Policy Guidelines : Theory and Practice
Christo Kannenberg
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Introduction
Policy guidelines remain important planning instruments. These documents often
are the products of multi-disciplinary planning teams, integrating the efforts of the
various departments within a local authority. They serve to guide decision
marking and inform expenditure on infrastructure. However, to be effective, policy
documents need to be properly drafted, and correctly implemented.
In this regard :

Context is important : Cape Town remains part of the developing world
and appropriate planning solutions need to be applied ;

Theory must be applied and adapted to local circumstances ; Planners
must realise that they are practicing professionals, not academics ; and

From both a professional and a legal perspective, planners must apply
their minds when they assess land use applications. Policy documents
must remain flexible guidelines, and not be treated as outdated “blueprint
plans”. Recent court cases have confirmed that planning policies and
those in a Spatial Development Framework are indicative guidelines and
not legal prescriptions.
In my presentation I will use Cape Town as an example and touch on the City’s
context, as this remains a powerful planning informant, followed by a discussion
of three examples of current planning policy, namely the environment, the urban
edge and densification. Hopefully alternative points of view will stimulate some
debate.
2
Policy informed by context
Cape Town is responsible for more than 60% of the Western Cape’s economic
activities and accommodates more than 60% of its people.
The City still has to deal with huge housing backlogs and rapid urbanisation. It
is estimated that the housing backlog currently stands at approximately
350 000 units, and that the population will grow from approximately 3.6 million in
2008 to approximately 4.2 million by 2021.
Paper read at World Town Planning Day.
10-11 November 2011, Cape Town
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In addition, our unemployment rate is approximately 25% and almost 40% of
households (2001) in Cape Town live below the poverty datum line.
No wonder therefore, that the current DA administration , in line with chapter 7 of
the Constitution, has economic growth and job creation as a priority in its five
pillar strategic focus.
In terms of spatial planning, the “opportunity city” is probably the one pillar that
has the greatest significance. This pillar has the following objectives :

Create an environment that will attract investment and generate economic
growth and job creation ;

Provide and maintain the economic and social infrastructure that leads to
infrastructure -led economic development :

Ensure mobility through providing effective public transport ; and

Use the city’s assets to drive growth and development.
This focus must be reflected in the City’s planning policy and in its
implementation.
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The environment
We are all aware of Cape Town’s unique character, based on its location and
natural environment, together with its rich cultural heritage.
It is our duty to protect Cape Town’s environmental integrity, but we have no
alternative but to focus on the City’s socio-economic needs as well. In this
regard you are also reminded that informal settlements have a much greater
environmental impact than settlements which have gone through a formal
approval process and are supported by the necessary infrastructure.
International initiatives such as the Bruntland Commission (1987), Rio Earth
Summit (1992) and the Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development
(2002) have shifted global attention away from predominantly environmental
protection, to the more comprehensive concept of sustainable development.
There is general consensus that sustainability consists of three pillars, often
described as the
“triple bottom line”, namely “economic prosperity”
“environmental quality” and “social justice”.
Sustainability therefore also acknowledges people and their needs within the
environment, and Cape Town should do the same.
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4
The urban edge
The urban edge is a planning instrument that is applied in many first world cities.
Its purpose is to prevent urban sprawl, which results in costly infrastructure and
high transportation costs. Urban edges should also play a positive guiding role in
giving direction to urban growth and in protecting non-urban features such as
good agricultural land and land with environmental qualities.
Even though there are two schools of thought on urban sprawl ; namely the
Smart Growth camp which is anti-sprawl and the Dynamic City proponents who
are of the opinion that sprawl is not necessarily such a bad thing, the urban edge
concept seems to be working well in first world, slow growing cities.
Urban edges have also been introduced locally, and unfortunately, we are
applying this tool in a blueprint fashion. The Provincial Spatial Development
Framework (PSDF) for instance, has gone as far as proclaiming “interim urban
edges”, defined as edges “to be in place around all villages, towns and cities in
the Province, along the edge of actual development.” This leaves no room for
long-range urban population growth, and forces densification within the existing
footprint of the town or city.
One shudders to think what densification may do to villages such as Greyton or
Graaff Reinet, and wonders how Cape Town will accommodate its housing
backlog and in-migration of people, within its current footprint.
In this regard it is sobering to note that approximately 2400 ha of land will be
required to accommodate Cape Town’s population increase over the next 10
years, excluding the needs presented by the current housing backlog. Also, the
way the national housing subsidy system has been designed and implemented,
has been criticised for entrenching existing spatial planning patterns by
promoting low density, single stand peripheral housing. Unfortunately we can
also not rely on well located state land being available to address this problem.
Cape Town has drawn its own urban edge in1999, an edge which is for all
practical purposes still cast in stone, and I am not convinced that this edge has
been designed to accommodate the needs of the growing population. Why not
use this tool to guide development (and developers) along corridors where public
facilities and services can be provided, where major public transportation
facilities can support urban expansion and where environmental impact can be
mitigated? Perhaps we should also consider different types of edges; in certain
areas these may be cast in stone, whereas others may be more permeable and
flexible.
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The following quote from a CSIR report (Bierman, undated) probably tells us why
the blueprint approach is favoured :
“The advantages of using a mechanism such as a defined urban edge are
evident - it is easy to implement but has the disadvantage of absolving officials
from applying their minds to the actual merits of a specific development
proposal.”
This mindset unfortunately, also applies to many objectors and even
environmental consultants, who often refuse to consider any proposal, or even
attempt an EIA process, outside the urban edge, regardless of merit.
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Densification
Densification and urban edges are interrelated planning tools. Urban edges
restrict the supply of developable land, resulting in higher land prices within the
urban edge. Higher land prices in turn, force developers to increase densities in
order for projects to remain viable.
In first world conditions one would therefore expect redevelopment at higher
densities to take place along public transportation routes and at nodes close to
job opportunities.
In the case of Cape Town however, a large percentage of the population growth
occurs in the lower income categories, and is dependent on housing subsidies
which cannot absorb the higher costs of redevelopment and more expensive
multi-storey dwelling units. The reality therefore does not match the vision
because generally low-income people are not being accommodated near job
opportunities, but more commonly on the edge of the urban area.
A similar situation exists in Curitiba, Brazil, which city is often used as an
example of successful high density development along transportation corridors.
In Curitiba the apartments on the more expensive land along the corridors are
occupied by the rich, while the poor is still accommodated in RDP type houses
on less expensive land at the outskirts of the city. In other words; economic
realities dictate the market.
One should also not discount the “Not in my Back Yard”, or NIMBY syndrome, in
the implementation of a densification policy.
Existing residents may welcome planning restrictions that increase the value of
their housing assets.
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Unfortunately however, the same homeowners are often also resistant to
densification, regardless of its merits. They typically want their neighbourhoods
to remain exactly as they are. Densification is good, as long as it happens
elsewhere.
The unfortunate result of all of this is that higher density development often
occurs on the urban fringe, where none of the hoped for merits of a dense city
apply.
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Conclusion
To conclude, planning theory is important, but planners should not be seduced
by first world concepts which may not be applicable at home. The profession
should be aware of the context, apply theory to local circumstances and in
applying their minds, develop theory that can actually be implemented.
Bibliography
1
Bierman, S. (undated) : The role of urban form in achieving sustainable
transport and mobility. Sustainable Transport and Mobility Handbook.
2
Angel, S (2009) : 5th Annual Demography International Housing
Affordability Survey. Performance Urban Planning
3
Parkhurst Village Association vs. M.A. Capela, Hollyberry Props 3 (Pty)
Ltd and City of Johannesburg. Case No 09/32813