FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT SCHOOL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT OF TOWN AND REGIONAL PLANNING NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN TOWN AND REGIONAL PLANNING (original) (raw)

Given the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) of the United Nations, there is an outcry for resilient infrastructure, inclusiveness, sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation to create cities in accordance to the visionary goal set by the UN. In regard to the goal, achieving it is not a simplistic motive as various factors need to be encompassed when attempting to implement the goals concerned thereof. This goal is rather interlinked with others to an extent (SDG Report, 2015:48). Consequently, one goal affects the other. As such, critical planning and execution is vital when implementing goal 9 over a regional area as there are multiple factors that could impede the success. Subsequently, such factors that could result equate to uneven and socioeconomic development. Such factors cannot be changed over a short period of time given South Africa’s history of Apartheid planning. However, through modern planning, the production of concepts such as New Urbanism, Smart Growth and Smart Cities are aimed at addressing such issues (Raparthi, 2015). Due to circumstances, it has often been disconcerting regarding the application of such ideologies mentioned above. This is primarily because they are regularly applied at a micro-scale rather than at the macro-scale. This often neglects issues such as irregularities in the landscape since they are concentrating on a single focal point to say. Given the preface, this essay firstly makes an argument for the continuation of regional development in relation to goal 9 of the SDG. Doing this, it takes into consideration the factors hindering the continuation of the goal in Gauteng. Furthermore, it breaks down the goal into components in relation to supporting the continuation of the development. The area of focus is the Gauteng province, South Africa. Secondly, this essay applies the modern concepts (New Urbanism, Smart Growth, and Smart Cities) of planning at a broader framework of regional development to address spatial and socioeconomic inequalities in South Africa. As conclusion, a summary of the contents of this essay is assigned.