Decisive spatial transformation of human settlements and urban development

The Census recorded Gauteng’s population at just over 13 million people, which accounts for 24% of the country’s total population, making the province the most populous in South Africa. Gauteng’s population increased by about 33% between 1996 and 2011 – and it continues to do so because of natural growth and because of migration from other parts of the country as well as from the region, as people pursue employment opportunities and better living conditions. It is estimated that 28 million people will be living in the province by 2055.

... The challenges of migration and urbanisation significantly impact on the [Gauteng Human Settlements] Department’s ability to innovatively, efficiently and timeously respond to the need for creating integrated and sustainable human settlements in the province, as well as on the provision and maintenance of infrastructure and on service delivery.

... To assist government to formulate appropriate policies and implement the most progressive and relevant plans and programmes, it is crucial to conduct ‘real world’-applicable research, but also to disseminate, learn from and share in the body of work developed through such research. The department’s Research Programme has been designed to support government, industry, the private sector, civil society and academic partners in improving urban development and human settlement practice to enable the province to reach its spatial transformation objectives.

Through this second edition of the department’s research publication, Decisive Spatial Transformation of Human Settlements and Urban Development (Part 1 and Part 2), we aim to ensure that the knowledge generated through our research into the development of integrated, inclusive and diverse human settlements remains accessible to stakeholders within the public, private and civil society sectors, increases institutional capacity and improves coordination for better spatial targeting.

The issue covers:

• The role of innovative building technologies in achieving sustainable human settlements
• Effectively dealing with Gauteng’s housing demand and housing backlog challenges
• Revisiting housing allocation
• Inclusionary housing: a cost-benefit analysis

Abstract sourced from document