Human Settlements Review - Parliamentary Monitoring Group

Human Settlements Review, Volume 1, Number 1, 2010
experiences a high unemployment rate of
more than 20 percent (Statistics South Africa,
2009)
The paper starts by a brief discussion of the
concept of innovation, alternative technologies
and sustainable development. It then
presents the building as a lifecycle system.
Subsequently, using examples, the paper
illuminates the opportunities available for
beneficial innovation at each lifecycle stage
both in process and (intermediate) product.
The final part is a contemplative reflection on
a framework for more effectively organising
different role-players in human settlements.
INNOVATION
Fig 1: Categories of Innovation (Adapted from Diyamett, 2004)
Innovation is essentially about beneficial (to
humans) novelty. It is a generic concept that
is applicable to all spheres of human activity.
Innovation is not absolute, but can be context
dependant. For example, an old product/idea
in a context where it was previously unknown
or use of a known material in a way not yet
tried before could all qualify to be innovations.
Fig. 1 above presents the different types
of innovation. Process innovation is on
the production side and encompasses
equipment (i.e. capital and investment goods)
increased productivity of labour, production
cost reduction all aimed at increasing
profit. Importantly, process innovation also
includes organisational innovation (e.g.
better management, organisation of labour),
education of work-force etc. Under the
sustainability paradigm the above framework
this paper expands the above framework to
also include other environmental and socioeconomic
sustainability considerations (not
necessarily chosen by the producer but
enforced by government through legislation or
demand of such products by the consumers
(such as those pertaining to pollution control).
Product innovation is about introduction of
new goods and services that customers are
not aware of. Product innovation can also be
about improvement in the quality of a product
(see Diyamett, 2004).
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