This case study is based on an existing booklet, Retail Centres and Township Developments: A Case Study (SACN, 2010) published by the South African Cities Network (SACN), the Training for Township Renewal Initiative (TTRI) and National Treasury. The booklet draws on prior research on

Cities are about people, first and foremost. In addition, as the national integrated urban development framework states, South African cities should be safe, liveable socially integrated, economically inclusive and globally competitive, with an active citizenry. The 2016 State of Cities Report (SoCR) makes an important call to action for all segments of society, from communities and neighbourhoods to cities, from cities to the nation and from the nation to the global, to support the inclusive growth and development of South African cities.

The 2017 South African Urban Conference took place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban on 30 October 2017. It was hosted by the South African Cities Network (SACN) in collaboration with the Departments of Human Settlements (DHS) and Cooperative Governance (DCOG), the National Treasury, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), South African Council for Planners (SACPLAN), and the Ethekwini Municipality.

Cities attribute much of their economic expansion to the development of transit systems that link people efficiently to jobs. However, many of South Africa's cities lack modern mass transit systems for transporting commuters. Partly as a result, South Africans, especially low-income workers, spend a high share of their disposable income on transport.

The papers in this volume take a city perspective and provide both a critical reflection of and a pragmatic response to what cities are able to do given their current mandate and powers. The first paper begins by considering what the TOD agenda means for the urban poor. It questions whether TOD can adequately address the existing land challenges in South African cities, given the politics of land inequality and the skewed property markets.

The second national Urban Conference took place on 30 and 31 October 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was convened by the South African Cities Network (SACN) in partnership with the national departments of cooperative governance (COGTA), human settlements (DHS) and finance (National Treasury); the South Africa Local Government Association (SALGA), SA Council for Planners (SACPLAN), ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, and the Gauteng Provincial Government.

Urban land markets have a profound effect on how well poor households are able to access the jobs, amenities and services offered in the city. But often the way in which this market works frustrates attempts to open up better located living and business opportunities for poorer urban households and communities, despite government policies and programmes intended to address these challenges. The challenge in South Africa is even larger because of worsening poverty and inequality, and the continuing growth of cities through urbanisation.

This publication provides an overview of the theory and practice of urban innovation together with perspectives, trends and international experiences in this area. The publication seeks to stimulate debate and creative thinking around different approaches to dealing with every day urban challenges by presenting a collection of potetnially replicable local and international case studies.

Despite numerous studies on townships, research into township economies and related commercial real estate markets is limited. The majority of studies refer to the economy only as part of a broader discussion about other themes such as housing. And, while the information in these studies is useful, it is not captured and discussed within an overarching conceptual framework, which would allow the relationships and causal factors that shape and drive such economies to be understood. 

This was a presentation at a Workshop on Development of an Interim Framework for the National Land Use Classification Standard, Methodology and Symbology for South Africa.  It shows why land use and land cover are not the same, why land use often cannot be determined from imagery alone, and why land use, zoning and planning are not the same.

This report by Colin Marx and Margot Rubin explores how urban land is divided and re-divided within the context of the interaction between formal and informal land use management systems.

This is the first report to be issued by the SACN on the ‘State of South African Cities’. The report takes a hard look at the forces that have transformed the country’s largest cities over the decade since 1994 and asks, if the current trends continue, whether cities can expect positive or negative things in the years to come. As part of the process of celebrating 10 years of democracy, the Office of the President has led a ‘Ten Year Review’ to assess what has been achieved over the last decade, and to define the strategic challenges for the future.