South Africa’s cities are not designed to be inclusive, and politics is a huge part of the problem.
The policy frameworks which guide urban inclusivity are not clear and there is too much political interference.
Furthermore, politicians have little to no expertise in urban planning yet try to influence it anyway.
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This is the belief of Professor Hope Magidimisha-Chipungu, a UKZN academic who has just made history by becoming the first Black woman in the country to obtain full professorship in Town and Regional Planning.
And the proof is in the pudding, she says, as our country’s cities discourage inclusivity, and ultimately create exclusivity and limited access.
“This includes historical spatial segregation, inadequate public transportation, lack of universal design for people with disabilities, unequal access to services, a shortage of affordable housing, cultural insensitivity, insufficient public spaces, and the digital divide.”
There are many challenges facing the creation of more inclusive cities in South Africa, such as historical apartheid legacies, economic disparities, inadequate infrastructure, housing issues, unequal access to education and services, and social divisions. Other hurdles, she says, include crime concerns, transportation accessibility problems, lack of participation and representation, environmental sustainability dilemmas, healthcare disparities, and the digital divide.
In addition, the policy frameworks which guide urban inclusivity are not well pronounced, leaving a gap for manipulation and perpetuation of urban developments that are not sensitive to vulnerable groups.
“In the same breath, political interference has been partly at the centre of the problem. More often than not, politicians have been descending into the urban planning arena to influence the modus operandi of which they have little to no expertise in...”
In the case of city design, the urban planning professionals are “tacitly forced to take a back seat and become spectators of their profession”.
“The proof is in the pudding, with everyone thinking they are urban planners. The planning profession has been besmirched and the agenda to create inclusive urban areas has been hijacked and desecrated. This is huge problem and it needs to be stopped as of yesterday,” Magidimisha-Chipungu says.
And in all this, it is always the ordinary citizen on the losing end.
Addressing these interconnected issues requires a holistic approach involving various stakeholders to ensure equitable and sustainable urban development.
“Furthermore, as urban planners we need to be intentional about creating inclusive urban areas, through our designs.”
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