cities

Spatial transformation needs responsive governance. Cities must take up their development role
with the necessary fervour and focus. Getting service delivery basics right, improving operating
systems and ensuring effective skills and capacity (which are all within the control of cities) are
important in the short to medium term. However, the long-term spatial transformation requires
dynamic, responsive, innovative interventions that address the location of poor black people on the
periphery, improve mobility and access, and ensure that cities are inclusive, productive and sustainable.
Roles need to be clear and aligned. Complete devolution has not been achieved across all the built
environment functions, as only certain components of the transport and human settlements functions
having been devolved. However, SPLUMA gives the local sphere full responsibility for municipal
planning. Local government needs to coordinate, integrate and steer all interventions by all actors in
the urban space, including provincial and national government, private developers and residents. At
the very least, local governments can integrate their internal processes and ensure that new
development applications are aligned to the city’s long-term spatial vision.
Spatial transformation must be monitored differently from the way spatial interventions have been
monitored to date. For example, instead of measuring outputs (e.g. the number of houses, title deeds,
land parcels or buses delivered), indicators need to be developed to measure the spatial outcomes and
changes to the urban experience. Some progress has been made in this regard, through the introduction
of built environment performance plans (BEPPs) and spatial transformation indicators being developed
by Treasury, as well as the ongoing spatial analyses of CSIR/StepSA in partnership with the SACN. This
is not an easy process, but, without more effective measurement, it will be easy to revert to measuring
outputs rather than long-term outcomes.
76 State of South African Cities Report 2016