The socio-economic problems created by apartheid in South Africa are a huge challenge to the current government. In order to alleviate the above, Integrated Development Planning was seen as the most appropriate strategy the country could apply. There was need to introduce a new approach to planning which was integrated, democratic and environmentally sensitive. For the first time, planning became 'people focused' by introducing participatory processes. As a backup to the above strategy, government introduced a variety of measures to bring total transformation to local government to facilitate service delivery. The key actions taken were; restructuring of local authorities, provision of new legislative framework and various capacity support programmes. Ironically, ten years after democracy was achieved, the situation has hardly changed. Access to basic services is still poor, poverty is worsening and unemployment is on the increase. This fact has been confirmed by the 2001 census data, which generally reflect deteriorating standard of living. This has been the cause of the current widespread violent demonstrations by communities in the country. It is ironical that despite all the effort being put by the provincial and national governments, the desired goals are not being achieved. This raises the big question, 'What is going wrong?' Are there shortcomings within the structures and processes or programmes being undertaken? The above question can be answered by conducting a research to try and find the root cause of the problem. This would be carried out by way of scrutinizing the roles and responsibilities of major stakeholders in development namely, municipalities, sector departments and communities. Focus would be made on issues like cooperative governance, weakness within support initiatives, availability of funding, compliance with prescribed processes and procedures etc. The research aims to interrogate the causes of poor service delivery and possible practical solutions. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.

Men have been neglected in development discourse to the extent where, for example, demographic research on men and fathers has been sparse. As a result we do not know how many men in South Africa are fathers and there is no available survey that measures this statistic. This study attempts to fill a gap in our knowledge of fathers by asking how many men are fathers, whether they are resident or absent, and what type and level of involvement they have with their children. A household questionnaire (adapted from the General Household Survey) was used to estimate the number of biological fathers in 100 households in Clermont. Interviews were conducted to explore reasons for existing living arrangements between the father and his partner and children. Some key findings from the research include: the family structure of households in Clermont is extremely varied; a majority of men over the age of18 appear to have fathered a child; men willingly identified themselves as a father; and a significant number of men live apart from their children. With respect to absent fathers, the research supports Mott 's theory (1990) that there is a continuum of involvement with their children. Many of Clermont's absent fathers make a voluntary economic contribution to their children and they visit their children on a regular basis (usually weekly or monthly). In several cases where a father was not making an economic contribution this was because he was unemployed. Very few cases were recorded where a father had broken off contact with his children completely. Some fathers lived separately from their children because they had employment in another area. Others lived apart from their children because they were unemployed; it was clear from the research that while men perceived their role of provider as important this was not the only criterion to make for a good role model as a father. Tradition was another important reason why men did not reside with their children; cases were recorded where the father could not afford to pay lobola which would allow him to marry the mother. Another reason for father absence was because a new relationship had been formed by the mother or father, or both. A significant proportion of both resident and absent fathers stated they would like to spend more time with their children. This suggests policy and activities that promote increased involvement of fathers in the welfare of their children would be welcomed by the fathers of Clermont. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

Rapid and sustainable economic growth and progressive social and spatial development through industrial development, has been a persistent challenge for the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). A commonly held “solution” to this challenge has been to provide access of manufactured goods from the SSA-region to the dynamic markets of the affluent North. This perceived wisdom led to the passing of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in 2000 by the 200th Congress of the United States of America. In this exploratory study, the experience of Lesotho with AGOA, with specific reference to the economic and spatial development outcomes of the Act in the country, is explored. The findings of the study reveal that the larger settlements where the AGOA-factories are located have shown little improvement, neither from an economic, nor from a spatial perspective. The same applied to villages to which AGOA factory workers sent their remittances. This was due to the meagreness of the remittances – a function of the low wages paid in the factories and the resulting limited disposable income to support small-scale businesses in these villages. While AGOA did result in the creation of tens of thousands of job opportunities for unskilled and semi-skilled Basotho youth, it did not provide them with portable skills for use after leaving the factory floor. AGOA was also not found to have motivated the youth or local entrepreneurs to tap into the manufacturing sector. On the spatial development side, a number of landlords in the larger settlements subdivided their land and built residential rental units for the factory workers. Some landlords also sold their land illegally and informally, resulting in haphazard land development. The research findings suggest that, while “trade and development boosting tools”, like AGOA, may be useful in providing term-based job opportunities for unskilled workforce, they will most likely not have as significant a positive impact on (1) the local economy, (2) the creation of an indigenous industrial class, or (3) the building of sustainable human settlements. Other supporting instruments, in addition to tools such as AGOA, will need to be developed locally, to achieve these goals. In addition to the research findings providing an insight into the experience of Lesotho with AGOA, they should also be of assistance to scholars and policy-makers working on the development of trade-driven tools in support of struggling regions. / Dissertation (Masters)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Mandela Rhodes Foundation / Town and Regional Planning / MASTER OF TOWN AND REGIONAL PLANNING (RESEARCH) / unrestricted

The thesis, Being, becoming and contributing in (and through) Planning, provides an overview and reflection on an innovative narrative-based enquiry into personal and professional work-life experiences of planning practitioners. It is aimed at exploring competency development in planning as a future orientated practice, where practitioners are challenged to contribute in complex and adaptive local and global contexts. The enquiry draws on the fields of planning practice, planning education, sustainability leadership, lifelong learning, as well as professional and career development. The quest metaphor was used to stretch the exploration beyond formal professional education and complicated competency development frameworks and models, towards archetypical patterns, probes and paradoxes in complex and highly relational inner and outer growth experiences. In reflecting on that which seem to enable and impel planning practitioners to contribute in their work-life contexts, the enquiry reveals (and once again reminds us of) the potential value and generative capacity in the nexus between personal and relational practice experience of transformative growth, practice excellence and commitment to the unfolding collective future. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Town and Regional Planning / PHD / Unrestricted

No description available.

The developing world is characterised by considerable social and economic problems. The unavailability of sufficient housing opportunities in the countries of the developing world is one of the key factors that contributes to their socio-economic malaise. The provision of shelter for the homeless of a country serves not only as an important political act, but also as an important socio-economic development tool for that country. For majority parties in governments to remain popular, housing serves as a basis for the provision of tangible delivery, which at the same time has the capacity to contribute to the countries socio-economic development. The provision of housing in many countries has been implemented with the objective of providing not only shelter, but also to encourage social and economic development for communities. The approaches taken have varied from time to time and have in many respects been implemented in an attempt to address the needs, constraints and opportunities faced by communities. In South Afica, the implementation of a housing policy that encompassed these issues, came into operation in 1994, with the onset of a democratic order. While successes have been recorded, it has been found that few projects have met their objectives. This thesis attempts to analyse the effects of the implementation of this housing policy on the communities of Ntuthukoville and Site 11, both of which are located in the town of Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu-Natal. The study focuses on the amount of money and resources expended by these communities on the upgrading of their houses outside of the assistance provided by government. In this way an attempt is made to analyse whether or not the state's role as facilitator rather than provider has been achieved. Further, the economic spinoffs that emerge from the spending of individuals capital is assessed as a stimulus for local growth and development. The approach adopted includes an analysis of two communities within which different management styles have been used in the implementation of the housing policy. Information in the case studies has been extracted using interviews with key informants and the administration of a questionnaire on a face to face basis, on a sample population in each of the respective communities. The findings of the study reveal that the one community has spent more time and money on their houses in the form of new extensions, upgrading of existing buildings and new internal finishing as compared to the other. The primary reason centres on the manner in which the respective developments were implemented and the management style that was used in each. In the one community there was a community driven approach to development as compared to a State driven approach in the other. The study also reveals that the housing policy currently in operation, has the potential to give impetus to, community participation, social and economic development for the community, as well as the area in general. This policy also has the capacity to provide skill's enhancement, kick start local economies and it provides for the State to act as facilitator rather than provider. This capacity however is dependent on the proper implementation of the policy. The capacity of local government needs to be boosted in order for the maximum gains to be made from the provision of housing to communities. As is indicated by the study, local government lacks the skills and the resources to effectively implement the responsibility devolved upon it by national government to provide and facilitate housing. There is thus a need for change in the approach of local government to housing delivery. A fresh approach should be that of facilitating and managing effectively with communities rather than for communities. The nett effect of which is likely to be, the building of capacity, stimulating the local economy and delivering to the poorest of the poor. / Theses (M.Sc.U.R.P.)-University of Natal, 1998.

Owing to the concern about the serious factors influencing global warming and climatic change, the process of sustainable landscape construction as well as ecologically friendly developments needs to be addressed. In particular, the questions to ask is are we nearer to accepting sustainable growth advantages in South Africa , primarily the greater eThekwini Municipal Area? In this research paper an analysis of both a theoretical and practical approach to conventional understanding s relating to development practices and issues that encompass greening of cities and the notion of rooftop gardens will be assessed. In so doing it will investigate the discourse surrounding urban ecology and sustainable landscape developments and how both processes incorporate the topic of rooftop gardening, urban agriculture and people’s attitudes towards nature in the city, which regrettably from a South African perspective has very little comprehensive literature written about it. The research will give clarity and hopefully show that there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that rooftop gardens form an intricate part of urban ecology. In addition to this that they can provide general environmental, associated aesthetic and health benefits for cities and their inhabitants. Hopefully in culmination this research study will promote a greater insight into rooftop gardens benefits for city management systems. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

ICT and related e-technologies have had an enormous impact, not only on people and people’s spaces in all parts of the world, but also on urban space dynamics, the form and function of urban spaces and urban space networks and economies, and urban planning in general. Due to the rapid development of ICT in recent years, it is expected that these impacts will become more severe, unpredictable and complex in the future. The main aim of this study is to explore the nature and properties of ICT, as well as the ways in which ICT and related e-technologies are influencing people, space and planning. The study, which is exploratory in nature, draws on a meta-research approach, supported by a conceptual research approach, in an attempt to arrive at some meta-synthesis and perspectives of the various related discourses, studies and theories on the subject matter. The study presents fresh perspectives on the challenges and dynamics of ICT, as well as the nature, extent and speed of the influence and impact (positive and negative) of ICT and related e-technologies on people’s spaces, human conduct, emotions, urban space dynamics and morphology, and urban space networks. In relation to this, evidence is provided of the power of ICT, the ways in which the dominant e-powers are controlling society, and how ICT has (em)powered people, spaces and planning. The study further highlights the complexity and challenges of the emerging hybrid e-spaces and networks, which have resulted from the merging of physical and virtual spaces and networks. The study in the end also presents some realities and future possibilities (and threats), for both urban and rural regions in South Africa, with specific reference to the impoverished communities in remote rural areas that have been isolated and excluded from ICT opportunities. This study has identified many gaps in the knowledge field and could create a new awareness, understanding and interest, not only amongst researchers, but also amongst the various role players involved with the planning, development and management of urban and rural regions. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Town and Regional Planning / PhD / Unrestricted

Thesis (MS en S)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa has a long history of social and physical segregation, which is also reflected in issues pertaining to the discipline of planning. In the past Apartheid policy and laws could be blamed for this, but today difficulties in uniting the different cultures and in addressing everyone's needs still exist. To date, the planning discipline has adopted a Western European top down approach, largely ignoring the fact that the country comprises a number of different cultures with different needs. In terms of a wide range of legislation, notably the Constitution of 1996, South Africans are bound to address and accommodate this diversity. Public participation is seen as a way to address these problems, as a result of which a number of different laws and regulations pertaining to procedures broaden the extent of public participation. Despite this, there is little visible evidence that the diversity of participants has any real influence on planning processes or their end results. Public workshops and seminars are frequently criticised because they are time-consuming and because participants have different agendas. Although a good deal of research has been done on the streamlining of procedures, not much attention has been given to the communication process and the nature of constructive dialogue. It follows that a significant part of confusion could be attributed to a lack of mutual understanding during the communication process and to faulty decoding or interpretation of message content. In this study project research was undertaken on the different aspects of communication and the effect of it on interpretation. It was found in a case study of the Stellenbosch Integrated Development Program (IDP), that disruption often occurred due to differences in multicultural communication. Solutions, as presented by the participants and other writers, are offered and discussed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika het 'n lang geskiedenis van sosiale en fisiese segregasie, wat ook in die beplanningsdisipline waarneembaar is. In die verlede kon blaam gelê word op apartheidsbeleid en wetgewing, maar daar is tans nog steeds probleme om die verskillende kultuurgroepe te verenig en om almal se behoeftes aan te spreek. Tot op hede is daar 'n sterk Westers-Europese benadering gevolg, wat die feit ignoreer dat die land saamgestel is uit verskillende kulture met verskillende behoeftes. In terme van 'n wye reeks wetgewing, veral die Grondwet van 1996, word Suid-Afrikaners verplig om hierdie diversiteit aan te spreek en te akkommodeer. Publieke deelname word gesien as 'n manier om hierdie probleme aan te spreek, soos aanbeveel deur wetgewing. Ten spyte hiervan, is daar min sigbare bewyse dat die diversiteit van deelnemers wel enige invloed op die beplanningsproses of die eindresultate het. Publieke werkswinkels en seminare word gekritiseer omdat dit so tydrowend is en omdat deelnemers opdaag met verskillende agendas. Baie navorsing is reeds gedoen om die prosedure meer vaartbelyn te maak, maar min aandag is gegee aan die kommunikasieproses en die aard van konstruktiewe dialoog. Hier word aangevoer dat 'n groot gedeelte van die verwarring toegeskryf kan word aan 'n gebrek aan gesamentlike begrip tydens die kommunikasieproses en aan verkeerdelike dekodering van die boodskap se inhoud. In die studie is navorsing gedoen oor die verskillende aspekte van kommunikasie en die effek daarvan op interpretasie. Daar is gevind tydens 'n gevallestudie van die Stellenbosch Geïntegreerde Ontwikkelingsprogram (GOP) dat ontwrigting voorkom as gevolg van verskille in multikulturele kommunikasie. Oplossings word aangebied en bespreek soos voorgestel deur sommige van die deelnemers en ander skrywers.

Thesis (MS en S)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Environmental impact assessments have become increasingly popular over the past few years, by necessity and due to the general increase in environmental awareness. By definition, environmental impact assessment is a process having the ultimate objective of providing decision makers with an indication of the likely consequences of their intended actions. First popularized in the United States of America in the seventies, environmental impact assessments have since evolved worldwide into an effective decision making tool. In South Africa, environmental impact assessments became legally enforceable in 1998 under the Environment Conservation Act (Act 73 of 1989) and presently serves as an effective tool in facilitating decision making for sustainable development. A large number of impact assessments are at present being produced for all categories of activities, but questions arise about the effectiveness of these assessments in fulfilling their intended purpose. The present study aims to answer these questions and provide insight into the nature, content and standard of environmental impact assessment in South Africa by examining the foundations and application of the concept. The main method of research was the analysis of various assessments, already submitted to regional authorities, on the basis of content, methods used, depth of analysis, degree of public input and their overall contribution to the better understanding of the problem at hand. During the analysis many inadequacies and merits of these impact assessments were revealed. The quality of reports ranged from good (about one third) to average and poor (about one third). Shortcomings identified related inter alia to data collection; ignorance of socio-economic factors; ignorance of cumulative effects; and analysis and evaluation problems. The benefits that these impact assessments could bring about, were also analysed. It was deduced that there were inherent benefits the most practical being that the good reports assisted the decision making process considerably. Sustainable development was also promoted. It was found that the implementation of the concept still needs more stringent management and monitoring with improved application and incorporation into the present planning approach / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die afgelope paar jaar het omgewingsimpakstudies (OIS) toenemend populêr geword as gevolg van noodsaaklikheid en die algemene toename in omgewingsbewustheid. By definisie is OIS 'n proses met die uiteindelike doel om besluitnemers in te lig oor die waarskynlike gevolge van hul handelinge. OIS het wêreldwyd ontwikkel in 'n effektiewe besluitnemingshulpmiddel sedert dit aanvanklik tydens die sewentiger jare in die Verenigde State van Amerika gepopulariseer is. Omgewingsimpakstudies is wetlik afdwingbaar in Suid Afrika sedert 1998 onder die Wet op Omgewingsbewaring (Wet 73 van 1989). Dit dien as 'n effektiewe middel in die fasilitering van besluitneming oor volhoubare ontwikkeling. 'n Groot aantal impakstudies word tans opgestel vir alle kategorieë van aktiwiteite, maar die effektiwiteit van hierdie studies in die vervulling van hul doelstellings word bevraagteken. Die doel van hierdie studie is om hierdie vraag te beantwoord en insig te verskaf oor die aard, inhoud en standaard van impakstudies in Suid Afrika deur grondslae en toepassing van die konsep te ondersoek. Die hoof metode van navorsing was die ontleding van verskeie studies reeds ingedien by plaaslike owerhede, op grond van inhoud, metodes gebruik, diepte van ontleding, graad van publieke deelname en hul algehele bydrae tot 'n beter begrip van die probleem. Tydens die ontleding is verskeie beperkings en meriete van impakstudies ontbloot. Die kwaliteit van verslae het gewissel van goed (omtrent een derde) tot gemiddeld en swak (omtrent een derde). Tekortkominge geïdentifiseer hou verband met o.a. data insameling, onkunde van sosio-ekonomiese faktore, onkunde van kumulatiewe effekte en ontleding-en evalueringsprobleme. Voordele van impakstudies is ook geanaliseer. Die belangrikste was dat goeie verslae besluitnemingsprosesse aansienlik kan bystaan. Volhoubare ontwikkeling is ook bevorder. Daar is gevind dat die implementering van die konsep steeds strenger bestuur en beheer benodig, met verbeterde integrasie in die beplanningsproses.