Greater Vancouver is a cooperative federalism in which planning relies on consensus and cooperation between municipalities, provincial ministries and Crown corporations. A result of this approach is a system in which each organisation and municipality is responsible for making decisions and funding the issues within its jurisdiction. Often this results in inefficient decisions being made; decisions, that otherwise would have considered regional issues, tend to consider only local concerns. Experience suggests that regional governments are generally distrusted by the general public and may pose a threat to the urban power base of the provincial government. Instead, a conjoint approach - which uses the existing agencies and is activated at key points in the process - offers the optimum configuration. In Greater Vancouver, a commission made up of nine directly elected, nine municipally appointed, and nine provincially appointed councillors will provide a well balanced organisation which is responsible to the province, municipalities, and the public. The new commission will be responsible for creating regional goals and ensuring conformity of the municipalities, ministries and Crown corporations to those goals. Adjustments in the provincial legislations will be required to transfer control and funding functions to the new commission, and to pave the way for a truly integrated transportation planning process for Greater Vancouver.

Decisions made regarding road building have far-flung consequences. Spending money on roads means that other public goals such as farmland preservation, air quality improvement and provision of housing may be frustrated. In order for knowledgeable land-use decisions to be made, the full cost of roads needs to be examined. This thesis explores the issue of roadway land costs from a professional planning point of view. A method for calculating roadway land costs is developed and is then applied to provincially-funded roads in the Greater Vancouver region. The case study revealed that annual provincial roadway land costs amount to approximately $162 per automobile. Limited supplies of land and limited financial resources suggest that it may be time to examine approaches that would make it less necessary to add capacity to the existing road network. Expenditures on roads can be reduced by shifting from current "supply side" tactics. This thesis suggests various policies that could be enacted to effect such a change.

No description available.

The post-1994 era saw a deluge of housing legislation designed to shake the foundations of repressive Apartheid housing policy. Regrettably, the social housing sector began operating without the support of relevant legislation to guide social housing delivery. Institutional arrangements for social housing only came into effect in the late 2000s. This study sought to evaluate the institutional arrangements for social housing to assess why they have failed to deliver adequate social housing output to satisfy the latent demand on the market. Therefore, the study sought to assess whether the limited delivery of social housing was a result of institutional inertia in the planning, provision and management of social housing in eThekwini Municipality post-1994. Qualitative information on institutional arrangements for social housing was sourced through semi-structured interviews conducted with key informants involved in social housing development in eThekwini Municipality. The information gathered from the interviews was analysed using thematic analysis. After analysing the information, it was discovered that disjointed institutions have contributed to inadequate social housing whose shortage should be viewed not as primarily an issue relating to limited supply and excessive demand, but as reflective of the underlying institutional power struggles arising from the ad hoc and silo process of implementing social, land and economic policies. Therefore, the research concluded that the social housing sector would continue to deliver inadequate social housing output unless a supra-institution that integrates social, economic and land policies is enacted. To maximise the allocation and use of land and financial resources needed for social housing delivery, the intent of the legislations within the institutional arrangements for social housing must be synchronised to have clear strategies and procedures to deliver social housing at scale in inner city areas. / Thesis (M.Housing)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Pigeon Valley Park, on Durban's Berea Ridge, is an approximately 10-ha remnant of coastal forest, which is totally surrounded by suburban housing and roads. As such it is ideal as a study area for investigating the applicability of the MacArthur-Wilson Theory of Island Biogeography (1963,1967) and Diamond's (1975) geometric reserve-design principles to fragmented Coastal Forests in Durban. This study began in January 1989 and the results are reported as at October 1992. Field notes from as far back as 1981 were used to augment the findings of the current work. Research focused on the forest-dwelling, Natal Robin Cossypha natalensis, and territory mapping showed that the reserve supports up to 53 individuals during the breeding season. An annotated checklist and its comparison to historical and regional checklists revealed where localised extinctions may have occurred, and thus identifies a set of coastal forest species which are susceptible to habitat fragmentation. Work on two potential dispersal corridors for bird movement into and out of the valley showed that the reserve is not yet fully isolated to most species which are currently present. On the other hand, there are some forest species which have isolated populations at Pigeon Valley Park, as well as others which do not seem able to establish and maintain viable populations. A set of 'indicator', forest bird species which are susceptible to habitat fragmentation, is defined. Practical management suggestions with the aim of increasing the long-term viability of the area as an avifaunal preserve, are presented. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban,1992.

In the past few years there has been a dramatic increase in research dealing with the informal sector in South Africa. This research is often motivated by academic curiosity as well as a growing concern over poverty and unemployment among South Africa's blacks. It has increasingly been suggested by academics, businessmen and government officials that the informal sector be developed and encouraged in appropriate directions in order to provide employment opportunities. This thesis is a case study of a group of people who are officially unemployed, and who work in the informal sector in order to survive. The economic activity they are involved with, represents a subsector of the informal sector namely, garbage picking. The first question that is addressed in the study deals with the problems inherent in the conceptualisation of the informal sector. There are many interpretations of what comprises this sector, depending in part on the stage of development that has been reached by the local economy and on the theoretical perspective used in the analysis. There are also many perspectives on whether the sector is independent and autonomous and on the extent to which it is intergrated into the economy of a country. Chapters 1 and 2 contain critical examination of the literature dealing with these aspects. In chapter 3 the characteristics of the informal sector are studied. Several case studies from different parts of the world are examined. Chapter 4 examines the marginality concept in relation to the garbage pickers with a view to determining the extent to which these people are marginalised in society. Attention is then directed towards the particular case study. The characteristics of garbage picking and the people who do this work, as well as the conditions under which they work, are examined in chapters 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the thesis. The results show that there is very little potential for the garbage picker to improve his/her position within the informal sector. The garbage pickers regard formal sector employment as their only way out of their present position and, given present circumstances, it seems that their view is correct. However, since the likelihood of their finding formal wage employment seems very limited, alternatives were examined and it seems that within the garbage industry the potential does exist to create formal sector jobs for the pickers. This potential can, however, only be realised once the garbage industry recognises this and re-organise itself to employ these people on a permanent basis. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of Natal, 1987.

Landfill gas (LFG) contributes significantly to air pollution. Methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are the major constituents of LFG, and are significant greenhouse gases that play a vital role in causing global warming. Certain air pollutants from landfill sites are carcinogenic (e.g. benzene), while others are odorous (e.g. methyl mercaptan). Due to these potential negative impacts, there is need to forecast the yield and production rate of biogas generated. Limited work has been done on the modelling of LFG emissions for landfill sites in Durban. This study focuses on the estimation of air pollutant emissions from three landfill sites, namely Bisasar Road, Shongweni and Buffelsdraai using the LANDGEM model and comparing the results against the findings of Hofstetter Gas Yield Model which has been utilized before by Durban Solid Waste (DSW) for Bisasar Road landfill. The greenhouse gases of global concern, namely CH4, CO2 and halocarbons were investigated in this study. The LANDGEM model predicted CO2 emissions to be higher than CH4 and other greenhouse gases. The warm, moist climatic conditions suitable for CH4 oxidation may be responsible for the increased generation rates of CO2. The main components of LFG which cause landfill odour problems are sulphur-containing compounds. Methyl mercaptan is the component causing persistent bad odours in the landfills, contrary to popular belief that hydrogen sulphide is the major contributor to odour pollution. Hydrogen sulphide has been predicted by LANDGEM to be the sulphur-containing gas that is produced in greatest quantities. Benzene and vinyl chloride are the most hazardous compounds emitted from landfills, since they are carcinogenic. The emission rates of benzene were found to be higher than those of vinyl chloride in the active landfill sites of Bisasar Road and Shongweni. The LANDGEM model estimated total LFG emissions of 8.371 x 107 m3y-1 at Bisasar Road landfill, compared with a lower emission rate of 3.285 x 107 m3y-1 predicted by the Hofstetter model. The LANDGEM model revealed LFG to peak during the closure of the landfill, and to decline thereafter for a long period of time. The Hofstetter model showed that LFG could reach its maximum within three years of waste deposition. LANDGEM model is a widely used methodology for estimating LFG emissions. It is used in United States as regulatory model to quantify the potential LFG emissions produced from the landfill. This model can be used by landfill owners and operators to evaluate the performance of the landfill and to determine whether the landfill is still subject to regulatory requirements, especially in the countries where emission guidelines have been established. Therefore, in the developing country like South Africa, it is essential to quantify and evaluate the LFG emissions released from landfills despite the fact that no legal LFG emission guidelines are put in place yet. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

This research project explores the restructuring of local government in the Durban Metropolitan Area (DMA) and, in particular, the delay in the implementation of Regional Services Councils (RSCs) in this region. During the late 1980's, both as an ongoing process of implementing apartheid and in response to various crises, the South African state has reformulated and restructured legislation and policies which have a regional dimension. The reform and restructuring of local and regional government have emerged as some of the central components of this strategy. The development which has changed the face of local government most obviously in recent years has been the introduction of RSCs. These bodies have been established in all the major metropolitan regions in South Africa, except Durban. While the Durban area was expected to host South Africa's first operational RSC, a protracted stalemate has developed over the implementation of these bodies. Informed by a theoretical conceptualisation of the research problem, which was found to lie at the interface of the concepts of local government restructuring and questions on the nature of the region, and the direct and indirect methods of investigation and data gathering, the study documents and seeks to explain the RSC impasse in the region. The practical import and significance of the conclusions reached from this study extend beyond the explanation of the RSC debacle in Durban . They offer insights into the power and influence that locality-based structures can wield in defining and redefining concepts of the metropolitan region. In addition, they enhance an understanding of the Natal/KwaZulu region, its proclaimed 'specificity', and the way in which this specificity has impacted on political developments here. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1990.

While the South African criminal justice system has become increasingly aware of issues affecting women, matters pertaining to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community have largely been ignored. The homosexual panic, as well as the quasi-militaristic nature of discrimination among police and within law enforcement agencies in relation to LGBT issues, suggests an apparent omission in the law and sets an example of institutional homophobia, and this fosters antipathy towards the LGBT people in larger communities. With the employment of post-structural feminist theory, this research argues that police homophobia and homophobia in general, reinstates conservative hetero-patriarchal dominance and new forms of marginalization. Criminal law, disregard for human rights legislation and public opinion have been used by some police to reduce and suppress protection of the LGBT community within the Durban Metropolitan area. This dissertation aims to add to current debates on LGBT sexuality by interrogating violence motivated by homophobia and heterosexism as this is the most frequent, visible, violent and culturally legitimized form of hate crimes in Durban. It highlights the antagonism that the LGBT community faces at the hands of police when reporting these crimes. It aims to engage Foucault‟s theory of power in conjunction with other major theories such as Butler‟s theory of performativity, Queer theory, as well as Theron‟s criminalizing theory in order to unpack reasons why power dynamics come into play between police and the LGBT community. The study establishes how fundamentalist moralist Christian notions of sexuality perpetuate violent anti-LGBT rhetoric within law enforcement structures and other institutions in Durban. It seeks to add a new dimension regarding the interrogation of power structures by questioning law enforcement with the aim of demonstrating how homophobia dictates to the victim that they cannot negotiate different forms of sexuality. It sets out to explain how dominant heterosexual culture and religious discourses set boundaries on how the LGBT community in Durban should enjoy their bodies. This research analyzes the human cost of the fusion between culture and conservative religious discourses and how these posit a serious threat to LGBT subjects in negotiating gender fluidity within law enforcement spaces. The concluding chapter offers suggestions on how to strengthen the fragile relationship between the LGBT community and police officials. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Housing built by local authorities for low income housing has gone a long way towards providing a range of housing options for the varying needs of those who are forced through circumstances to rely on the public sector for their housing. Selling off the rented housing stock to sitting tenants has enabled large numbers of families to become homeowners. The sale of rental housing stock has been long viewed by theorists with much scepticism. Therefore much research has gone into, amongst other things the government policy of "load-shedding" in order to decrease the welfare burden of the state. Few studies however have been able to capture the perceptions and attitudes of the beneficiary families. A major thrust of the National Housing Policy is to increase the access of housing to previously disadvantaged individuals. One such method is that of privatisation and the sale of public rental stock to sitting tenants. The study will attempt to investigate the process of privatisation as adopted by the Metropolitan Council and resistance that it has faced. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, 2000.