Browsing by Author "Skipp, Kayla"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Utility planning in bespoke off-grid utility infrastructure systems in South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03 ) Skipp, Kayla; Geyer, Hermanus Stephanus ; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study evaluates the role of next-generation infrastructure within an infrastructural ecology paradigm to reconceptualise the transition to climate adaptive and resilient utilities which integrate the social, economic and environmental roles of utility systems in modern society. Globally, modern contexts require increased infrastructural sustainability and resilience. The study assesses the current state of utility infrastructure systems in South Africa and the manner in which these systems could integrate the economic, social, and ecological functions of utilities within an infrastructural ecology. The study argues that utility planners are crucial in solving current issues within utility systems, and are thereby crucial in shifting utility systems towards their goals of sustainability and resilience. Therefore, the study discusses practical development principles for utility infrastructure in line with an infrastructural ecology paradigm, as well as the role of the utility planner in developing sustainable, resilient infrastructure. The study critically analyses the roles of infrastructure in society, the challenges of traditional LTS utilities and the opportunities of next-generation infrastructure to alleviate the infrastructural challenges in South Africa. In particular, the study highlights the principles of next-generation infrastructure, in terms of its developing multifunctional uses for infrastructure, the co-location of utility functions, low-carbon utility diversification strategies as well as combining urban and natural ecosystem services through soft-path approaches. This also includes implementing communitysupportive strategies involving the community throughout the lifetime of the project, designing infrastructure to serve the community needs of the local community, and developing climate mitigation and adaptation strategies through strong public-private cooperation and shared information management systems. The study argues that next-generation infrastructure and infrastructural ecology requires a utility planning approach that emphasises complex multidisciplinary problem-solving to create multifunctional, co-located and networked infrastructure. The planner serves a key position in this process as a liaison between the different professional disciplines, local authorities and the local communities, to implement energy diversification strategies and the soft-path integration between utilities and ecosystems services. Utility planning also implements climate-adaptive strategies and community-supportive practices that involves communities rather than merely consults them. The research employed a mixed-method case study involving semi-structured interviews with a variety of urban development practitioners, and policy content analysis evaluation. The research results indicate that the historic LTS model is highly inefficient, resulting in an unequal distribution of utilities, high utility failure rates, high funding and maintenance costs, and community dissatisfaction with declining service delivery rates. Next-generation infrastructure has made significant breakthroughs in renewable energy and information systems, particularly in rural areas. However, many local authorities are reluctant to implement these innovations because of non-compliant local policies, jurisdictional fragmentation and special interests. Communities are also reluctant to accept these infrastructures and require significant amenity spillovers to accept the transitions. The policy analysis noted significant advances in infrastructural ecology within the different plans and policies, with a strong support for co-located infrastructure, energy diversification and community-supportive strategies. However, these plans lack a multifunctional approach to infrastructure and lacked synergy between the infrastructure initiatives. The plans also lack soft-path approaches to integrating utilities with ecosystem services.