The evolution of land use and development control and their relevance in a future South Africa

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY: Modern land use planning and development control originated late in theprevious century as a reaction to the poor living conditions created by theindustrial revolution. Many types of controlling measures were formed andevolved through the years into the present systems of control.The question is whether these controls still have relevance today. In thisstudy project the evolution of control in Britain, the USA and South Africa istraced, and the present systems in these countries evaluated.The British land use planning system of compulsory development plans andthe obtaining of planning permission in any development has experiencedsome degree of deregulation of planning controls in the 1980s. This led togreater freedom for prospective developers, although there still is a strongfeeling that development control must have a stronger, more clear relationshipwith definite policy. In the absence of policy, control can become arbitraryand ineffective and, instead of reducing uncertainty, enhances and intensifiesit.The principle central to US land use planning is the preparation ofcomprehensive plans, which addresses total socio-economic-physicaldevelopment, thereby leading development and not restricting it. The mostimportant method of implementing planning is zoning, which can be said to bethe 'end' of the planning process and aimed mainly at control. Zoning istherefore the principle legislative land use control instrument in the US.South African land use planning and development control evolved within aunique political framework, whereby different systems were applied fordifferent races. Traditionally, land use planning has been done mainlythrough town planning, which has zoning as its central principle. Townplanning (zoning) schemes create a mechanism whereby the use of land can becontrolled. In contrast to American and British practice, South African townplanning is often restricted to land use planning and therefore tends to berestrictive rather than offering positive methods or solutions for economicdevelopment and the alleviation of poor living conditions.The present situation in South Arica, where mass urbanization,unemployment and poverty affect the lives of millions of people, leads to thebelief that less rigid and inflexible control measures can create an environmentwhere informal activities will help in the social upliftment of these deprivedpeople. The existing planning system was therefore found not to be veryeffective in poor areas. There is a real need for a system to provide forcontrol in highly formal first world areas and informal third worldsettlements. The conflict between 'more control' and 'less control' is centralin this need.In the study it was, however, concluded that restrictive controls should be keptto a minimum and that land use control should be separated from the currentover-abundant control measures in order to help create self-sufficient andsustainable communities. A more innovative approach is need, where townplanning is more pro-active and not just an effort to cope with day to dayproblems.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University