Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities - Agence ...
Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities - Agence ...
Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities - Agence ...
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6. Paths Toward More Profitable Plann<strong>in</strong>g<br />
6.3. A New Law to Unify Land Use Regulation Modalities<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally, the Department of Land Affairs (DLA) has drafted a new bill to unify regulation<br />
processes on the national scale and revive regulatory urban plann<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>South</strong> Africa.<br />
Excerpt from the Directive Pr<strong>in</strong>ciples <strong>in</strong> the Land Use Management Bill:<br />
“When perform<strong>in</strong>g a function <strong>in</strong> terms of this Act or any other legislation regulat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
land use management, an organ of state must be guided by the follow<strong>in</strong>g directive<br />
pr<strong>in</strong>ciples:<br />
(a) The pr<strong>in</strong>ciple of equity result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> access to and the use of land <strong>in</strong> a manner that<br />
redresses past imbalances;<br />
(b) the pr<strong>in</strong>ciple of efficiency to —<br />
(i) promote the best use of available resources;<br />
(ii) promote balanced economic development;<br />
(iii) promote compact susta<strong>in</strong>able human settlements;<br />
(iv) discourage urban sprawl; and<br />
(v) promote close proximity between residential and work-places, tak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to<br />
account the health and well-be<strong>in</strong>g of affected persons;”<br />
This bill aims, sometimes paradoxically, to overturn the other laws on land regulation<br />
(notably the DFA). It also aims to provide all government authorities <strong>in</strong> <strong>South</strong> Africa with<br />
shared guidel<strong>in</strong>es on land regulation and development pr<strong>in</strong>ciples. The Land Use<br />
Management Bill proposes to clearly entrust most responsibility to the municipalities.<br />
They would then become key actors <strong>in</strong> plann<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>Cities</strong> would be obliged to revise their<br />
zon<strong>in</strong>g (Town Plann<strong>in</strong>g Schemes or Zon<strong>in</strong>g Schemes) so as to elaborate unified Land<br />
Use Schemes. The bill presents a shared zon<strong>in</strong>g scheme and advocates functional<br />
diversity. In addition, the Land Use Schemes must be consistent with the IDPs. This<br />
bill has not yet passed, and numerous criticisms have been raised. It is notably accused<br />
of not be<strong>in</strong>g sufficiently elaborate and of overturn<strong>in</strong>g other laws <strong>in</strong> use without tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>to account practical modalities. Although it will surely be modified and completed, this<br />
bill shows the government’s determ<strong>in</strong>ation to take <strong>in</strong>to hand urban plann<strong>in</strong>g tools,<br />
clearly display this attitude on national level, and place regulatory plann<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>struments<br />
at the service of cities — that is to say, allow for coord<strong>in</strong>ation, even synergy, between<br />
87<br />
© AFD 2009 <strong>Integrat<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>Poor</strong> <strong>Populations</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>African</strong> <strong>Cities</strong>