011, this article documents the spatial footprint of backyard housing in Gauteng and examines the implications of the findings for infrastructure service planning at the municipal scale.Item Open Access Planning for emergency services using GIS-based geographic accessibility analysis(Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2014) Green, Chéri; Mans, Gerbrand; Schmitz, Peter; McKelly, David; Te Water, MarkEnglish: Municipalities and metropolitan structures are required by law to provide sufficient response to emergency situations. In order to respond efficiently to disasters such as fire and flooding, it is necessary to place facilities optimally. This case study presents and applies a methodology to determine the locations of additional fire stations, using accessibility analysis rather than incident data which is often incomplete or unavailable. The required response time is based on the SANS 10090:2003 standard for various risks. The case study recommends that in the longer term seven additional fire stations are needed in conjunction with the existing 19 fire stations in the eThekwini Metro in South Africa to offer a response to fire incidents as required by the standard.Item Open Access A living laboratory approach in the design of the user requirements of a spatial information platform(Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2014) Coetzee, Maria; Goss, Helga; Meiklejohn, Cathy; Mlangeni, PatrickEnglish: The purpose of this article is to introduce the development of the Regional Spatial Profiler – a spatial information and modelling platform – for the Department of Science and Technology. Based on the steps set out in action research, this platform is aimed at strengthening spatial planning at a regional scale by providing accessible and comparable spatial information (of current and past trends) to planning practitioners in government. To ensure that the Profiler met the requirements and expectations of users, and would be used by practitioners, its user-interface and future content requirements were developed using four living laboratories (living labs): the Cape Winelands, Ugu and Amatole District Municipalities, and Mangaung Local (now Metro) Municipality. Municipal participants and project team members believed that a living-lab process was the appropriate way to develop the Profiler and experienced the living-lab Profiler as a positive initiative; however, due to time, budget and technical constraints, it was a temporally – specific and fragmented project initiative. What would be required in future project phases would be a longer time frame and continued user involvement in multiple project phases.Item Open Access Using election registration data to measure migration trends in South Africa(Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2014) Maritz, Johan; Kok, PieterEnglish: Migration is critical for policy agendas and government planning as it changes the demographic composition of towns, cities and regions – this requires adjustments to service and infrastructure provision. To develop suitable policy responses, reliable, comparable and timely information is required. Obvious sources of migration data are the national census and household and labour surveys. Socio-economic data have not dealt well with migration. A recent CSIR research project, Spatial and Temporal Evidence for Planning in South Africa1 (StepSA), explored the use of voter registration information as an alternative source of migration data. Anonymised voter registration data were provided by the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa for several consecutive elections covering a 12-year period. The data, once spatialised (and related to a single set of voting districts), could then be processed to extract movement trends between different election periods. This article describes the process applied and the initial analyses conducted.Item Open Access From the editor: Spatial change phenomena in SA – explorations and innovations(Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2014) Van Niekerk, Willemien; Van Huyssteen, Elsona; Chauvet, Jo-AnneAbstract not availableItem Open Access Access envelopes: a new accessibility mapping technique for transport and settlement planning(Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2014) Venter, Christo; Cross, CatherineEnglish: The article describes the application of a GIS-based accessibility measurement technique suited to assessing the impact of both transport and spatial development strategies on the location-specific affordability of job access for poor households. The access envelope methodology extends existing accessibility measures by: explicitly accounting for public transport service patterns; including transport costs as a dimension of accessibility; and deriving a single intuitive measure of access reflecting the potential income earnable by a person living in a certain location, after paying for transport. Several case studies from the City of Tshwane are presented, illustrating its use for assessing spatial integration and transport initiatives. The cases demonstrate how Tshwane’s emerging Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system selectively enhances accessibility to jobs, although its marginal accessibility benefit is reduced by the part-duplication of existing rail lines to core employment areas. While the BRT improves the net earning potential of low-income workers in certain areas, its ultimate benefits will significantly depend on its achievement of network effects – especially via the reduction of first/last-kilometer trip costs – and its ability to leverage higher density development within walking distance of the route. Accordingly, results obtained with the access-envelopes method carry significant implications for current transport planning in the main metro cities.Item Open Access Assessment of spatial data infrastructures(Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State, 2014) Cooper, Anthony K.; Van Huyssteen, Elsona; Das, Sonali; Coetzee, Maria; Mans, GerbrandEnglish: A Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is an evolving concept, essentially consisting of policies, institutional arrangements, Geographical Information Systems (GISs), data bases, networks, Web services and portals to facilitate and coordinate the availability, exchange and sharing of geospatial data and services between stakeholders from different levels. This article aims to provide some information on the role and value of SDIs and their potential relationship with, and contribution to other geospatial and evidence-based tools and technologies within the South African planning context and system. For this, it provides a brief overview and comparison of the key characteristics of the SDIs in South Africa, China, Brazil, Australia and India. The article highlights some of the complexities and use of an SDI and the value of, and need for an SDI to support the spatial and land development planning envisaged in the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA).