This book provides a theoretical and practical foundation needed to change the practice of land use management in Southern Africa. It presents an overview of alternative land use management system for South African municipalities that is economically, socially, and environmentally more sustainable than many of the land use schemes in effect at present. Land use management is a component of spatial governance that controls the nature and extent of development to prevent harmful impacts on people and the environment. As the current system with its colonial/modernist planning and regulatory mechanisms were never designed to deal with rapid change, urbanisation, and informality, a different form of land development and land use management is necessary. This timely book reflects the culmination of many years of practical experience and research into various aspects of land use management by the authors and studies undertaken by their master’s and doctoral students. The book goes beyond an analysis of the problems and suggests concrete proposals that can be applied throughout Southern Africa based on a rural-to-urban transect. This book is directed to a broad range of readers interested in spatial planning and land use management. It will be of interest to those in the fields of geography, urban studies, urban design, planning, and architecture.

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction Change required Land use management Argument for change Changing values Democracy in South Africa Local government transition Complexity and general resilience Structure of the book 2. Evolution of land use management Early rules and generative codes Regulation based on zoning codes First zoning controls: France, 1810 German approach Spread of zoning Brief overview of the evolution of land use management in South Africa Early beginnings Influence of the discovery of diamonds and gold First provincial planning legislation Planning legislation 1900–1994 Situation prior to 1994 1994–2013: From development control to land use management Development Facilitation Act, 1995 Draft Green Paper 2001 White Paper on Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Land use management bills, draft provincial legislation and SPLUMA Current land use management system 3. Planning theory and its applicability to the Global South Introduction Procedural Northern planning theories Modernism and planning Collaborative and communicative planning Critical Northern theories Marxism, power, and planning Diffusion of power Social justice and inclusion Spatial theories: Smart growth, new urbanism, transit-oriented development, and liveability Sustainability Northern theories in an African context Towards theories for planning in Africa Sustainability Tactical urbanism Informality Informal settlements Informality and livelihoods Complexity Conclusion 4. Why the current system is inadequate for the South African context Introduction Problems of African land use management Inequality and exclusion Overview of the inadequacies of the current system Traditional areas Lack of recognition of African cultures Urban areas Informal livelihoods Informal settlements Backyard dwellings Sprawling, poor quality, and unsustainable urban form Control-orientated Causes Power, politics, and corruption Conflicting and competing rationalities Customary land tenure and contested leadership Capacity, bureaucracy, and the aspirations’ mismatch 5. Principles and options for a land use management system to support sustainable and equitable settlements Introduction Principles Acknowledge and work with change Land use regulations can change Regenerative sustainability Social justice and inclusion Economic development and livelihoods Context matters Other land use management systems Restrictive conditions and covenants in title deeds Plan-based controls Site development plans Form-based codes Performance standards Nomocracy Basket of rights Discretionary system Conclusion 6. A Southern approach to sustainable land use management Simplifying the system Current system Options to simplify the system Rural regions Natural areas Commercial farming areas Traditional rural areas Urban spaces Small towns Peri-urban regions Townships Informal settlements Suburbia Central areas Special areas Industrial Renewable energy Mining 7. Conclusion Glossary