The role of special management areas in the protection of the urban edge

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:This study considers the possibility of using special management areas at metropolitan levelas a measure to control urban sprawl in South Africa, and specifically in the greater CapeTown area.Important issues included in the study are: international and local measures currently andpreviously used, relevant South African legislation that support urban edge protection,economic and ethical theories regarding urban edge protection, the measures currentlyimplemented in Stellenbosch, an examination of special management areas andrecommendations.International attempts in curbing urban sprawl dates back to post-Industrial RevolutionEurope (1800s). British and American measures are compared, mostly differing in the levelof public support of sustainable development.Local attempts have been limited and have not been implemented at the scale of internationalmeasures. Recently developed policies such as the Metropolitan Spatial DevelopmentFramework (1996) and the Bioregional Planning Framework (2000) are more directlyfocussed on sustainable development than previous policies (e.g. guide plans and structureplans) have been. The Metropolitan Spatial Development Framework proposes thedemarcation of urban edges in the Cape Metropolitan Region, while the Bioregional PlanningFramework is intent on dividing the Western Cape Province into bioregions. The BioregionalPlanning Framework originated the use of special management areas to control developmentin rural (agricultural and natural) areas. The idea of this study is to measure the feasibility ofusing special management areas at metropolitan level, in conjunction with both theMetropolitan Spatial Development Framework and the Bioregional Planning Framework, toprotect the urban edge.This study concludes by disproving its hypothesis: special management areas have limitedapplicability as a general urban edge control measure at metropolitan level.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University