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3. Urban Development Policies in a Unique Political and Institutional Context
The overall strategy for all sectors makes up the Integrated Development Plan. In
regard to housing, the municipalities initiate and manage projects by identifying land
and operators. They then need the agreement of the province in question.
Box 2.
Political Management of Urban Development: A Comparison with France
In France, two Ministries share responsibility for urban development: the Ministère de
l’Écologie, de l’Ènergie, du Développement Durable et de l’Aménagement du territoire
(MEEDDAT, ministry of ecology, energy, sustainable development and territorial planning),
and the Ministère du Logement et de la Ville (ministry of housing and the city), which
focuses on housing policy and the renovation of struggling settlements. The role of the
national level is, like in South Africa, primarily legislative and provides national guidance. The
regions and departments have distinct roles and are largely responsible for public facilities
(schools, hospitals, etc.). Finally, since the decentralization in 1982/1983, the communes
have had urban development responsibilities: producing the Plans Locaux d’Urbanisme (local
urbanism plans), allocating construction permits, and managing development operations.
There are more than 36,000 communes; many of them have grouped together to form a
higher level locally: the Etablissement public de coopération intercommunale (EPCI, public
inter-communal cooperation establishment). When an EPCI exists, it is in charge of
elaborating a strategic planning blueprint for the entire zone — a Schéma de cohérence
territoriale (SCOT, territorial coherency blueprint).
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Structural Differences with South Africa
There are two major differences with how the South African authorities tackle urban
development stakes. First, South Africa does not have a national department in charge of
city planning challenges. Most programmes are addressed from the angle of providing
services to poor populations, notably housing for which the Department of Housing is
responsible. In France, the MEEDAT plays in some sense this role of centralizing sustainable
development challenges and thereby urban stakes. However, the MEEDAT does not handle
housing policy and neighbourhoods classified as Zones Urbaines Sensibles (sensitive
urban zones). These questions are handled by the Ministère des Villes et du Logement, which
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