Browsing by Author "Koopman, Claudia"

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    Metropolitan management and planning in South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000-03) Koopman, Claudia; Claassen, P. E.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The importance of and the need for metropolitan planning and government structures in the development of cities have become evident over the last century. Internationally, the approach to metro governance has evolved from informal metro management structures into, for example the more formalised two-tier or single tier systems of London and Toronto. The recent changes in these systems indicate that there is not one system that is universally accepted as the best. South Africa has not escaped the metropolitan development process and the resulting problems that went hand in hand with this. The first form of metropolitan planning in South Africa occurred in 1940, with the inception of the Joint Planning Committees. Later, in 1986 the institution of Regional Services Councils served as the first form of metropolitan governance. In 1995 the first democratic Local Government elections hailed the entry into democratic metropolitan government structures. With the proclamation of six new metropolitan areas South African metropolitan governments adopted the two-tier metropolitan system. Since 1995 South African local government structures have undergone major transformations. Proponents of the current two-tier system failed to anticipate the pressures of Central Government for change to the one tier, megacity or unicity model. Critics of the government's plans argued strongly for the retention of the current two-tier model and for minimal organisational change. The disruption that yet another transformation will cause, is one of the main objections. In the Cape Town and Durban Metropolitan Areas the consensus seems to be that the present two-tier system is working well and that it should be retained. In the case of Johannesburg Metropolitan Area many problems were encountered, especially the inability to redistribute local government income. The consensus there is that a unicity model will work better. Whether the unicity model is the answer to urban sustainability for all metropolitan areas of South Africa, is still a disputed fact.