S.M Planning Consultancy

11/01/2025

Spatial Development Framework (SDF) plays a pivotal role in interpreting the long-term visions and plans of the municipality to ensure orderly development of the City. However, there are cases when the land development proposals are in conflict with the ruling SDF provisions. As a practicing town planner, how do you professionally handle the competing interests of spatial planning and that of the landowner/developer?

Section 22 of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, 16 of 2013 (SPLUMA) provides an opportunity for a planning authority to consider land development applications that deviate from the provisions of the SDF, subject to “site-specific circumstances” that justify departure from the provisions of the SDF. Thus, the onus is on the applicant, not the municipality, to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that there are site-specific circumstances that will justify departure from the SDF.

In 2024, I had an exciting and challenging opportunity to represent and respond to the negative comments from the Metropolitan Spatial Planning Division (MSPD) of the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (CoEMM). On receipt of the negative comments from the MSPD, the appointed town planner decided not to be involved further with the application, as the probability of getting a positive decision from MSPD was very limited. It was a very high-risk application that could potentially make or break one’s credibility as a town planner. Did I take over the project? Surprisingly, I did, with a pounding heart. Was the project a success? Yes, but with a lot of challenges. As I look back, herewith below is a summary of key steps to adequately respond and present a watertight case to the planning authority. The steps below are not prescriptive and just a guideline for fellow practicing town planners who may be presented with a similar opportunity to use their expertise towards responsive urban planning.

Pointers for preparing motivation for departure from provisions of the SDF:
1. Properly peruse the relevant frameworks, policies, plans, and guidelines of the City. Ascertain how and to what extent the proposed development departs from the relevant provisions of the SDF;
2. If required, schedule pre-consultation meetings with the relevant officials to understand their department’s expectations and requirements;
3. Conduct site inspection and land use analysis;
4. Properly apply your mind and align your motivation with the City’s spatial visions and objectives;
5. Present and analyse the site characteristics (surrounding land uses, accessibility, parking provision, impact on engineering services etc);
6. Properly present and analyse the site-specific circumstances and align the same with the relevant development guidelines of the City. Examples of the site-specific circumstances include:
• Compatibility of the proposed development with the surrounding land uses;
• How does the proposed development align with the urban planning principles and strategies: densification, mixed uses, nodal/corridor development?
• Will the proposed development contribute to negative externalities, and how will these be mitigated?
• Will the proposed development set a negative precedence in the surrounding area?
N.B. Remember, focusing on downplaying the significance of the SDF and its provisions will be tantamount to shooting yourself in the foot.

Below, is the link to a typical motivation/formal response letter: deviation from the provisions of the SDF:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vw49wf4oyxhhi6x9hdi52/Typical-motivation_deviation-from-provisions-of-the- SDF.pdf?rlkey=v2o6iu89mp5aizdlgqkb0u7os&st=rqytknbe&dl=0.

08/01/2025

DUAL ZONING IN SOUTH AFRICA: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Is it even possible for a property to have two different zonings? It is rare, but it is possible. There is very limited information about dual zoning in South Africa. Dual zoning was permitted in terms of the old planning regimes and relatively few properties still have dual zoning to this day. An example of dual zoning is when a property has both “Residential 1” and “Business 1” zoning, which allows a section of the property to be used for a dwelling house and the other section for business purposes (shops, etc.).

My first encounter with a property with a dual zoning was in 2024, when I was appointed as a town planner to process a town planning application within the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (CoJMM). In brief, the application involved the rezoning of a property in Bezuidenhout Valley from “Residential 1” and “Business 1” to “Business 1”. The said rezoning application was successfully considered in December 2024. Bezuidenhout Valley is an old residential suburb situated east of the Johannesburg CBD. The suburb was established in 1906. It could be that the dual zoning was an old town planning approach to encourage mixed-use development. As a built environment professional, what do you think about dual zoning? Please leave your comments below.

https://stewartmareere.com/dual-zoning-in-south-africa-what-you-need-to-know/

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26/02/2024

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A PROPERTY IN SOUTH AFRICA.

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A PROPERTY IN SOUTH AFRICA 26 February 2024 Real Estate & Town Planning 0 Comments As a registered property practioner and a town planner, I have noted several instances where prospective buyers purchase a property without full knowledge of what they can do and/or cannot...

08/11/2018

Happy World Town Planning Day to you all professional planners and upcoming students enrolled in various planning schools.

16/11/2017

‘NEW TOWNS’ CONCEPT AS A PANACEA FOR THE URBANISATION CHALLENGES AND A CATALYST FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE NDP5 PILLAR ON SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION IN NAMIBIA. A CRITIC
Like any other cities and towns throughout the world, Namibian towns and cities particularly Windhoek, Walvisbay and Swakopmund are experiencing exponential increase in the number of people living within municipal boundaries. The exponential increase is as a result of migration (rural-urban migration and natural population increase). In the event where the exponential increase outstrips the service and infrastructure provision, it results in urban conurbation and myriad of urban challenges. In Namibia like any other countries, these challenges have manifested itself in the following ways- Informality (vending, and informal settlements), overcrowding, unemployment and other societal ills.
The government of the Republic of Namibia launched the Fifth National Development Plan in end of May 2017 that outlines a development strategy that aims to improve the living conditions of every Namibian (NDP5, 2017). The NDP5 “framework is organized around the four interconnected pillars that are founded on the principle of sustainable development namely, Economic Progression, Social Transformation, Environmental Sustainability and Good Governance” (NDP5, 2017). Of particular importance to this discussion is the ‘housing and Land’ development aspect under the Social transformation pillar. The desired outcomes under ‘housing and land’ aspect are as follows “reduce percentages of households living in impoverished houses by 12%, 6500 number of erven serviced by 2022, 2 informal settlements upgraded per annum and 4 number of local authorities provided with improved sanitation systems per annum” (NDP5, 2017). Thus, how can the new towns concept can be employed to address the urbanization challenges outlined above and at the same time be used as a catalyst for housing and land delivery? This essay seeks to proffer answers in that regard.
New Towns Definition
The new town concept is a “strategy to escape from urban problems and as panacea to metropolitan overspill effects, and urban conurbation” (Adedokun Ade, 2013). According to Adedokun Ade, 2013, new towns are also considered as a strategy of urban deconcentration and decentralization, industrial and employment dispersal, and internal migration policy. New towns arc ‘considered as a strategy for establishing intermediate cities and simultaneously inducing growth. The concept has been applied in various countries (Britain, United States of America, Nigeria and South Africa) with various level of successes.
Various theories were put forward to conceptualize the new towns movement. The garden city theory was put forward by Ebenezer Howard who holds that people should build an ideal city with all the rural and urban advantages (Howard, 1898 in Shao, 2015).The satellite city theory was conceptualized by Taylor and it refers to towns built outside big cities (Shao, 2015). Organic Decentralization Theory developed by Eliel Saarinen, in 1943 concerns urban development and spatial layout structure developed to cope with the various problems brought about by over-expansion of the big cities (Shao, 2015). Theory of urban agglomeration economies was coined in 1909 by Afred Weber refers to ‘all kinds of benefits brought about by clustering of economic activities in space (Shao, 2015). Lastly the urban-rural integration theory was coined in 1847 by Engels that aims to replace the old social structure of urban-rural division with new social structure of urban-rural integration (Shao, 2015).
Applicability in Namibian Context
It should be noted that the ‘new towns’ concept is not a new phenomenon in Namibia. In March 1998, the government of Namibia promulgated the decentralization policy that was to be implemented as from the 1st of April 1998 (Ministry of Regional and Local Government ad Housing, 1998).
In Namibia we do not need new towns per ser, but the concept can be incorporated in influencing government to concentrate ‘housing and land’ development in ‘small’ towns and settlement as a measure to ease population concentration in Windhoek, Walvisbay and Swakopmund. However, a proper investigation needs to be conducted in order to determine the economic base of each existing ‘small’ towns and how it can be improved in order to ensure self-sufficiency and less dependents on the three big cities. The investigation can be done co-currently with the proposed preparation of the National Spatial Development Framework that will be prepare by government once the Urban and Regional Planning Bill is approved by the President.
Currently the desired outcomes under ‘housing and land’ aspect as outlined in the NDP5 they do not have the spatial component. For instant according to NDP5, ‘ it is proposed to develop 6500 number of serviced erven by 2022’, but one may ask in which town(s) and how the proposed 6500 erven will be distributed throughout Namibia. Thus, the new towns concept will give credence to the NDP5 initiative and at the same time assisting in developing ‘small’ towns and settlements.
Political interference might be a challenge, as some of the politicians might influence the development of certain towns in expense of ‘deserving’ areas without proper investigation on the sustainability of such approach. To curb political interference, there will be need to set up an independent committee consisting of technocrats to advise government on the selection criteria amongst other pertinent issues.
Written By
Stewart Mareere
Town and Regional Planner in Training
Realtor
Designer

Cell: 081 290 3875
Email: [email protected]

02/03/2017

07/09/2016

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Motivation theory which suggests five interdependent levels of basic human needs (motivators) that must be satisfied in a strict sequence starting with the lowest level. Physiological needs for survival (to stay alive and reproduce) and security (to feel safe) are the most fundamental and most pressing needs. They are followed by social needs (for love and belonging) and self-esteem needs (to feel worthy, respected, and have status). The final and highest level needs are self-actualization needs (self-fulfillment and achievement). Its underlying theme is that human beings are 'wanting' beings: as they satisfy one need the next emerges on its own and demands satisfaction ...
and so on until the need for self-actualization that, by its very nature, cannot be fully satisfied and thus does not generate more needs. This theory states that once a need is satisfied, it stops being a motivator of human beings. In personnel management, it is used in design of incentive schemes. In marketing, it is used in design of promotional campaigns based on the perceived needs of a market segment a product satisfies. Named after its originator, the US psychologist Abraham Harold Maslow (1908-70) who proposed it in 1954

Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/Maslow-s-hierarchy-of-needs.html

25/07/2016

26/11/2015

“We often
think that if we listen carefully to what people tell us about
their daily struggles, we can analyse their words and come up
with good solutions to present to those who have positions of responsibility:
the government, policy makers, representatives of international
organisations, etc. But the problem with this approach
is that something is missing; we lose the opportunity to enable
people to find their own solutions to these problems, and so our
research methods are inherently limited. A major challenge for us
is to think about how we can work better with people living in
extreme poverty across the world so that they discover and voice
their own solutions"-Dr. Elaine Chase. LOCALISM