National spatial development planning in South Africa 1930-2010: An introductory comparative analysis
This article reviews the various attempts at national spatial development planning that have been introduced in South Africa over the past eighty years. It demonstrates that, despite the ostensible support for national planning during this period, such plans and proposals rarely had a direct impact...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of the Free State
2010-05-01
|
| Series: | Town and Regional Planning |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/trp/article/view/418 |
| _version_ | 1828435043121364992 |
|---|---|
| author | Mark Oranje Andrew Merrifield |
| author_facet | Mark Oranje Andrew Merrifield |
| author_sort | Mark Oranje |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article reviews the various attempts at national spatial development planning that have been introduced in South Africa over the past eighty years. It demonstrates that, despite the ostensible support for national planning during this period, such plans and proposals rarely had a direct impact on the conduct of government business. Using both the authors’ personal experiences with the most recent such ‘plan’ – the National Spatial Development Perspective – they seek to explain why such planning initiatives are so difficult to introduce and implement. Key in this regard, they argue, is that while most national planning initiatives are formulated in a control paradigm common to more local planning contexts, the plans have to function within a complex and tightly interwoven national, provincial and local system that is essentially incompatible with such a paradigm. The historical overview, they argue, suggests that such a national spatial planning intervention would require a far harder-edged form of governance leaning more in the direction of intervention and control and less so in the direction of the current softer forms of dialogue, facilitation and guidance premised by the 1996 Constitution. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T18:59:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d0685bfd2a044dbd8eb86539faed5166 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1012-280X 2415-0495 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T18:59:28Z |
| publishDate | 2010-05-01 |
| publisher | University of the Free State |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Town and Regional Planning |
| spelling | doaj.art-d0685bfd2a044dbd8eb86539faed51662022-12-22T01:37:02ZengUniversity of the Free StateTown and Regional Planning1012-280X2415-04952010-05-01563147National spatial development planning in South Africa 1930-2010: An introductory comparative analysisMark Oranje0Andrew Merrifield1University of Pretoria, South AfricaTelkom, South AfricaThis article reviews the various attempts at national spatial development planning that have been introduced in South Africa over the past eighty years. It demonstrates that, despite the ostensible support for national planning during this period, such plans and proposals rarely had a direct impact on the conduct of government business. Using both the authors’ personal experiences with the most recent such ‘plan’ – the National Spatial Development Perspective – they seek to explain why such planning initiatives are so difficult to introduce and implement. Key in this regard, they argue, is that while most national planning initiatives are formulated in a control paradigm common to more local planning contexts, the plans have to function within a complex and tightly interwoven national, provincial and local system that is essentially incompatible with such a paradigm. The historical overview, they argue, suggests that such a national spatial planning intervention would require a far harder-edged form of governance leaning more in the direction of intervention and control and less so in the direction of the current softer forms of dialogue, facilitation and guidance premised by the 1996 Constitution.http://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/trp/article/view/418national spatial development planningSouth Africa |
| spellingShingle | Mark Oranje Andrew Merrifield National spatial development planning in South Africa 1930-2010: An introductory comparative analysis Town and Regional Planning national spatial development planning South Africa |
| title | National spatial development planning in South Africa 1930-2010: An introductory comparative analysis |
| title_full | National spatial development planning in South Africa 1930-2010: An introductory comparative analysis |
| title_fullStr | National spatial development planning in South Africa 1930-2010: An introductory comparative analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | National spatial development planning in South Africa 1930-2010: An introductory comparative analysis |
| title_short | National spatial development planning in South Africa 1930-2010: An introductory comparative analysis |
| title_sort | national spatial development planning in south africa 1930 2010 an introductory comparative analysis |
| topic | national spatial development planning South Africa |
| url | http://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/trp/article/view/418 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT markoranje nationalspatialdevelopmentplanninginsouthafrica19302010anintroductorycomparativeanalysis AT andrewmerrifield nationalspatialdevelopmentplanninginsouthafrica19302010anintroductorycomparativeanalysis |