Address by Mr Andries Nel, MP, Deputy Minister for Cooperative Goverance and Traditional Affairs (responsible for Provincial and Local Government at the Planning Africa 2016 Conference: “Making Sense of the Future: Disruptions and Reinvention”, Sandton, Johannesburg
President of the South African Planning Institute, Ms Nthato Minyuku, and the leadership of SAPI,
Distinguished guests.
Thank you for the opportunity to be part of the daunting, but very necessary, task you have set to: “Make Sense of the Future.”
Our National Development Plan envisages a future in which, “we have created a home where everybody feels free yet bounded to others; where everyone embraces their full potential. We are proud to be a community that cares.”
It also envisages a future in which, “Our homes, neighbourhoods, villages, towns and cities are safe and filled with laughter.”
Our future is clearly an urban future, an urban future inextricably linked to our rural future. The question is what kind of an urban future do we want to build? What will be disrupted, and what must be reinvented?
We make our choices and our choices often turn around and make us. We also make our places and our places invariably then make us. We are living in an urban century. According to the UN, fifty-four percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is projected to increase to sixty-six percent by 2050.
Continuing population growth and urbanisation will add two-and-a-half billion people to the world’s urban population by 2050. Ninety percent of this increase will be in Asia and Africa. According to the UN, Africa is expected to be the fastest urbanizing region between 2020 to 2050.
Sixty-three percent of South Africans already live in urban areas. This will rise to seventy percent by 2030. By 2050 eight in ten South Africans will live in urban areas. We need to guide the growth and management of urban areas in ways that unleash the potential of our cities and towns and reverse the terrible legacy of apartheid spatial injustice.
In 2015, the United Nations adopted seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at ending poverty, fighting inequality and injustice, and tackling climate change by 2030.
Goal eleven of the seventeen SDG’s is: “Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”
In October 2016, UN Habitat III will meet to adopt a New Urban Agenda.
The African Union Agenda 2063 recognises that: “Cities and other settlements are hubs of cultural and economic activities, with modernized infrastructure, and people have access to affordable and decent housing including housing finance together with all the basic necessities of life such as, water, sanitation, energy, public transport and ICT.” One of Agenda 2063’s key objectives is to: “Provide opportunities for all Africans to have decent and affordable housing in clean, secure and well planned environments.”
South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP) challenges us, “to rethink the urban to face the future challenges” and to “grapple with this task and deal intelligently with social exclusion, environmental threats, economic inefficiencies, logistical bottlenecks, urban insecurity, decaying infrastructure and the impacts of new technologies.”
The National Development Plan’s prescripts on future human settlements include:
“(i) contain and possibly reverse urban sprawl, (ii) create sustainable human settlements, (iii) focus new urban development (in particular affordable housing) around public transport corridors and economic nodes, (iv) create economic hubs within historically black townships that have sufficient market size, integrate townships into wider economic functioning localities, upgrade informal settlements where appropriate, (vii) give more attention to the design and quality of urban public space, and (viii) ensure that state funding does not support the further provision of non-strategic housing investments in poorly located areas.”
The NDP recognises that, “while the fundamental reshaping of the colonial and apartheid geography may take decades, by 2030 South Africa should observe meaningful and measurable progress in reviving rural areas and in creating more functionally integrated, balanced and vibrant urban settlements.”
However, for this to happen, the NDP says the country must do three things:
- One, clarify and relentlessly pursue a national vision for spatial development.
- Two, sharpen the instruments for achieving this vision.
- Three, build the required capabilities in the state and among citizens.
We must accelerate progress in respect of the spatial transformation of our cities and more urgently and assertively address the stubborn persistence of spatial patterns enforced in the apartheid years. One of the key instruments for attaining this vision is by pursuing coherent and integrated planning supported by strategic investments in infrastructure.
This conference takes place shortly after Cabinet adopted the Integrated Urban Development Framework (IUDF) on 26 April 2016 and when the rollout of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) is in progress.
It also takes place at a time when there is growing movement towards greater coherence within government on policy and actions, as well strengthening collaborative planning and integrated delivery.
In April this year Minister Jeff Radebe announced during the budget vote of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in the National Council of Provinces that:
“The fragmentation of the planning function is a matter that has bedevilled our government for some time. I am pleased to announce that in discussions with Ministers of Rural Development and Land Reform and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs we have agreed that the planning functions be relocated. This agreement includes that DPME will take over the responsibility for driving and producing the National Spatial Development Framework, a plan which will indicate what aspects of our NDP will happen where and when across our whole country.”
He urged that: “We need to work with speed because on August 3 we will elect our fourth democratic local governments. These 257 municipalities will continue to take forward the National Development Plan through their IDPs which will outline their plans for each municipality for the 2016 to 2021 period.
He also announced that:
“As Chairperson of the National Planning Commission, I have requested that we finalise the National Spatial Development Framework over the next year which will ensure that South Africans have a clear understanding of how our national programmes will transform the national landscape. We will ensure that municipalities are able to integrate our national plans into their municipal spatial development frameworks (SDF) and that provinces also clearly understand what we will be doing and where it will be done.”
The Integrated Urban Development Framework and its Implementation Plan for 2016-19 was approved by Cabinet on 26 April 2016, and announced, appropriately on 27 April, Freedom Day.
The IUDF marks a New Deal for South African cities and towns, by steering urban growth towards a sustainable growth model of compact, connected and coordinated cities and towns. Its overall outcome is spatial transformation.
The IUDF builds on the NDPs conception of spatial transformation and advocates that the elements of urban structure, namely land, jobs, housing and transport should be used to promote urban restructuring.
The IUDF is guided by the four principles set out in the NDP: spatial justice, spatial sustainability, spatial quality, spatial efficiency, and spatial resilience.
To achieve this transformative vision, the IUDF introduces four overall strategic goals:
- One, Spatial integration: To forge new spatial forms in settlement, transport, social and economic areas.
- Two, Inclusion and access: To ensure people have access to social and economic services, opportunities and choices.
- Three, Inclusive Growth: To harness urban dynamism for inclusive, sustainable economic growth and development.
- Four, Governance: To enhance the capacity of the state and its citizens to work together to achieve spatial and social integration.
These strategic goals inform the priority objectives of the nine policy levers, which are premised on the understanding that (1) integrated urban planning forms the basis for achieving integrated urban development, which follows a specific sequence of urban policy actions: (2) integrated transport that informs (3) targeted investments into integrated human settlements, underpinned by (4) integrated infrastructure network systems and (5) efficient land governance, which all together can trigger (6) economic diversification and inclusion, and (7) empowered communities; all of the above will demand effective (8) governance and (9) financial reform to enable and sustain these policy actions.
The levers seek to address, in combination, the structural drivers that maintain the status quo. The identified priorities should strengthen rural-urban linkages, promote urban resilience, create safe urban spaces and ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable groups are addressed.
The IUDF emphasises the importance of strategic spatial planning and integrated urban planning as key levers for spatial transformation. The Integrated Urban Development Framework emphasizes the critical importance of effective urban planning to managing urbanization and spatial transformation. It is central to coordinating the role-players that shape and control land use, the urban form and the delivery of infrastructure and services.
It recognizes that at the core of effective urban planning is strategic spatial planning, which promotes spatial justice, spatial quality, spatial efficiency, spatial sustainability and spatial resilience.
The IUDF also recognizes the importance of effective urban management along the lines spelled out in government’s Back to Basics programme of ensuring that municipalities: (1) Put people first, (2) Deliver basic services, (3) Practice good governance, (4) Practice sound financial management, (5) Build strong institutions.
Integrated urban planning and management are essential for coherent development that redresses apartheid geographies and facilitates spatial integration. Effective urban planning stimulates a more rational organisation and use of urban spaces, and results in:
- One, More compact, socially inclusive and better-integrated cities that are resilient to climate change and urban risk;
- Two, Infrastructure investments that are sequenced, coordinated and integrated with land development;
- Three, Stable and predictable conditions for investments that are sequenced for optimal impact;
- Four, Clarity for all government spheres and sectors about the investments required to maximise opportunities for transforming people’s lives for the better;
- Five, Efficient approval processes to facilitate economic development;
- Six, Spatial integration to reverse undesirable settlement patterns emanating from past practices; and
- Seven, Inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable human settlements.
South Africa has a range of legislation, policies and strategies to guide integrated planning.
However, despite the progressive legislative and policy environment, spatial fragmentation (and the resultant inefficiencies) remain.
Integrated planning has yet to realise the desired development outcomes because of the insufficient (and at times competing) sectoral priorities. With regard to Policy Lever One: Integrated Planning, the IUDF highlights five key challenges requiring urgent attention:
One, Weak planning and coordination within government and with the private sector
Despite the intense level of planning by cities, government’s long-range planning is neither legislated nor coherently coordianted, so lacks both vertical and horizontal and conflict among government spheres have also resulted in uncertainty and costs, and have undermined efforts to collaborate. Investments by other parts of government tend to ignore the municipality’s SDF, resulting in poor integration among sectors.
In some cases, not even municipal investments are guided and informed by the SDF. In addition, private sector investments frequently fail to align with public sector plans, possibly because of a perceived lack of robust and consistent spatial directives.
Two, Insufficient use of intergovernmental relations (IGR) structures
IGR structures and intergovernmental planning are detached from each other, missing the opportunity to integrate and align development initiatives
Three, weak long-term planning
There is uneven capacity and approaches with regard to integrated long-term planning. The five-year horizon of IDPs is too limited to address elements such as infrastructure expansion, disaster risk measures and integrated transport and human settlements necessary to overcome spatial inequalities.
Four, Weak capabilities for spatial decision-making and administration
Inefficiencies in processing planning applications carry enormous cost implications, especially for the private sector, with negative consequences for investment growth and job creation.
The planning system does not distinguish between procedural requirements for small municipalities, which receive only a few large applications, and large metropolitan authorities that get many.
One of the consequences of weak spatial governance is that spatial planning has tended to follow patterns set by private-sector investment, instead of the long-term public interest shaping the overall pattern of spatial development.
The capability of the state to engage with the private sector must be improved, as the private sector has an important role to play.
Five, Poor urban management: Back to Basics
The IUDF identifies the following nine short to medium term priorities:
- One, align spatial, sectoral and strategic plans
To guide development and manage growth, municipalities should develop long-term plans, which are aligned to the NDP and to provincial strategies. These plans must form the basis of their SDFs and guide sectoral and private plans and investments.
- Two, Improve the quality of municipal spatial plans
- Three, Align land-use and human settlement planning to transport planning
- Four, Integrate spatial planning and urban resilient
- Five, Support and strengthen capacity to implement SPLUMA
- Six, Improve urban management: Back to Basics
- Seven, Develop and strengthen instruments for creating compact cities and connected cities
TOD is a key instrument for creating compact cities and ensuring better alignment of transport planning, housing and provision of urban infrastructure.
Brownfield developments should be prioritised over greenfield developments.
National and provincial governments should set aside special funds to support municipal urban renewal strategies, which will also require a proactive and more aggressive state acquisition of land/properties in strategic areas.
Models should be developed urgently, to ensure that the redevelopment of such areas does not push out the urban poor and middle-class and result in gentrification. This would require creating a strong partnership with the private sector, to ensure that both social and economic goals are met.
Although regeneration may not be applicable in medium- sized cities and fast-growing towns, attention should be given to precinct-level planning and urban design, to create integrated, safe and inclusive spaces with the right densities, connecting infrastructure, quality public spaces and inclusionary housing.
The urban growth boundaries proposed in municipal SDFs must be maintained, to avoid urban sprawl, and to protect environmentally sensitive land and prime agricultural land for food security (see urban resilience cross-cutting issue). This requires collaborative urban governance.
Other instruments include amending zoning schemes to encourage mixed developments and land use that is more intense, altering car parking requirements in favour of public transport use, and changing density regulations to encourage multi-storey buildings.
- Eight, Maximise existing IGR structures as a mechanism for coordinating planning; and,
- Nine, ensure greater involvement by Premiers and MECs
The IUDF argues that stakeholders such as professional bodies such as SAPI and SACPLAN, and academic and research institutions have crucial roles to play. These stakeholders have valuable skills, knowledge and capacities that government entities can tap into, to change current spatial patterns. Importantly, they can also help to inform and improve spatial planning systems and tools in a responsive and differentiated way, by feeding back practice- and evaluation-based learning.
As at June 2016, there are three thousand five hundred and ninety-five (2595) registered planners in SA. This includes two-thousand-one-hundred-and-one professional planners, two-hundred-and-ninety-eight (298) technical planners, and one-thousand-one-hundred-and-one candidate planners (1191).
We know that it that it is not only “registered planners” who engage in work that may be considered to be planning in SA. There are, however, certain technical functions / tenders that are limited to registered planners only.
Is the profession prepared for the challenge of implementing the NDP and the IUDF? Do we have enough planners? Do they have the requisite training and experience? Do they have they required understanding of the principles and objectives set out in the NDP and IUDF? Have we transformed the planning profession both in terms of its composition as well as its outlook and orientation? What is the role of our professional bodies and our universities?
Vanessa Watson and Babatunde Agbola argue in “Who Will Plan Africa’s Cities?” that: “The prevailing image of urban and regional planning in Africa depicts a disengaged, technical and apolitical profession. A more critical view holds that planning is deeply political, its overriding purpose being to further the interests of political and economic elites.
This is little enthusiasm for reform within. Yet planning is the single most important tool that governments have at their disposal for managing rapid urban population growth and expansion. If inclusive and sustainable planning replaced outdated, controlling and punitive approaches it would underpin more equitable and economically productive urban development in Africa.”
The successful implementation of the NDP, and by extension the IUDF, requires strong leadership from, and within, government, business, labour and civil society, including the planning profession. Leaders throughout society are required to work together, to break with the tendency to advocate positions that promote narrow, short-term interests at the expense of a broader, long-term agenda.
We need partnerships across society working together towards a common purpose. We need to overcome the high levels of mistrust between major social partners.
Leaders in government must shoulder a large share of responsibility for implementing the National Development Plan, whilst working with others in society to do so. This means being prepared to take difficult decisions and trade-offs and persuading society of the correctness of these decisions. This requires communicating honestly and sincerely. It also requires the moral authority and legitimacy to do so.
We started of my saying that we make our places and our place make us. Ben Okri writes in A Way of Being Free that, “The worst realities of our age are manufactured realities. It is our task, as creative participants in the universe, to redream our world. The fact of possessing imagination means that everything can be redreamed. Each reality can have its alternative possibilities. Human beings are blessed with the necessity of transformation.”
We believe that the planning profession, being human beings, have that possibility of being blessed with the necessity of transformation and that you will help us do what the NDP says we must do:
- One, clarify and relentlessly pursue a national vision for spatial development.
- Two, sharpen the instruments for achieving this vision.
- Three, build the required capabilities in the state and among citizens.
We thank you and look forward to traveling this road with you as we make sense of our future.
Contact:
Tsakani Baloyi
Cell: 082 052 0892
Email: sheilab@cogta.gov.za
