Page 12 - KZN Business Sense Vol.2 No.5
P. 12
SEEING PATTERNS IN URBAN-RURAL LANDSCAPES
Renee Hulley, CEO Black However, if we pay closer environment. KZN planners
Balance attention to the spatial shifts and and city leaders therefore
dynamics, we begin to see a new need to be forward looking,
Have spatial pattern emerge that does planning for growing and
you not just challenge past patterns changing populations and
but is defining newer cities in the impact on transportation,
noticed the newer places that are organic schools, hospitals, and many
emergence and reflecting a more indigenous other aspects of city life. They
of a new city. also need to make sure those
spatial plans can be adapted over
pattern (of These are South African time to reflect
human townships emerging as the changing
settlement, secondary cities and or new needs of the
cities. They emerged as a result city. The most
development and use of space) of historical spatial planning effective cities
in the Province over the last but in the 21st century are adopt a regional
few years? If you have, what are emerging as locations that perspective
your thoughts about the extent address not only the housing and make the
to which city builders and or backlog but are new areas for planning process
planners are geared towards economic opportunity for a inclusive and
facilitating and embracing this large section of our population. flexible. n
change? In addition, these areas emerge
as opportunities for us to Black Balance Projects
These are issues I have build more resilient even more Tel: +27 (0)31 832 3450
tried to research and which I sustainable cities. E-mail: cnarain@blackbalance.co.za
have squarely faced through Website:
the spatial planning and In September 2015, the www.blackbalance.co.za
development consulting work Department of Rural
completed at Black Balance. The Development and Land Map depicting urban-rural continuum with emerging peri-urban area
shifting spatial patterns are also Reform, commissioned a study Caption
an opportunity to support the on Development Edges: A
spatial transformation agenda Settlement Typology. In this
that is currently unfolding and study it is suggested that the
to try to better understand the urban rural continuum that
urban, peri-urban and rural we are experiencing today
continuum. is in fact a historical spatial
configuration. The opportunity
There are intricate linkages this offers is that we can develop
between these spaces and the a spatial response to redress and
fact that these areas house a address the historical patterns.
large part of our population,
which is densifying at rates The location of the Traditional
similar to metropolitan areas. Council areas relative to road
In addition, the paper focuses systems and to existing urban
on the economies of these areas settlements (of all types) close
and the necessary support or adjacent to existing urban
required by local government to areas became the focus of urban
support these local businesses migrants. Many of these areas
and entrepreneurs. These spaces tend to exist at densities not that
are also becoming markets for different to the adjacent urban
business from metropolitan areas, and in some cases even
areas and the agricultural denser. In these cases settlement
activities that still occur in the tends to be in the form of
peri-urban and rural spaces “peri-urban” transitional areas
are also able to use these between denser formal urban
metropolitan spaces as areas areas and the very low density
for selling their produce. The settlements “sprinkled” across
leadership that is required must the majority of the balance of
in effect be visionary, have long Traditional Council areas.
term plans that have a regional
perspective, but are flexible and The graphic below depicts
able to accommodate dynamic the urban rural continuum in
socio-economic and population Estcourt, a large town in KZN
shifts within the short term. with an expanding peri-urban
area. This is not unique to
The spatial patterns of the past Estcourt, but is occurring in
in KZN have meant that we other large towns within KZN.
have and continue to develop in
patterns that have been pre- The world has many examples
determined. There are historical of cities that have expanded
areas of growth and investment rapidly without any kind of
and in areas we see historical planning. The result is chaotic
underdevelopment and lack at best, but too often it also
of investment. Recent spatial impedes further development
documents confirm this. and is detrimental to citizens’
quality of life and the
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