Place Making by Juanee Cilliers
Current spatial planning and sustainability approaches attempt to create competitive, lively and ... more Current spatial planning and sustainability approaches attempt to create competitive, lively and sustainable cities. This paper argues that place-making approaches and green-planning approaches can assist in this regard as these approaches focus on creating qualitative, socially viable and environmentally friendly spaces. These approaches furthermore assist in transforming temporary spaces to permanent places by introducing green-initiatives as captured from pilot studies included in this paper, namely city-trees, green roofs, green graffiti, green walking routes and green impulses. The objective as captured in this paper is to transform public space and reclaim public space for public use, by means of green-planning initiatives.
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Urban public open spaces are an important part of the urban environment, creating the framework f... more Urban public open spaces are an important part of the urban environment, creating the framework for public life. The transformation of open space into successful public places is crucial in this regard. In the context of target-driven performance it is essential to identify the value of successful public open places, along with characteristics that define them. This research evaluated three case studies in Belgium (Namur, Wavre and La Louviere) which successfully transformed spaces into lively public open places. The transformation was captured by means of before-and-after imagery and analyses, and evaluated in terms of space-usage prior to, and after redesign, along with the experience and added value that the redesign brought to the area.
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The impact of green spaces in terms of sustainability and quality of life is well documented in r... more The impact of green spaces in terms of sustainability and quality of life is well documented in recent literature. Such is the growing awareness of the importance and benefits of designing healthy, safe public spaces for children. Research proved that a child's interaction with the world is directly affected by their natural environment and as 29.2 percent of the South African population is younger than fifteen years, the importance to plan and provide sufficient green child-friendly spaces is essential. However, green child-friendly spaces are a scare commodity in the South African environment. This article aims to investigate the planning of green child-friendly spaces within a local context. It relies on international theory and best practices of child-friendly spaces, and translates such to the local context of South Africa. In this sense, a discussion of the specific needs of rural communities are included, as well as an evaluation of the different challenges and objectives applicable to urban and rural areas, specifically when planning child-friendly spaces within this context. The case study emphasized the need for the planning of green child-friendly spaces in rural areas. It was evident that community participation is crucial and that the inclusion of natural elements would be essential, not only to bridge budget limitations but also to enhance skill-development and creative play, addressing (some) local challenges through integrative planning approaches. This article concluded with an approach for planning green child-friendly spaces in South Africa.
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The importance of child-friendly spaces is well captured in literature. Despite
this, child-frien... more The importance of child-friendly spaces is well captured in literature. Despite
this, child-friendly spaces are a scare commodity in modern environments, especially
when considering rural environments. These rural areas are often confronted with more pressing needs such as basic services, or facing challenges related to budget constraints, and the provision of spaces for play, thus often under-prioritised. This paper aims to emphasise the need to plan child-friendly spaces, especially for such rural areas where children has limited play and development opportunities. Making use of a qualitative methodological approach through theory-based sampling investigating key theoretical elements discussed in the literature review, the paper captures the complexities of planning for child-friendly spaces in a rural context, referring to the Vaalharts case study in South Africa. It identifies safety considerations, the education of communities, independent mobility, provision of natural play spaces and participatory planning approaches as the core issues to consider when planning in a rural context. The paper concludes by capturing the different planning considerations applicable to urban and rural areas and ultimately provides an approach for planning green child-friendly spaces in rural South Africa.
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Green Infrastructure by Juanee Cilliers
Urban green spaces have been researched extensively for their contribution toward livable, sustai... more Urban green spaces have been researched extensively for their contribution toward livable, sustainable and resilient cities. Studies illustrate increasing awareness of the
multi-functional roles such spaces can fulfill in addressing urbanization pressures and associated impacts such as increasing stress on global food systems, notably by
accommodating practices of urban agriculture (UA). This paper investigates the potential for UA in South Africa as a citizen-led urban greening strategy, considering potential
and limitations for the increased application of UA in spatial planning. The paper provides a review of core concepts and illustrates potential and certain limitations via UA cases studies in two leading South African provinces and a review of the national policy and legislative framework pertaining to UA. Findings highlight particular issues for consideration to augment the implementation of UA in South Africa, including opportunities to draw on existing citizen-led initiatives and increasing awareness of UA among communities, authorities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector; the potential to utilize skilled and knowledgeable rural migrants; and possibilities to capitalize on a growing market for UA related opportunities to stimulate economic growth and employment creation whilst addressing food security concerns. Limitations highlighted in the paper, include many current UA initiatives not being self-sustaining and fully citizen-driven, requiring constant support and resources from multiple stakeholders;
a cultural stigma attached to UA activities, hampering more uptake, especially among the youth; limited national support as no dedicated national policy on UA exists to direct the spatial planning community; and lastly, that South African spatial planners exhibit limited knowledge of UA and green infrastructure in general. The paper concludes with broad recommendations for the international planning community to advance the implementation of UA as a citizen-led urban greening strategy, drawing on the South African experience.
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Within the notion of broader sustainability and resilience thinking, the concepts of green infras... more Within the notion of broader sustainability and resilience thinking, the concepts of green infrastructure planning and water sensitive urban design (WSUD) are gaining importance. This chapter argues that these concepts should form part of mainstream spatial planning approaches to help ensure its success and legal acknowledgment. As such, this paper considers green infrastructure and WSUD and focuses on the current reality in South Africa in terms of need of WSUD, its application, and implementation and discusses the various unique planning considerations. Based on the current reality, the chapter describes lessons from South Africa in terms of (1) the need for context-driven design guidelines, (2) the importance of social benefits related to WSUD in South Africa, (3) the need of the emerging middle-class South African to be familiar with WSUD approaches, and (4) integrating WSUD as part of mainstream spatial planning.
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Nature is essential to urban quality of life, yet green spaces are under pressure. In an attempt ... more Nature is essential to urban quality of life, yet green spaces are under pressure. In an attempt to strengthen the case for urban greening and to reclaim nature into cities, this research considered green spaces from an economic spatial perspective. The proximity principle, as part of hedonic price analysis, is employed to determine the impact of green spaces on property value in specifically selected residential areas within Potchefstroom, South Africa. Our statistical analysis indicated a rejection of the proximity principle in some areas, contradicting internationally accepted theory. To investigate local trends and possible reasons for the rejection, supporting quantitative data was gathered through structured questionnaires disseminated to local residents of Potchefstroom and Professional Planners in South Africa. Challenges pertaining to the planning of green spaces were emphasised, despite residents’ willingness to pay more for such green spaces in close proximity to residential areas, according to the cross-tabulations conducted. The research results contributed to the discourse on the economic benefits of green spaces and presented the trends of such benefits within the local context of Potchefstroom. The results emphasised the need to rethink the planning of green spaces within the local context, and provided recommendations on how to reclaim nature into cities from a spatial planning perspective.
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Spatial planning decision-making is progressively acknowledging that nature-based solutions are s... more Spatial planning decision-making is progressively acknowledging that nature-based solutions are substantially beneficial to urban communities and their host cities. This paper is a meta-study of the current state of spatial planning practice in South Africa, with special focus on nature-based solutions and green infrastructure planning. The complexities and perceptions relating to green infrastructure planning in South Africa is presented, based on the findings of nine independent studies conducted between 2014 and 2018. The collective interpretation of these findings are thematically reported on in terms of (i) the concept of Green Infrastructure as perceived from a local perspective, ii2) the functionality of green infrastructure in local (urban and rural) context, (iii) the benefits (and value) of green infrastructure in local context which probe to be contradicting international accepted theory, and (iv) long term planning strategies and opportunities relating to green infrastructure provision in South Africa and Africa. The paper emphasizes the importance of context-based planning based on the unique considerations illustrated in the (South) African case studies which amongst others disproved the green compensation hypothesis and disproved the green proximity principle. As a result, the paper calls on long-term strategies to align green infrastructure as part of mainstream spatial planning approaches, along with value capturing approaches to sensitize decision-makers to prioritize green infrastructure within broader land-use planning approaches.
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Climate change is an internationally recognised phenomenon generally held accountable for the inc... more Climate change is an internationally recognised phenomenon generally held accountable for the increasing magnitude of extremes in both climatic events and temperature. With increasing urbanization and the concentration of socioeconomic activities in urban areas, the challenge to contend with climate change is particularly pertinent in cities. In response to climate-change impacts, a range of climate-adaptation strategies have been developed to make cities increasingly 'climate proof'. A qualitative research approach is employed to review climate change, its impacts and some adaptation strategies, focusing on ecosystem-based adaptation strategies from Belgium and The Netherlands and Water-Sensitive Urban Design approaches developed in Australia. The article engages a case study of Essenvelt, Middelburg, The Netherlands, where unanticipated warmer night-time temperatures are a primary concern, related to natural variability, the urban heat island effect and climate change. The article proposes certain adaptation measures for Essenvelt, based on the adaptation strategies reviewed. Keywords: Adaptation, climate change, ecosystem-based, water-sensitive urban design, WSUD 'N OORWEGING VAN KLIMAATSVERANDERING: EKOSISTEEMGEBASEERDE AANPASSING EN WATERSENSITIEWE STEDELIKE ONTWERPAANBEVELINGS VIR ESSENVELT, MIDDELBURG, NEDERLAND Klimaatsverandering is 'n verskynsel wat internasionale erkenning geniet en algemeen aanspreeklik gehou word vir die toenemende omvang van uiterste klimaats toestande en gebeure. Met verstedeliking wat toeneem en die konsentrasie van sosio-ekonomiese aktiwiteite in stedelike gebiede, word stede veral geraak deur die uitdaging om klimaatsverandering aan te spreek. In reaksie tot die impak van klimaatsverandering is 'n verskeidenheid klimaataanpassingstrategieë ontwikkel om stede meer 'klimaatbestand' te maak. 'n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering word gevolg om klimaatsverandering, impakte en sekere aanpassings tra te gieë te ondersoek met 'n fokus op ekosisteemgebaseerde aanpassingstrategieë uit België en Nederland, en Water-Sensitiewe Stedelike Ontwerp uit Australië. Die artikel betrek 'n gevallestudie van Essenvelt, Middelburg, Nederland, waar onverwagte warmer nagtemperature, in verband met natuurlike veranderlikheid, die stedelike hitte eilandeffek en klimaatsverandering, geïdentifiseer word. Die artikel stel sekere klimaataanpassingstrategieë voor vir Essenvelt, gebaseer op die aanpassingstrategieë wat bespreek is. Sleutelwoorde: Aanpassing, ekosisteemgebaseer, klimaatsverandering, Water-Sensitiewe Stedelike Ontwerp, WSUD Tlwaelo bakeng sa phetoho ya boemo ba lehodimo e itshetlehileng hodima tikoloho mabapi le Essenvelt, Middelburg, Netherlands Phetoho ya boemo ba lehodimo ke ketsahalo e tsejwang ke matjhaba, eo ka kakaretso e nkilweng e ikarabella bakeng sa boholo bo eketsehileng ba diketsahalo tse fetelletseng tsa phetoho ya boemo ba lehodimo le ho motjheso o fetelletseng. Ka lebaka la ho eketseha ha ditoropo le tsepamiso ya maikutlo ho diketsahalo moruong wa setjhaba ditoropong, phepetso ya ho sokola ka phetoho ya boemo ba lehodimo e tlwaelehile ditoropong. Bakeng sa ho arabela ho ditshusumetso tsa phetoho ya boemo ba lehodimo, ho hlahisitswe maano a ho itlwaetsa a itseng; ho etsa hore ditoropo di dule di sirelletsehile phetohong ya boemo ba lehodimo. Mokgwa wa diphuputso tsa boleng o sebediswa ho lekodisisa phetoho ya boemo ba lehodimo, ditshusumetso tsa yona le maano a ho itlwaetsa a itseng a tsepamisang maikutlo hodima maano a boitlwaetso a itshetlehileng hodima tikoloho; a tswang Belgium, Netherlands le ho mekgwa ya moralo wa setoropong wa tlhokomelo ya metsi e tswang Australia. Atikele ena e kenyelletsa thuto ya mehlala ya Essenvelt, Middelburg le Netherlands moo teng motjheso o eketsehileng nakong tsa bosiu, e leng kgathatso e ka sehloohong e amanang le diphapang tsa tlholeho, tshusumetso ya urban heat island le phetoho ya boemo ba lehodimo. Atikele ena e sisinya/hlahisa mekgwa ya ho itlwaetsa e itseng bakeng sa Essenvelt, e itshetlehileng hodima maano a boitlwaetso a hlahlobilweng. Mantswe a sehlooho: Boitlwaetso, phe-toho ya boemo ba lehodimo, se itshe-tlehileng tikolohong, Moralo wa motse setoropo wa tlhokomelo ya metsi, WSUD
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The concept of Water-Sensitive Settlements is gaining importance within broader sustainability th... more 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 socioeconomic 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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This research reflects on planning for urban green space and the related impact of informal backy... more This research reflects on planning for urban green space and the related impact of informal backyard rental densification in South Africa, based on the 'compensation hypothesis'. Informal backyard dwellings may increase densities substantially, occupying private green space, but often without reciprocal increases in public urban green space area. According to the compensation hypothesis, residents with limited access to private green space are more likely to seek compensation elsewhere. This research employs qualitative and quantitative analyses to investigate access to, and use of green spaces in the Bridgton and Bongolethu townships, Oudtshoorn. Findings disprove the compensation hypothesis, showing that proximate public green spaces are used sporadically, not correlating to increased densities. The number of backyard dwellings does not result in compensation behaviour, but an increased number of backyard tenants affect perceptions of green space availability and privacy. Although the compensation hypothesis is disproved in this case, findings probe the need to reconsider urban green space planning within low-cost areas, particularly considering densification impacts, linked to quality of life. As such, accessibility to public green spaces, as well as their function and form should be questioned as part of broader spatial planning approaches.
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Recent scientific studies identified multiple benefits of green areas in terms of liveability and... more 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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Popular papers by Juanee Cilliers
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Sustainability by Juanee Cilliers
Sustainable development is contextualised as the trade-off among social, economic
and ecological ... more Sustainable development is contextualised as the trade-off among social, economic
and ecological objectives of conservation and changes (Goel and Sivam 2014:61).
Sustainability as a universal ambition recently became a land use issue, encapsulated
in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals number 11, calling for
inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements (United
Nations 2017). This is no easy task at hand, in light of increasing urbanisation and
development pressure, poverty and the growing importance of the green hype. Land
use planning is therefore set as an arena in which conceptions of sustainable development
are contested (Godschalk 2004:6), considering systems thinking (Richmond
1993) and ever seeking to balance the three interrelated dimensions of environmental
sustainability, economic sustainability and social sustainability.
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Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 2011
The Workbench Method was implemented in Amersfoort Municipality in the Netherlands, with the obje... more The Workbench Method was implemented in Amersfoort Municipality in the Netherlands, with the objective of enhancing spatial quality by means of participatory planning. In this commentary we argue that spatial planning is in many ways linked to sustainable development initiatives, and that the workbench method can thus also contribute to and enhance sustainable development, as it incorporates specific steps within a process of participation.
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With constantly changing societal needs, along with population growth and increasing
urbanisation... more With constantly changing societal needs, along with population growth and increasing
urbanisation pressures, open public spaces are constantly competing against other
land-uses to accommodate the increasing urban pressures. Societies and cities call for an approach to reclaim public space for public use, to provide opportunities for people to meet and interact, and to develop a sense of belonging to a place. It is for this reason that social sustainability is becoming a crucial consideration within the urban context, seeking balance between economic developments, environmental challenges and the demands and preferences of modern societies. This article includes various theories and literature, reflecting on the importance of social sustainability in the urban context and the role of the Third Place in facilitating social sustainability. The concept of Third Places is considered as any space other than our homes (First Place) or work (Second Place), manifesting as a component of well-defined public places designed to enhance civic identity, quality of
life, social capital and community revitalisation, whilst improving economic development. The Third Place concept is thus introduced in this article as an umbrella concept combining the physical realm and design of the social space and is considered from the perspective of the place-making approach, the lively planning approach and the green urbanism approach. These approaches were collectively employed as part of a qualitative enquiry to inform a theory-based framework to enhance social sustainability through the planning of Third Places. Although social sustainability has become increasingly influential in the urban planning context, limited research to guide urban planning approaches towards enhanced social sustainability exist, especially within the South African context. The lack of practical application of existing planning theories has resulted in the widening of the theory–practice gap and alternative approaches should be considered to enhance social sustainability.
The proposed theory-based framework, based on the theory and literature of
this article, will finally aim to inform the study of Third Place consideration for enhanced social sustainability within the South African planning context.
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There is limited literature pertaining to planning in the Global South,
in comparison to the lite... more There is limited literature pertaining to planning in the Global South,
in comparison to the literature base of planning in the global North,
and some believe that much of the planning literature on the Global
South comes from outside the continent, and does not reflect
indigenous African-knowledge. The aim of this paper is to
evaluate literature relating to South African planning approaches
as point of departure to validate the claims pertaining to
authorship of literature, and to further investigate the thematic
content that is published. The empirical investigation considered
125 papers that were identified through a qualitative inquiry as
part of theory-based sampling, where the respective titles of the
papers were captured and 345 key words identified and
information visualisation techniques employed to illustrate such.
Conclusions were drawn with regard to (1) planning literature of
South Africa (and references to Africa), (2) current research themes
being investigated within the local South African context, and (3)
future research opportunities which could advance the science of
planning, teaching-learning approaches and contribute to
broadening the local planning literature base within the Global
South, whilst decolonising urban theory
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Place Making by Juanee Cilliers
this, child-friendly spaces are a scare commodity in modern environments, especially
when considering rural environments. These rural areas are often confronted with more pressing needs such as basic services, or facing challenges related to budget constraints, and the provision of spaces for play, thus often under-prioritised. This paper aims to emphasise the need to plan child-friendly spaces, especially for such rural areas where children has limited play and development opportunities. Making use of a qualitative methodological approach through theory-based sampling investigating key theoretical elements discussed in the literature review, the paper captures the complexities of planning for child-friendly spaces in a rural context, referring to the Vaalharts case study in South Africa. It identifies safety considerations, the education of communities, independent mobility, provision of natural play spaces and participatory planning approaches as the core issues to consider when planning in a rural context. The paper concludes by capturing the different planning considerations applicable to urban and rural areas and ultimately provides an approach for planning green child-friendly spaces in rural South Africa.
Green Infrastructure by Juanee Cilliers
multi-functional roles such spaces can fulfill in addressing urbanization pressures and associated impacts such as increasing stress on global food systems, notably by
accommodating practices of urban agriculture (UA). This paper investigates the potential for UA in South Africa as a citizen-led urban greening strategy, considering potential
and limitations for the increased application of UA in spatial planning. The paper provides a review of core concepts and illustrates potential and certain limitations via UA cases studies in two leading South African provinces and a review of the national policy and legislative framework pertaining to UA. Findings highlight particular issues for consideration to augment the implementation of UA in South Africa, including opportunities to draw on existing citizen-led initiatives and increasing awareness of UA among communities, authorities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector; the potential to utilize skilled and knowledgeable rural migrants; and possibilities to capitalize on a growing market for UA related opportunities to stimulate economic growth and employment creation whilst addressing food security concerns. Limitations highlighted in the paper, include many current UA initiatives not being self-sustaining and fully citizen-driven, requiring constant support and resources from multiple stakeholders;
a cultural stigma attached to UA activities, hampering more uptake, especially among the youth; limited national support as no dedicated national policy on UA exists to direct the spatial planning community; and lastly, that South African spatial planners exhibit limited knowledge of UA and green infrastructure in general. The paper concludes with broad recommendations for the international planning community to advance the implementation of UA as a citizen-led urban greening strategy, drawing on the South African experience.
Popular papers by Juanee Cilliers
Sustainability by Juanee Cilliers
and ecological objectives of conservation and changes (Goel and Sivam 2014:61).
Sustainability as a universal ambition recently became a land use issue, encapsulated
in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals number 11, calling for
inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements (United
Nations 2017). This is no easy task at hand, in light of increasing urbanisation and
development pressure, poverty and the growing importance of the green hype. Land
use planning is therefore set as an arena in which conceptions of sustainable development
are contested (Godschalk 2004:6), considering systems thinking (Richmond
1993) and ever seeking to balance the three interrelated dimensions of environmental
sustainability, economic sustainability and social sustainability.
urbanisation pressures, open public spaces are constantly competing against other
land-uses to accommodate the increasing urban pressures. Societies and cities call for an approach to reclaim public space for public use, to provide opportunities for people to meet and interact, and to develop a sense of belonging to a place. It is for this reason that social sustainability is becoming a crucial consideration within the urban context, seeking balance between economic developments, environmental challenges and the demands and preferences of modern societies. This article includes various theories and literature, reflecting on the importance of social sustainability in the urban context and the role of the Third Place in facilitating social sustainability. The concept of Third Places is considered as any space other than our homes (First Place) or work (Second Place), manifesting as a component of well-defined public places designed to enhance civic identity, quality of
life, social capital and community revitalisation, whilst improving economic development. The Third Place concept is thus introduced in this article as an umbrella concept combining the physical realm and design of the social space and is considered from the perspective of the place-making approach, the lively planning approach and the green urbanism approach. These approaches were collectively employed as part of a qualitative enquiry to inform a theory-based framework to enhance social sustainability through the planning of Third Places. Although social sustainability has become increasingly influential in the urban planning context, limited research to guide urban planning approaches towards enhanced social sustainability exist, especially within the South African context. The lack of practical application of existing planning theories has resulted in the widening of the theory–practice gap and alternative approaches should be considered to enhance social sustainability.
The proposed theory-based framework, based on the theory and literature of
this article, will finally aim to inform the study of Third Place consideration for enhanced social sustainability within the South African planning context.
in comparison to the literature base of planning in the global North,
and some believe that much of the planning literature on the Global
South comes from outside the continent, and does not reflect
indigenous African-knowledge. The aim of this paper is to
evaluate literature relating to South African planning approaches
as point of departure to validate the claims pertaining to
authorship of literature, and to further investigate the thematic
content that is published. The empirical investigation considered
125 papers that were identified through a qualitative inquiry as
part of theory-based sampling, where the respective titles of the
papers were captured and 345 key words identified and
information visualisation techniques employed to illustrate such.
Conclusions were drawn with regard to (1) planning literature of
South Africa (and references to Africa), (2) current research themes
being investigated within the local South African context, and (3)
future research opportunities which could advance the science of
planning, teaching-learning approaches and contribute to
broadening the local planning literature base within the Global
South, whilst decolonising urban theory
this, child-friendly spaces are a scare commodity in modern environments, especially
when considering rural environments. These rural areas are often confronted with more pressing needs such as basic services, or facing challenges related to budget constraints, and the provision of spaces for play, thus often under-prioritised. This paper aims to emphasise the need to plan child-friendly spaces, especially for such rural areas where children has limited play and development opportunities. Making use of a qualitative methodological approach through theory-based sampling investigating key theoretical elements discussed in the literature review, the paper captures the complexities of planning for child-friendly spaces in a rural context, referring to the Vaalharts case study in South Africa. It identifies safety considerations, the education of communities, independent mobility, provision of natural play spaces and participatory planning approaches as the core issues to consider when planning in a rural context. The paper concludes by capturing the different planning considerations applicable to urban and rural areas and ultimately provides an approach for planning green child-friendly spaces in rural South Africa.
multi-functional roles such spaces can fulfill in addressing urbanization pressures and associated impacts such as increasing stress on global food systems, notably by
accommodating practices of urban agriculture (UA). This paper investigates the potential for UA in South Africa as a citizen-led urban greening strategy, considering potential
and limitations for the increased application of UA in spatial planning. The paper provides a review of core concepts and illustrates potential and certain limitations via UA cases studies in two leading South African provinces and a review of the national policy and legislative framework pertaining to UA. Findings highlight particular issues for consideration to augment the implementation of UA in South Africa, including opportunities to draw on existing citizen-led initiatives and increasing awareness of UA among communities, authorities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector; the potential to utilize skilled and knowledgeable rural migrants; and possibilities to capitalize on a growing market for UA related opportunities to stimulate economic growth and employment creation whilst addressing food security concerns. Limitations highlighted in the paper, include many current UA initiatives not being self-sustaining and fully citizen-driven, requiring constant support and resources from multiple stakeholders;
a cultural stigma attached to UA activities, hampering more uptake, especially among the youth; limited national support as no dedicated national policy on UA exists to direct the spatial planning community; and lastly, that South African spatial planners exhibit limited knowledge of UA and green infrastructure in general. The paper concludes with broad recommendations for the international planning community to advance the implementation of UA as a citizen-led urban greening strategy, drawing on the South African experience.
and ecological objectives of conservation and changes (Goel and Sivam 2014:61).
Sustainability as a universal ambition recently became a land use issue, encapsulated
in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals number 11, calling for
inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements (United
Nations 2017). This is no easy task at hand, in light of increasing urbanisation and
development pressure, poverty and the growing importance of the green hype. Land
use planning is therefore set as an arena in which conceptions of sustainable development
are contested (Godschalk 2004:6), considering systems thinking (Richmond
1993) and ever seeking to balance the three interrelated dimensions of environmental
sustainability, economic sustainability and social sustainability.
urbanisation pressures, open public spaces are constantly competing against other
land-uses to accommodate the increasing urban pressures. Societies and cities call for an approach to reclaim public space for public use, to provide opportunities for people to meet and interact, and to develop a sense of belonging to a place. It is for this reason that social sustainability is becoming a crucial consideration within the urban context, seeking balance between economic developments, environmental challenges and the demands and preferences of modern societies. This article includes various theories and literature, reflecting on the importance of social sustainability in the urban context and the role of the Third Place in facilitating social sustainability. The concept of Third Places is considered as any space other than our homes (First Place) or work (Second Place), manifesting as a component of well-defined public places designed to enhance civic identity, quality of
life, social capital and community revitalisation, whilst improving economic development. The Third Place concept is thus introduced in this article as an umbrella concept combining the physical realm and design of the social space and is considered from the perspective of the place-making approach, the lively planning approach and the green urbanism approach. These approaches were collectively employed as part of a qualitative enquiry to inform a theory-based framework to enhance social sustainability through the planning of Third Places. Although social sustainability has become increasingly influential in the urban planning context, limited research to guide urban planning approaches towards enhanced social sustainability exist, especially within the South African context. The lack of practical application of existing planning theories has resulted in the widening of the theory–practice gap and alternative approaches should be considered to enhance social sustainability.
The proposed theory-based framework, based on the theory and literature of
this article, will finally aim to inform the study of Third Place consideration for enhanced social sustainability within the South African planning context.
in comparison to the literature base of planning in the global North,
and some believe that much of the planning literature on the Global
South comes from outside the continent, and does not reflect
indigenous African-knowledge. The aim of this paper is to
evaluate literature relating to South African planning approaches
as point of departure to validate the claims pertaining to
authorship of literature, and to further investigate the thematic
content that is published. The empirical investigation considered
125 papers that were identified through a qualitative inquiry as
part of theory-based sampling, where the respective titles of the
papers were captured and 345 key words identified and
information visualisation techniques employed to illustrate such.
Conclusions were drawn with regard to (1) planning literature of
South Africa (and references to Africa), (2) current research themes
being investigated within the local South African context, and (3)
future research opportunities which could advance the science of
planning, teaching-learning approaches and contribute to
broadening the local planning literature base within the Global
South, whilst decolonising urban theory
Based on a review of the relevant literature, the article endeavours to provide a working definition of sustainable development and sustainable rural livelihoods, with its attendant measurables. This, in turn, informs the conceptualisation of sustainable rural livelihoods in a
South African context.
North-West University, South Africa, over a 7 year period. It also tested perspectives and technology usage and preferences of current lecturers (of the same group of students), in order to reveal some of the complex realities and challenges faced when teaching Generation Z. The
research concluded with the viewpoints of both groups and presented some solutions to bridge the gaps and enhance teaching-learning strategies.