Includes bibliographical references / This Dissertation discusses the economic development of Newcastle, once a growth point that enjoyed the influx of manufacturing firms due to Regional Industrial Decentralisation Policy and initiatives by the Newcastle Municipality. During the apartheid era, planning was a top down approach and was the responsibility of the national government which meant that the local municipalities had to follow in their direction. The beginning of the 1990 has marked the end of policies that afforded incentives to industries in selected regions and this proved to be detrimental to growth points that had previously relied on those incentives to keep industries alive. Newcastle is a significant case as it is an example of a previous growth point that managed to continue experiencing growth. Not only did Newcastle experience growth but it was able to diversify its economy numerous times. This analysis shows the different contributors to the economic development and diversification of the economy and also investigates if planning from the Newcastle Municipality have a role to play in it or not. I did an investigation into regional development documents developed by national government as well as documents produced by the Newcastle Local Municipality in order to see what the impact of planning was on economic development. As a primary source of information, I interviewed 11 people that consisted of manufacturing firms, retail stores, Newcastle Municipality officials and a government agency. What I have discovered is that although the planning from the Newcastle municipality was not the reason for initial growth in the town it did have an impact in facilitating an environment that was conducive to sustaining, the growth that the economy and market conditions allowed for. The case of Newcastle has proved to be an important one that can be used to adopt generalizations to planning theory. The lessons learnt from the case has allowed me to produce recommendations that can be applied to towns that have experienced similar events with regards to reliance on a single industry and on incentives provided for through policy.

Includes bibliographical references / Patterns of urban growth in South African cities reflect high levels of socio-economic inequalities, which are exacerbated by rapid population growth and urbanization. These conditions are experienced by many of South Africa's major cities, including Cape Town. The focus is on the inequitable and inefficient urban structure of South African cities, as well as the emerging global challenges for urban growth management faced by cities around the world. In response to these issues, the dissertation argues for strategic intensification on a well-located underutilized piece of land, in order to begin to reverse the skewed and non-integrated urban patterns prevalent in Cape Town. Moreover, the dissertation provides a case, which indicates a different way of thinking about urban restructuring, in the context of South African cities and particularly in the case of Cape Town. The Wingfield site is a strategically significant area as it is an inner city and corridor-reinforcing site allowing access to concentrations of existing opportunities. The restructuring and intensification of Wingfield intends to serve as a "pilot project" that could inspire similar local restructuring proposals to address the current structural inefficiencies of the Cape Town Metropolitan Region. The plan, therefore, requires restructuring of the existing urban structure towards a more integrated urban form, which is critical to the creation of positive urban settlements.

The dissertation evaluates the impacts of state relocation projects on beneficiaries housing satisfaction. The government embarks on relocation projects as a means to address massive housing backlog. One of the main drawbacks with relocation projects is locational disadvantage. The broad aim of this dissertation is to evaluate the impacts of a state led relocation project on beneficiary housing satisfaction. The research method employed in the study was the case study based on a state project used for the evaluation process. In order to evaluate beneficiary housing satisfaction, I set an impact assessment criteria specifically (1) enabling mobility; (2) enabling choice; (3) meeting economic needs; (4) meeting physical needs (5) meeting social needs and enabling access to public services; (6); enabling security of tenure; and (7) environmental resilience. The study findings revealed that beneficiaries were highly dissatisfied with their housing. The main driving factor to dissatisfaction was unfavourable location of the settlement which resulted in accessibility challenges to Cape Town central business district, socio-economic opportunities and transport. The relocation process impacted greatly on livelihood strategies of beneficiaries. Beneficiary aspirations were not met. The contribution of the study is not only to unveil the mismatch in state housing projects but also to ensure that future state assisted projects are delivered on quality approach as opposed to quantity approach.

In this dissertation, the author explores the theme and concept of enabling more integrated human-nature relationships through strategic spatial planning. The idea that ecological planning, at a number of scales, should be an integral part of the strategic spatial planning process, in order to enable this integration, was investigated, in the current context of environmental degradation as a result of unsustainable development trajectories, climate change uncertainty, social and economic inequality, the need for compaction, and the need to strategically develop well-located catalytic sites in the city. The notion of positive and sustainable spatial planning as an enabler of more integrated human-nature relationships is investigated in terms of ecological approaches to development. The current disconnection of humans and nature has long been attributed to anthropocentric , post-industrial, and consumerist paradigms which have encouraged unsustainable urban development models, usually with assumed inevitable negative effects on the natural environment. As a result, the natural world's carrying capacity, quality, and presence in urban areas, has been severely compromized. This has limited nature's capacity to provide the necessary life support systems for humans and development and essential goods and services. This study, therefore, suggests that a paradigm shift is necessary in terms of how urban development and the natural environment interact and in terms of fostering the conditions necessary for more integrated human-nature relationships. This paradigm shift is within the realm of possibility within the ecological and spatial planning discourses. This study develops and presents a local area spatial development framework for a well-located site in the Cape Town Metropolitan area: the Two Rivers Urban Park (TRUP) site. This SDF represents the development of a spatial model for as to how more-integrated human-nature relationships can be enabled through spatial planning on the site. The study presents a literature review of literature relevant to human-nature relationships, spatial planning, and ecological planning in order to establish a theoretical framework before conducting a multi-layer anaysis of the status quo of the site. A SDF is then presented to guide responsible, positive, and sustainable development on the site over a twenty year period (2016-2036). The implementation framework is then presented before the dissertation is concluded and the major findings, recommendations, and contributions of the study are discussed. The methods and techniques used for data collection, analysis, and interpretation included case study methods, discourse and policy analysis, desktop research, observations, non-structured interviews, mapping, aerial photography, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) analysis, and an iterative conceptual design process. The SDF was generated in response to the theoretical framework and contextual analysis of the site. The major conclusions and findings were that, through the process of developing the SDF, it is possible to exhibit how spatial and ecological planning may be integrated in order to enable and foster deeper connections between humans and nature. The framework seeks to exhibit good-practice pilot projects and strategic interventions which should be innovatively implemented in terms of satisfying the criteria of positive development, sustainability, and depper human-nature relationships. A series of intentional and conscious eco-village type communities are envisioned on the site, whose way of life is closely connected and integrated into a single socio-ecological system with nature. Recommendations for future planning and research are presented and a personal reflection articulated before the study is concluded.

The inner city of Johannesburg presents a high number of informal traders who seek to make use of urban public space in their livelihood strategies. However, the forces driving the performance of informal traders have not led to positive development of opportunities for traders. Operation Clean Sweep in 2013, was a means of strongly enforcing the informal trading by-laws and removing traders from the pavements and public spaces in the inner-city Johannesburg. Regulation of informal trade has been conducted by the progressively formulated informal trading policy, however, it possesses ineffective implementation strategies. This research addresses the driving forces that affect informal traders' opportunities and the issues that arise from these present forces. The three driving forces which are of greatest impact on informal traders and are investigated in this research, institutions, regulatory and infrastructural forces. The study shows that informal traders experience complex dual realities affected by these driving forces and their need to engage in the informal economy to meet their livelihood strategies. The research seeks to address the use of urban public space by informal traders in meeting their needs, while understanding how these spaces are shaped and determined. The study aims at evaluating the performance of three case study areas located within the inner-city Johannesburg. The performance is measured in terms of meeting the needs of informal traders and providing opportunities for their economic and social development, while ensuring that the needs of the collective public are addressed as well. The background reading and desktop study were used to establish research questions before conducting interviews. These interviews were conducted with informal traders, government officials, private sector, NGOs and civil society. Using case study and discourse analysis methods, and the previously mentioned techniques, this study addresses the issues that informal traders face in light of the driving forces. It also examines how these have shaped the performance of urban pubic space in meeting the needs of informal traders as well as the collective public. The study aims to address these issues with urban planning principles and supplements these with policy recommendations to improve opportunities afforded to informal traders. While the recommendations put forward in this study require a long-term plan, such a plan also requires improved integration between governing departments and managing bodies. This research aims to improve this integration and governing structure, through recommending that increased responsibility for informal trading be taken up by the Johannesburg City Council Development Planning Department.

Why do we not prepare for the death of our cities as we do for ourselves? What form and trajectory is appropriate to illicit supportive emotional acceptance of an anticipatory memorial? / 0 / SPK / specialcollections@tulane.edu

The potential of emerging technology to address poly-urban issues is a growing focus on the agendas of cities worldwide. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding how and in whose interests it should be applied - should the aim be to establish 'smart cities' or to encourage 'smart citizens'? The 'bottom-up' approach advocates the latter and recognises the potential of technology to facilitate the prioritisation of issues and co-production of spaces. Particularly in a developing context where resources are severely limited, the ability to prioritise interventions to have maximum impact is exciting. However, these projects and the processes which enable them are under-researched. In this dissertation, a combination of Network Action Research and case study methods are used to guide the application of a selection of digital tools in combination with semi-structured and indepth interviews, surveys, and focus groups to a specific context. The products of this are insights regarding the processes which enable inclusive bottom-up smart city projects; the application of the Network Action Research method; and a context-specific resource of information to guide the future prioritisation of projects and planning in the study area. This dissertation explores the value of inclusive participation in planning, and the role that technology can play in facilitating this. However, it also uncovers the complex and non-linear nature of these projects, ultimately arguing that although technology is a valuable resource, it is not a catch-all. A hybridised approach to bottom-up smart city projects is crucial to their success.

The research serves to gain a deeper understanding as to the reasons behind the persistence of the apartheid planning legacy. This is done through a discourse analysis of integrated development planning, a planning tool introduced into South Africa to address the consequences of apartheid. Thus the aim of the Research is to: 1. Understand the underlying values and meanings of the discourses used in the many iterations of the City's Integrated Development Plans (IDPs); 2. Explore if, and how, these values and meanings have changed since 2002; 3. Establish what has prompted a change in the adopted values and meanings contained within the different iterations of the City's IDPs; and 4. Critically assess how altered values and meanings have impacted on planning actions and outcomes. Research Methods used are the case study method, discourse analysis, institutional ethnography and archival research. More specifically, a case study on Cape Town and a discourse analysis of different iterations of the City's IDP (a method done in conjunction with archival research). These IDPs being the 2002, 2007 and 2012 IDP. The findings show that the values and meanings have indeed changed since the 2002 IDP. This change is mainly attributed to the dynamic nature of Cape Town's political context over time, as well as its socio-economic context. This change has resulted in the poor no longer being prioritized and empowered through integrated development planning. It is also seen that the shift towards a more managerial approach to planning, which is seen in the IDP, has come at the expense of actions and outcomes which successfully redress the legacy of apartheid planning. A result which clearly contributes to the persistence of the apartheid planning legacy.

Several recently published studies have demonstrated that employing planning strategies oriented on improving the internal characteristics of transit service, including frequency, coverage, intermodal integration, and seamless connectivity between all important trip attractors, positively influences ridership and productivity of multimodal bus and light rail transit systems. However, the research has not assessed overall economic outcomes of implementing these strategies, including social benefits and capital costs. Another emerging body of scholarship pointed to transit service contracting and consolidated regional governance as another possible strategy for improving transit feasibility. Again, not all economic aspects of these decisions have been evaluated thus far, and the available assessments of contracting and transit governance models do not consider long-term effects of specific organizational decisions. This study intends to fill these research gaps by investigating the influence of several internal and external transit performance factors on the amount of net benefits generated by 13 U.S. bus and light rail transit systems, observed annually during the 2001 - 2011 period. The evaluation starts with an estimation of net benefits (agency revenues plus non-direct social benefits minus operating and capital costs). Next, a panel regression model is employed to examine the statistical relationship between specific performance factors and the average net benefits generated by the case systems. The results of this study indicate that higher frequency, higher service density, higher ratio of contracted service and the presence of strong regional transit governance positively influence net benefits. The role of network decentralization (volume of service headed outside of the central business district) appears to be insignificant. These results bring additional evidence indicating the positive outcomes of certain internal transit planning strategies, which corresponds with the findings offered by previous research studies. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2014. / September 9, 2014. / benefit-cost analysis, light rail, public transportation, regional governance, transportation economics, transportation planning / Includes bibliographical references. / Jeffrey R. Brown, Professor Directing Dissertation; Keith Ihlanfeldt, University Representative; Andrew Aurand, Committee Member; Michael Duncan, Committee Member; Gregory L. Thompson, Committee Member.

In this dissertation, I explore how a community in East Los Angeles, California planned a urban greenway routed by local schools and to what extent schoolchildren use the trail. Previous research has largely focused on greenways as a community amenity for adults. However in this study, I investigate schoolchildren's use of an urban rail-trail. With this greenway being routed near schools, I explore to what extent, if any, are schoolchildren using the greenway to actively travel to school. Though there is extensive literature on both greenways and active travel to school as discrete research topics, there is a gap in the literature concerning whether or not greenways can serve as an environmental support for children's active travel behavior to school. Concerning the research design, I used a single case study approach to document the critical case of the Whittier Greenway. After conducting a nation-wide search, I selected this case based on the following criteria. First, I located greenways routed near school properties. Second, I prioritized urban greenway sites over rural greenway sites. I selected Whittier, California because it has sufficient density where children's active travel to school is more likely to occur than in more rural settings. For the methodology, I interviewed key individuals who have historical knowledge of the trail, analyzed planning documentation, and retrieved archival resources to create a rich descriptive account of how the greenway was created. To determine children's greenway use and active travel behaviors, I employed survey methodology at three schools with property adjacent to the greenway: two elementary schools and one high school. One of the three schools has restrictive access to the greenway. Each school has a largely Latino student population. I used student surveys at the high school and parents surveys at the elementary schools. Both surveys are adapted from the nationally recognized Safe Routes to School survey to include greenway use and behavior questions. To determine children's use of the greenway, I employed descriptive statistics and performed a content analysis. Also, I ran descriptive statistics, a logistic regression, and a Pearson's Chi-Square analysis to address the extent that schoolchildren are using the greenway to travel to school. Concerning the findings, this case illustrates how a city planned and created an urban greenway. Serving as the catalyst that started the project and part of the general planning process, participation played a vital role in the creation of the Whittier Greenway. This case also reveals how one community successfully planned and constructed an urban rail-trail without the use of a city's general funds. A further analysis of the survey results reveals that both children and youth use the greenway as a recreational amenity. Though high school students use the greenway for recreation, their most common use of the greenway was traveling to destinations within their community. From a sample of active travelers, the results show that greenways may make it easier for high school students to walk or cycle to school compared to walking or cycling through neighborhoods. Distance and traveling with a companion are significant predictors that influence students' use of a greenway when traveling to school. As the distance from home to school increases, high school students are more likely to take the greenway to travel to school as compared to active travel through neighborhoods. High school students are also more likely to use the greenway to go to school if they travel alone rather than with a companion. For other communities contemplating a greenway project, the Whittier Case offers greenway practitioners' lessons on how to plan and fund an urban greenway near schools. In addition to being a recreational support, the Whittier Greenway serves as a transportation corridor for high school students to travel to school among other community destinations. In terms of policy implications, evidence from this case suggests that a greenway intervention near schools may be a viable strategy worth further testing to promote active travel to school in other communities. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2014. / May 22, 2014. / Active Travel to School, Green space, Greenway, Planning, Schools, Youth and Children / Includes bibliographical references. / Christopher Coutts, Professor Directing Dissertation; Jeffrey Chanton, University Representative; Rebecca Miles, Committee Member; Tim Chapin, Committee Member.