Browsing by Subject "Urban Infrastructure Design and Management"

Now showing 1 - 13 of 13
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    An exploration of the parameters of liveable urbanism through inclusive incremental development
    (2019) Duke, David; Odendaal, Nancy
    “Despite a significant reduction in the percentage of population living in informal settlements from 2000 to 2014, the absolute number of people living in deplorable conditions has increased from 689 to 880 million people over the same period. Current policy and planning practice in developing countries has not been able to cope with such pervasive rapid urbanisation. By 2050 the United Nations predicts two-thirds of the global population will live in cities. Of which as many as one-third of this population could be living in informal settlements (slums). To address these unsustainable and undesirable trends in support of the disadvantaged and maintaining environmental sustainability, this minor dissertation conducts comprehensive research of contemporary policy and planning work to seek alternatives. The purpose of the literature review is to identify commonalities, differences, gaps of knowledge and constraints of current policies and planning practice currently used to plan and manage growth of cities. Analysis and findings then inform and add value in exploring parameters for a 'liveable’ or improved urbanism from that currently experienced in informal settlements. Historic global policies focusing on government led top down approaches to provide large scale low cost housing have not kept up with demand, although they remain popular politically. From these policy and planning failures, it is evident that a more inclusive and incremental approach better utilizing available human capital should be considered. Critical analysis of literature with an alternative urbanism and planning paradigm in mind emerges in the findings and conclusion in the form of recommended parameters for a new inclusive and incremental urbanism. Such urbanism is entirely possible provided the critical issues identified such as lack of political will and good governance can be mitigated. To dramatically improve the lives of millions will require a compelling vision and collaborative effort seldom seen in current policy and planning of developing countries. Despite the daunting task, this paper seeks to define a conceptual framework drawn from findings to mitigate issues and guide an alternative vision of the future. The alternative urbanism that emerges from the conceptual framework may fall somewhere between that of current informal settlements and current discourse such as smart cities’’
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    Culture-led urban regeneration: The case of Maboneng
    (2017) Meek, Louise Gardner; Cirolia, Liza
    This dissertation utilizes a case study of Maboneng in Johannesburg central business district (CBD) to make a case for culture-led urban regeneration in South Africa. The City of Johannesburg is still to a large extent locked into Apartheid-era spatial planning whereby most neighbourhoods' reflect the Group Areas Act's racial profiles of the past. Given this historical context, a more nuanced approach to culture-led regeneration is required in assessing the complexity of urban regeneration in South Africa. This dissertation analyses to what extend Maboneng has undergone a process of culture-led urban regeneration, examining the transformation in terms of social, physical and economic outcomes. It also seeks to uncover to what extend the case of Maboneng aligns with global literature- and to what extent it departs? Chapter 2 introduces the research method, which is case study based, and relies on Propertuity company data for the purposes of this paper, which is outlined as a gap that could be addressed in a future study of the area. Chapter 3 defines culture-led urban regeneration and focuses on a literature review, with Florida's (2002) creative class theory at the core of the discussion around urban regeneration, which is critiqued by Peck (2007) who believes it leads to further prioritization of the middle class at the expense of the poor. Moulaert, Demuynck & Nussbaumer (2004) suggest a nuanced perspective to culture-led urban regeneration that adopts a socially-rooted view which values the multi dimensional role of culture in urban development. The case of Maboneng uses this nuanced perspective from the literature as a framework to categorise the data in chapter 4, and analyse the data in chapter 5, using the three dimensions of urban regeneration (namely social, physical and economic transformation) in order to assess the culture-led urban regeneration in Maboneng. The findings highlight that Maboneng is socially-rooted in its approach to both the social and economic transformations that are occurring in the neighborhood with success in the establishment of a mixed-race neighbourhood that is reflective of the City of Johannesburg racial profiles, as well as the establishment of a local economy. It is argued that more could be done to ensure the physical dimensions and aesthetics of place that are less 'curated' by the property developer and more focused on cocreation of aesthetics.
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    Evaluating water conservation and water demand management in an industrialised city: a case study of the City of uMhlathuze in Richards Bay
    (2018) Mthethwa, Nkosinathi I; Carden, Kirsty
    The objective of this study was to evaluate water conservation and water demand management in an industrialised City of uMhlathuze in Richards Bay. The City of uMhlathuze Local Municipality is the third-largest municipality in KwaZulu Natal (KZN) and is strategically placed to continue attracting investment as an aspirant metropolis due to the newly established Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) and the country's largest deep-water port. As an industrialised city, uMhlathuze's demand for water is already increasing and with the establishment of the IDZ, it is expected that water demand will escalate even further once the IDZ is fully operational. In line with the research question, this study has, therefore, sought to understand whether the industrialised City of uMhlathuze has developed and effectively implemented a water conservation and water demand management strategy and interventions in order to sustain water supply in anticipation of growing demand due to industrialisation and population growth. This objective was achieved by evaluating the city's current interventions and measures using a range of water conservation and water demand management solutions and guidelines. During this study, it was evident that the greatest threat facing South Africa's ambitious future economic growth, poverty alleviation and government's transformation agenda was the inefficient and unbalanced use of available and limited water resources. Thus, in order to avoid this imminent threat, the country as a whole must continuously reduce water consumption and demand from various sectors. This goal can be achieved through sustainable and improved water conservation and water demand management interventions. The study found that, in recent years, the issue of water scarcity had escalated in KZN. The province was in the grip of a drought, which was taking its toll on water supply in various municipalities around the province. The sparse rainfall in most parts of the province had caused the levels of rivers and dams to decrease to a point of crisis. Consequently, the KZN Provincial Government declared the province a disaster area in 2015. During the study, there was very little improvement as the City of uMhlathuze was still subjected to level 4 water restrictions. Evidently, the drought was intensifying the water problem in a municipality already grappling with poor and inadequate water infrastructure. A review of international and local literature was undertaken to theoretically position the objective of the research. An evaluation of the City of uMhlathuze water conservation and water demand management strategy and interventions was conducted using a questionnaire completed by city officials and part of the study included documentation review. This study investigated key elements of water conservation and demand management as well as interventions that were pertinent to achieving the desired outcome of efficient use of water. Respondents were required to answer questions focusing on several water conservation and water demand management related approaches and solutions. During the study, it was identified that there were inconsistencies in the implementation of water conservation and water demand management interventions even though the City of uMhlathuze had already taken the important step of developing a water conservation and water demand management strategy. It was recognised, however, that water conservation and water demand management remained relatively new for most municipalities. Consequently, it would take time for municipalities, together with communities, to implement effective interventions. The focus needs to be on the establishment of a combined team of staff and stakeholders, set up to finding solutions and interventions designed to maximise the most sustainable and efficient use of water. The conclusions drawn from this study and proposed recommendations indicated that wastewater reuse; pipe replacement; water pressure management; rainwater and stormwater harvesting; water sensitive urban design; leak detection and repair; joint planning and research team with the Industrial Development Zone; groundwater and aquifer recharge; stakeholder engagement, education and citizen awareness are feasible options for the City of uMhlathuze to consider in relation to water conservation and water demand management. These solutions should constitute the foundation of a revised and updated water conservation and water demand management strategy to be implemented incrementally with broad-based participation.
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    Exploring and profiling of childhood illnesses in informal settlements in relation to flooding: a case study of Barcelona, Cape Town South Africa
    (2013) Machiridza, Rumbudzayi Dorothy; Smit, Warren
    A significant number of studies have documented illnesses that follow flooding as a result of people coming into contact with contaminated water. Floods cause health risks by exposing children to bacteria, protozoa, viruses and fungi through contaminated water, contaminated household items, dead animals and mould, as a result of inhalation, ingestion and wound infections. This study focuses on the impacts of flooding on child health in the informal settlement of Barcelona, Cape Town. The health outcomes of flooding are conceptualized within the vulnerability framework of Turner and colleagues (2003), which explores human vulnerability in terms of exposure, sensitivity and resilience. In addition, the framework reflects global environment change and it powerfully defines the term vulnerability. There were three main research objectives. Firstly, the research established factors and other stressors that determined the occurrence of water-related illnesses among children in informal settlements as a result of flooding. Secondly, the research explored and identified the flood-related childhood illnesses. Lastly, the research identified strategies households applied in order to protect their children from flood-related illnesses. The study was conducted through the administration of 45 questionnaires, 2 focus group interviews and personal observation. The study adopted both qualitative and quantitative methodologies in order to understand the perceptions of what flood-related illnesses were and what caused them. Results from the qualitative research were used to triangulate data from the quantitative research. The integration of both methodologies provided additional solutions to understanding the impacts of floods on child health in Barcelona. Ethics approval was granted by Ethics Committee of the Engineering and the Built Environment Faculty at the University of Cape Town. The research findings suggest that flood-related illnesses in Barcelona were a result of different and interlinking factors. The various factors included poor access to basic services, general poor urban health, and location of the settlement and household hygienic factors. In addition, children were more exposed to risks inside dwellings as compared to risks outside dwellings. Vector-borne illnesses were the least recorded cases. In order to mitigate child illnesses resulting from flooding the households applied both proactive and reactive strategies such as buying of medication before and during flooding, bathing their children after they finish playing, and sending children to relatives during the flooding period and cleaning dwellings after flooding. Research findings highlighted that there is a significant association between child health and flooding in Barcelona. The types of illnesses that were reported were mainly water-related illnesses, which included respiratory illnesses, gastrointestinal illnesses, skin and ear infections and vector-borne illnesses.
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    From housing to human settlements: the role of public space in integrated housing developments
    (2018) McGarry, Michelle Samantha; Odendaal, Nancy
    Since 1994 the post-apartheid South African Government has recognized the importance of housing in improving the quality of life of its citizens. Following 10 years of a housing delivery model that saw the provision of nearly 1.6 million houses, the National Government introduced a new policy that sought to shift away from an emphasis on housing and rather a holistic focus on the quality of the settlement established. This new policy, Breaking New Ground (BNG) promoted the establishment of well-managed, liveable and equitable settlements incorporating social and economic infrastructure. The quality of the urban environment and the quality of public spaces within urban developments has been identified as contributing towards improving quality of life within these settlements. In mixedincome, integrated settlements - like those BNG claims to produce - the importance of public space is further emphasised because it compensates for limited space of the private home. However, these spaces are often considered as "nice-to-haves" and neglected in favour of basic services or housing. Despite the importance of public space and its contribution to the creation of sustainable human settlements, these spaces, although planned for in the initial phases of a development, still remain largely undeveloped. This research therefore questions whether public spaces within integrated housing developments are being used as intended. It also questions to what extent the necessity for increased urban densification has affected the provision of public space in integrated housing developments. This research attempts to answer the question from the perspective of professionals involved in the planning and implementation of integrated housing developments and not from the perspective of residents. A qualitative research approach has been adopted. Three settlements each representing an integrated housing development implemented in line with BNG principles and incorporating public spaces were selected as case studies and in-depth interviews with professionals involved in the planning and implementation of these developments were conducted. The research found that while public spaces are considered as beneficial and are included in the planning stages of a development, in reality the lived experience often differs. While the objectives of housing policies are to create sustainable human settlements, professionals still struggle to translate these objectives into practical guidelines and standards. Finally, it was observed that while public spaces do play a role in the shift from housing to human settlements, the process is one that occurs incrementally and over a period of time.
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    Heritage discontinued: tracing cultural ecologies within a context of urban transition
    (2016) Sohie, Caroline; Pieterse, Edgar
    Culture has been consistently underrepresented in the sustainability debate and often perceived as a constraining factor to modern-day advancement. However in recent years, the broadening development paradigm in the Global South is increasingly asserting culture's indispensable role in sustainable human development. This dominant cultural paradigm mainstreamed by UNESCO is subscribed to by government and other role-players within the domain of culture and urban development. Despite its significant achievements, it however comes with a specific heritage conceptualisation, which is disconnected from local reality and perpetuates a problematic theoretical construct of cultural legacy, which is steeped in a Eurocentric conservation bias with colonial undertones. The thesis argues that this model will not lead to transformative interventions in urban areas that harness the power of culture if its interpretation remains decontextualised and perpetuates an instrumentalised view of culture and cultural conservation practice, inherited from the past. The thesis explores how an alternative conceptualisation of culture, based on the concept of cultural ecologies, can be more meaningful and beneficial in contributing to the theoretical reassessment of the human settlements imaginary. This is achieved through an interdisciplinary literature review and a case study of Bagamoyo, a small urban settlement in Tanzania. Through a systematic diagnosis of this small scale locality, cultural ecologies are foregrounded through the primary lens of the urban public-private interface and framed within a context that is shaped by the dynamics of globalisation. Additionally, the study takes place against the backdrop of a failed UNESCO World Heritage application, which allows me to discuss the undercurrents and invested interests associated with cultural heritage politics and the traumatic impact global conventions can have on local sustainability. It concludes in a proposed approach that repositions culture at the core of social exchange and argues that cultural sensitive development is an ongoing socio-cultural production process. Its potential lies in capturing the layered 'ordinariness' of place and in harnessing the imaginative responses arising from local idioms, practices and traditions as the shared imaginary of tomorrow.
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    How the sustainability transition in energy is transforming the built environment of South African cities
    (2019) Kluger, Martin; von Blottnitz, Harro
    South Africa is undergoing a sustainability transition (ST) in its energy sector as part of its broader move towards a lowcarbon future. Past studies of the nascent ST using a multi-level approach have already proven obsolete after strong resistance from the incumbent energy regime almost derailed the fledgling renewable energy (RE) industry. After initially going to ground and contracting, the industry re-emerged strongly in South Africa’s cities, mostly in the form of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. This study applies an integrated approach utilizing the Multi-level Perspective (MLP) to trace the current ST trajectory, whilst employing the Technology Innovation Systems (TIS) framework as a focal lens, recently adapted to the follower country context, to empirically investigate system development in the solar PV TIS. A survey was conducted to assess the drivers and challenges facing consumers of solar PV technology in cities, the results indicating that the rapid growth in distributed embedded generation (EG) was sparked by recent tax incentives and not the introduction of Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) offered by city municipalities. Whilst the RE sector and solar PV market have grown through consumer demand for EG, they still face resistance from the existing energy regime, needing further development in policy and regulation in order for South Africa’s ST to support a more complex web of distributed and embedded generation, mostly underpinned by RE technologies.
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    The impact of the current public sector procurement system on the consulting engineering industry
    (2018) Moos, Moegamat Fatgie; Del Mistro, Romano
    The development of infrastructure in our country is seen as key to eliminating poverty and reducing inequality. This is confirmed by the establishment of the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Council who will coordinate the implementation of the 18 Strategic Infrastructure Projects as part of government's programme. For this infrastructure development programme to be successful, competent engineering professionals are needed. The engineering industry is currently in crisis due mainly to the effect the current public sector procurement system has had on it. The procuring of consulting engineering services is currently done primarily by competitive tendering where price is the deciding factor in the award of tenders. Tenders are evaluated solely on the basis of price and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment requirements (also known as preference requirements). The criteria for expertise, experience and capacity are only used as qualifying criteria after which price and preference are used for the evaluation. This process is irrespective of the scale of the project or the skills required. The processes are governed by legislation such as the Public Finance Management Act, Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act and the Municipal Finance Management Act. All public sector institutions and public entities are therefore governed by this and must ensure compliance. There has however been an acknowledgement on the part of government that the current system needs to be reviewed. National Treasury published the Public Sector Supply Chain Management Review in February 2015. This frank look at the current Supply Chain Management system highlighted the shortfalls and what is required to be done to improve the system. The important acknowledgement out of this review is that construction procurement is different to normal procurement and different systems should apply. Despite the initiatives launched by government the current procurement system for consulting engineering services remains unchanged and primarily price driven. Respondents in the private and public sectors were surveyed for their views on the current state of procurement. From the research it is clear that respondents both in the private and public sectors indicate that competition based on price should be changed. Due to low fees tendered consultants no longer have the luxury of seconding senior experienced staff to projects for extended periods of time. Training, development and mentoring of graduate staff has also become less and firms have limited ability to reinvest for growth. Public sector clients' perceptions also indicate that consultants' quality of service has deteriorated. In order to arrest the current situation the study recommends that clarity be sought on the relevant sections of the constitution dealing with procurement. Once this is achieved the National Treasury and the National Department of Trade and Industry should be engaged to get the applicable legislation amended to accommodate a quality and cost based selection system and that takes into account the scale and complexity of projects. This will lead to consultants getting paid fees commensurate with the effort required to execute projects thereby allowing consultants to reinvest in their businesses that will ensure its longevity. This will contribute positively to the infrastructure development required to eliminate poverty, reduce inequality and grow the economy.
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    The real cost of low income settlements: experiences in varied spatial contexts within the same municipal boundary
    (2016) Sahabodien, Raudhiyah; Smit, Warren
    Introduction: Since 1994, the response to the low income housing backlog in South Africa has been met with the capital grant, targeted at households earning less than R3500 per month. Scholars and policy makers echo the same sentiments that state funded housing and facilities should be located close to economic opportunities and in close proximity to public transportation systems. However, due to the limitations of the grant, low income housing development has been typically been limited to cheap peripheral land where large scale low income housing projects can be rolled out in the form of low density housing developments. In recent years, a growing body of knowledge has found that the provision of state funded housing opportunities on the urban periphery has a significant impact on urban sustainability, particularly the financial sustainability of government. This study aims to add to the body of knowledge pertaining to how the roll out of low income housing in various locations within the same municipal area affects a household's ability to access economic and social opportunities in terms of financial and social costs to the household. Method: The study considers Hessequa Municipality as a case study, with four settlements within the municipality (Slangrivier, Kwanonkuthula, Diepkloof and Melkhoutfontein) used as sub-cases. The four settlements vary greatly in spatial location, population size, history, growth potential and functional role, thus providing a good opportunity to examine the impacts the provision of low income housing by the state within different spatial locations on the lives of households. A case study research approach is applied, using a mix of methods, namely: a review of documents, the mapping of existing facilities, and a survey of 20 households in each of four settlements. Results: The analysis found notable differences between the provision and access to services amongst the four settlements. The study found that that facility provision to low income households varies from settlement to settlement and that a household's perception about whether accessibility to facilities has improved, is relative to the services which households were previously afforded access. It was found that beneficiaries of housing located in close proximity to facilities and employment opportunities incur little or no cost in terms of travelling to facilities. Households with limited access to facilities have to be selective with regard to which member of the household can participate in activities offered in the broader settlement, as otherwise the costs of travel can be very onerous for households. The survey revealed that the opportunity to get a free house far outweighs any inconvenience associated with limited access to social and economic opportunities, with 100% of respondents indicating that they would choose a poorly located free house rather than a rented home in a better location with better access to facilities. In addition, within the context of the four settlements studied, it was found that travel expenses that would ordinarily have been incurred by households travelling to work and school has been found to be carried by employers or subsidised by government, and therefore have less of an impact on household expenditure than I had anticipated. For example, in Slangrivier 50% of the employed are collected for work by their employer and incur no costs for travelling to work. Similarly, the excessive distance travelled to schools, and its consequent burden of cost, is generally not carried by households, as the Department of Education subsidises the transportation of learners to and from school daily. It was found that the use of facilities is influenced by distance, cost, availability and, interestingly, personal preference. Although the provision of facilities across the four settlements is currently uneven, the municipality has created an expectation amongst the public that, over time, facilities will be provided in all settlements, irrespective of their location.
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    A review of the green economy in Cape Town: local policy in the light of international approaches
    (2016) Petrik, Marko; Van Ryneveld, Mark
    The industrial economy of the last 100 years has resulted in significant externalities, chief of which has been anthropogenic climate change caused by the release of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. The green economy is an approach to economic activity that has been developed in an effort to mitigate against this and attempt to shift the world economy onto a more sustainable course. South Africa has a particularly carbon-intense economy, and as such bears a considerable burden to follow this shift. Cape Town, following the lead of national government, has begun to respond to climate change and has made steps to adopt the green economy. However, much of the literature and theory developed around the green economy has been produced by developed nations, which may render it problematic to be adopted by a city in a developing nation, such as Cape Town. This dissertation begins with a brief description of the background and definition of the green economy. Based on a reading of the international literature, it then uses an analytical overview of conceptual descriptions of the green economy to develop a Transition Framework as a tool for evaluation and comparison. The Transition Framework is then applied to the green economy in the city of Cape Town as a case study. While the City of Cape Town quite overtly applies international conceptions of the green economy to its formulation, it was found that there were some significant local deviations: political parties play an important role in leading and shaping the local green economy; there is a particular need to balance green economy interventions against the preservation of municipal income from tax; the city's spatial-geographic character plays an important role in strategy and planning; and the primary aim of the local green economy is to increase economic growth and produce employment opportunities, in order to ensure social and political stability. This study highlighted the fact that international conceptions of the green economy do have a significant amount of flexibility towards local conditions, this may in some cases result in a drift away from some of its stated aims (reducing greenhouse gasses, for example) towards addressing the most pressing local issues. This may potentially render its goals unachieved.
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    The socio-economic impact of government's urban renewal initiatives: The case of Alexandra Township
    (2018) Mbanjwa, Phindile; Pirie, Gordon
    The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of the implementation of the Alexandra Renewal Programme (ARP) on the lives of residents in the Johannesburg township of Alexandra, in South Africa. The urban renewal project was a government initiative in collaboration with the private sector and community-based organisations. The project aimed to improve the physical, social and economic environments of Alexandra, a densely-populated township whose history includes political resistance, poverty, high levels of crime and unemployment, and yet is located adjacent to South Africa's successful commercial capital, Sandton. The impact of urban renewal programmes such as the ARP has not been evaluated along every dimension, nor recently with concerns raised about the pace of government efforts to drive the change required. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the impact of the Alexandra urban renewal programme on its residents. Alexandra typifies the socio-economic marginalisation of black urban neighbourhoods during the apartheid era. Nearly 500 000 people live in approximately 100 000 households in formal and informal housing; unemployment is estimated at 60%, and most household incomes fall below the extreme poverty line of less than USD1 per person per day. Hence the ARP was designed to boost job creation, promote a healthier environment, through provision of affordable and sustainable services, such as decent housing, roads, water supply, sanitation and other infrastructure, and to reduce crime. The case study was conducted using qualitative research techniques. Focus groups were conducted with 32 residents from formal and informal settlements in the township. Research data was analysed using thematic content analysis. As a former resident of Alexandra with a long family history in the township, the researcher could provide a grounded and corroborative insight into the phenomenon under study. The research findings indicate that the implementation of the ARP programme has been generally consistent with the designed outcomes. The respondents indicated that the programme had some positive impact on improved access to government facilities and services, and on some housing and infrastructure projects. However, the participants also expressed frustration, and indicated that they had not gained significant benefits, especially on job creation and business opportunities. In addition, the residents believed that more could be done on the provision of basic services such as housing, water and sanitation. The effectiveness of government officials responsible for the ARP was also a concern. The study recommends that the three spheres of government (national, provincial and local) should collaborate more to develop relevant policies which drive urgency and effectiveness into the implementation of the urban renewal programme (URP) in Alexandra, and in the Gauteng province in general. The findings of this study contribute to the broader review of URPs in South Africa, and can assist government's developmental structures in evaluating the impact of these and future programmes.
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    Understanding conflicting rationalities in city planning: a case study of co-produced infrastructure in informal settlements in Kampala
    (2017) Siame, Gilbert; Watson, Vanessa
    Kampala is Uganda's capital city and is one the fastest growing cities in the world. Over 60% of the city's urban population live and work informally. In 2002, the Ugandan Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development attended the World Urban Forum in Kenya, where he met with the international president of Slum/Shack Dwellers International (SDI), Jockin Arputham. The Minister requested the support of SDI to mobilise the residents of Kampala for settlement upgrading. Following this invitation, the SDI president, with Federation members from South Africa and India, visited Kampala. This visit resulted in the signing of an agreement to enable community residents and the state to jointly improve the living conditions of people in informal settlements in Kampala. This marked the beginning of a new form of state-society relations, called co-production. These relations have grown, evolved and progressively matured over the years. This evolutionary case study asks how co-production engagements in the City of Kampala provide empirical support for an enhanced theoretical framework in planning which contributes to ideas of state-society engagement in the cities of the global South. Drawing on poststructuralist theory and cases of co-production, a conceptual framework provides the theoretical basis to examine how service delivery and city planning under co-production are shaped by power and rationalities that occur at the interface between state and society. This study draws on key proponents of the case study method. Primary data and information were collected, using semi-structured interviews. Document analysis and observations were used to supplement the interview processes and data. The findings were analysed and then used to engage with the theoretical materials in order to write back to theory and then generate theoretical prepositions on planning theory and co-production as an interventive planning framework. Key findings show that communities and civic groups used tools of enumerations, exchange visits and savings to assert their claims and demands, as well as to advance and secure their survival assets and systems. The study reveals complex multifaceted and dynamic power struggles and matrixes within and between structures of the state in the implementation of various co-production initiatives and relations. The state displays and relies on incoherent legal and policy positions, acts informally and operates between old and new ways of engaging with communities. The study further reveals tension points, reversals and the 'holding back' of state power during encounters of state, networked and multiple community power bases that have strong and influential claims to urban space, materialities such as land, trading spaces, informal livelihood systems, place and belonging. The narratives show that community is segmented and conflicted, with individuals and civic groups straddling the divide between state and societal spaces. The combination of organised community resistance and collaboration led to 'quiet encroachment' to shift state positions on development regulations and to disrupt and refine states' schemes of community intervention to become open and more inclusive. The conflicting rationalities and deep differences between state agents and communities extend beyond the binary of state and 'community'. The narratives reveal the fragmented nature of the state - formal and informal - and the divisions within and between society and civic groups characterised by the politics of control of space and territoriality, differentiation and belonging. The case study engages with theory to provide an important caution against the limitations of assuming that planning can adopt consensualist processes in the cities of the South. It suggests that co-production offers a more productive and realistic way of approaching state-society engagement in planning, but is also fraught with difficulties that are also present in the wider context within which engagement occurs. Therefore, this thesis also argues that planning in the South should be seen as both a collaborative and conflicted process. In addition, it postulates that there is nothing peaceful about urban life, and that power and conflict are ubiquitous elements that both produce and are a product of the interface between state and society.
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    Understanding the market and access gaps present in South Africas broadband internet sector
    (2016) Cameron, Alan; Van Ryneveld, Mark; Cull, Domonic
    Internet access is a prerequisite for meaningful individual and national participation in the knowledge economy and removing barriers to such access serves broader national socio-economic policy imperatives. This critical review of the literature posed the questions: What is South Africa's current telecommunications context from a Universal Access and Universal Service point of view and does a market gap and/or access gap remain despite efforts to address such gaps since 1994? If so, how do either or both the market gap and access gap appear in the South African context and what are key hurdles that need to be overcome in order to close these gaps? The review provides a plain language explanation of how broadband Internet access can benefit South Africa's economy, and describes the negligible impact of existing policy in an anti-competitive market environment. A brief overview of South Africa's telecommunications history since 1994 until 2016 helps to contextualise the sector. In the early 1990s, 2% of South Africans had access to voice telephony. A few years later Universal Service and Access regulation was overtaken by the rapid adoption of mobile phones. With more than 40% voice telephony domestic penetration the network effect of quicker communication stimulated the domestic economy. Having achieved Universal Access objectives relating to voice communications, today nations seek the compounded advantages from the network effect of broadband Internet access. South Africa's GDP is predicted to grow by 1.34% for every 10% increase in broadband penetration, through increased productivity, job creation and greater access to cheaper services. However almost two thirds of South Africans cannot afford Internet access; and neither action by the free market nor the state is effectively increasing levels of cheap, accessible Internet. Incumbent service providers dominate the South African telecommunications sector and have little incentive to accelerate Internet access and adoption to low-income households and areas outside of the major metropolitan areas. It is therefore necessary that policy facilitates: competition in the ICT product and services sector, effective spectrum management, productive Internet use by lowincome households and user demand for online content.