Browsing by Author "Todes, Alison Elaine."

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An analysis of international trends in city centre restructuring and office decentralisation in Durban.
(2001) Rushby, Joanne.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
This dissertation investigates the links between economic and spatial trends, with particular emphasis on office decentralisation in Durban. It focuses on globalisation and its effect on economic processes, how these have impacted on the spatial structure of cities, and whether the current changes in the economy and nature of work as opposed to environmental factors such as crime and grime, are causes of decentralising activity. This study looks at three case studies internationally, that of Glasgow, Rotterdam and Johannesburg, which give perspective on, not only the problems associated with the decline in manufacturing, but also how these cities have realigned themselves spatially into the new global economy. In the case of Johannesburg, the difficulties inherited from the apartheid era and the nature of urbanisation in the post-apartheid era are investigated, which have resulted in a fundamental restructuring of the Central Business District. Finally, the case of Durban, with particular emphasis on the area of La Lucia ridge to the north of the city is the focus area for research into office decentralisation, and the links between environmental and economic factors. The current restructuring of the CBD and its problems are highlighted, and the reasons for decentralising activity are explored in the light of the changing nature of work and the economy.
Can retirement villages be used to stimulate the economic development of small towns?
(1997) Hall-Jones, Linsey.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
This dissertation looks at the possibility of using a development, like a retirement village, to stimulate the economic development of small towns. Following on from this, the question of whether or not a retirement village could be used as a model for Local Economic Development (LED) of small towns is also explored. The case study chosen, is that of the small town ofHowick (situated in the Midlands ofKwaZulu-Natal) and Amberfield Retirement Village which is located there. The study examines the economic impact that Amberfield Retirement Village has had on the small town ofHowick, as well as le>oking at the extent to which its success is locationally specific (and what implications this wou}d have in terms of replicating the retirement village). The findings of the study reveal that Amberfield Retirement Village has had a significant impact on Howick, especially in terms ofthe linkages it creates and the large injection of capital that it brought to the small town. The unique locational aspects and specificity of both Howick and Amberfield Retirement Village also form part of the findings of the study, and which affect the conclusion drawn in terms ofthe replicability ofthe retirement village. It is concluded that the retirement village could be used as a model for LED of other small towns, however, the location and the setting of the retirement village are all important.
Economic and spatial impacts of street trading on retail : a case study of West Street.
(1995) Do Rego, Deolinda M. D. O. R.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
No abstract available.
The emergence of major retail centres in the townships : case studies of Daveytown and Dobsonville.
(1998) Kgara, Sidney Rammoa.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
No abstract available.
An evaluation of advantages and disadvantages of decentralization of physical planning in Lesotho.
(2001) Mothae, Romeo Khabane.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
Abstract not available.
An evaluation of the problems facing the Maseru City Council (MCC) in the process of urban management in Maseru.
(2000) Lebentlele, Ntsoaki Thakane.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
No abstract available.
Housing delivery within local government : case studies of Ladysmith- eMnambithi and KwaDukuza municipalities.
(1998) Madonda, Nompumelelo.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
No abstract available.
Housing oversupply and in-migration patterns into a declining town, Mooi River.
(2003) Hlubi, Eric Mlungisi.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
Not available.
An insight into the causes of poor service delivery in KwaZulu-Natal province : a case study of 8 municipalities in the northern region.
(2007) Bonga, Edward.; Todes, Alison Elaine.; Odendaal, Nancy.
The socio-economic problems created by apartheid in South Africa are a huge challenge to the current government. In order to alleviate the above, Integrated Development Planning was seen as the most appropriate strategy the country could apply. There was need to introduce a new approach to planning which was integrated, democratic and environmentally sensitive. For the first time, planning became 'people focused' by introducing participatory processes. As a backup to the above strategy, government introduced a variety of measures to bring total transformation to local government to facilitate service delivery. The key actions taken were; restructuring of local authorities, provision of new legislative framework and various capacity support programmes. Ironically, ten years after democracy was achieved, the situation has hardly changed. Access to basic services is still poor, poverty is worsening and unemployment is on the increase. This fact has been confirmed by the 2001 census data, which generally reflect deteriorating standard of living. This has been the cause of the current widespread violent demonstrations by communities in the country. It is ironical that despite all the effort being put by the provincial and national governments, the desired goals are not being achieved. This raises the big question, 'What is going wrong?' Are there shortcomings within the structures and processes or programmes being undertaken? The above question can be answered by conducting a research to try and find the root cause of the problem. This would be carried out by way of scrutinizing the roles and responsibilities of major stakeholders in development namely, municipalities, sector departments and communities. Focus would be made on issues like cooperative governance, weakness within support initiatives, availability of funding, compliance with prescribed processes and procedures etc. The research aims to interrogate the causes of poor service delivery and possible practical solutions.
Public open space policy for Durban and surroundings : is it sustainable?
(1998) Royal, Renee.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
This thesis provides an overview of the public open space policy for Durban and surroundings. The focus of the research is the sustainability of the open space policy with special emphasis on the integration of the natural environment, social aspects and economic factors within the open space system itself. Through this dissertation an attempt was made to ascertain to what extent the Open Space Policy of the Durban Metropolitan Area is sustainable. In order to achieve this it was necessary to specifically consider the status quo of the current open space policies internationally and locally with emphasis on the ecologically orientated Durban Metropolitan Open Space System. More appropriate public open space within the natural environment and urban context was considered, especially in respect of social needs and the aspirations and perceptions of communities with regards parks, sports fields, play areas, community areas, urban agriculture and natural areas. Social aspects, such as public participation and education, and economic implications were also investigated and considered. In order to locate this work theoretically and contextually, current planning theory and sustainable development was analysed. In addition existing policies, initiatives and strategies responsible for shaping development and consequently the local public open space policy in the Durban Metropolitan area were investigated. The dissertation argues that the success of a 'sustainable' policy is ultimately based in collaborative planning and implementation as well as appropriate management of the system. Current theory pertaining to sustainable management in the form of private / public partnerships was investigated and tested through selected case studies in Westville and Clermont. This dissertation concludes that sustainability is a process and that the public open space policy of the Durban Metropolitan Area, although attempting to achieve overall sustainability requires to address specifically, social needs and more appropriate collaborative planning and management strategies. Broad strategies to achieve this were considered and guidelines for a more sustainable public open space were proposed.
The relevance of town and regional planning education in South Africa.
(2002) Faling, Cornelia Wilhelmina.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
Town and regional planning in South Africa is challenged by global-and local-economic, social and political changes; the weight of its history in the apartheid past; a poor image; and ultimately, a functional change in the traditional role of planners. South African planning schools have to more and more deal with under-prepared students and cope with competition from other disciplines. The crucial question is: does planning education prepare graduates adequately to make a contribution to the profession within this context? This thesis examines the relevance of planning education at South African universities. This is done firstly by comparing South African trends in planning to international trends, and secondly, by assessing practitioners' views on the relevance of planning programmes, and whether their skill requirements match the skills seen as important by planning educators and those offered by graduates. The empirical research was done by assessing four universities' planning programmes, interviewing senior staff at these universities, and surveying 40 planning practitioners in the corresponding four metropolitan areas. The main issues under enquiry were: the relevance of planning curricula; students' practical experience during training; specialist versus generalist education; undergraduate and/or postgraduate education; life-long learning, and the core skills and competency requirements upon entering the planning profession. The world needs planning, and planning education is the key to the survival of the profession. With certain reservations, it is concluded that planning education, through the teaching of appropriate skills, is relevant for planning practice. To a large extent, planning education at South African universities follows international trends.
Restructuring, migration and regional policy in South Africa : the case of Newcastle.
(1997) Todes, Alison Elaine.; Smit, Daniel Petrus.
The thesis proposed to critique the neo-liberal perspective on regional policy in South Africa, and its emphasis on areas of strength and advantage, on two grounds. First, that it neglects processes of economic restructuring, and the possibility of place-specific decline or vulnerability. However, South Africa's increasing exposure to international markets, ongoing economic crisis, and political change, provide a context in which such conditions are likely. Secondly , these concerns are marginalised through the assumption that households can and do move out of areas experiencing restructuring or decline , or from places with weak economic bases. This assumption, however, ignores the limits to mobility in the current conjuncture, and the role of place in survival. The thesis critiques these arguments theoretically, and empirically - through a brief examination of the dynamics of restructuring and migration in KwaZulu-Natal, and a more detailed analysis of the case of Newcastle . The study of KwaZulu-Natal shows broad patterns of restructuring over the century, and points to new forms of instability in the 1990s. The research demonstrates that Newcastle has experienced several rounds of restructuring. While aggregate employment was relatively stable by the end of the 1980s, there had been a significant shift in the nature of economic activity and the composition of employment. Further rounds of restructuring coupled with employment decline - occurred in the 1990s, and key industrial sectors are shown to be vulnerable. The study of migration shows that, while there is a relationship between urbanisation and economic development in KwaZulu-Natal, there are also exceptions to it, with people remaining in, and even moving to places with weak or declining economic bases. The research did not find a complete, disjuncture ' between urbanisation and economic development in Newcastle. However, as, a consequence of past investments in place and limited opportunities elsewhere, low-income households remained in Newcastle despite restructuring. The study therefore shows that restructuring and place-vulnerability are concerns in South Africa, and that migration cannot be relied upon as a corrective. These findings underpin the need for a renewed consideration of social concerns within regional policy, and for moving beyond the 'efficiency' versus 'equity' dichotomy.
The role and participation of women in the integrated development planning process with special reference to the North Local Council area in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2000) Maharaj, Aarthi.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
No abstract available.
The role of local government in income generating poverty alleviation projects in the Amahlathi Municipality.
(2002) Somtunzi, N. I.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
The early industrialization and subsequent emergence of migrant labor system in South Africa disrupted conventional economic methods and social cohesion of society, particularly in the former rural homeland areas. Insufficient economic resources in villages pushed people to search for work in the urban areas. On the other hand, abundance of employment opportunities in the urban areas pulled people to venture into the cities. Apartheid control of out-migration from the rural areas added to this complexity. The system encouraged male migrants and placed restrictions on the migration of women to towns (Banks 2001:18). These conditions led to a host of social and economic problems that perpetuated poverty in rural areas. The coming to power of the African National Congress in 1994 has not significantly changed !hese dynamics. Two major problems emerged III rural areas. Traditional agriculture and livestock productions were replaced by heavy dependence of rural households on migrant remittances, which were often unreliable. Secondly, the migration of men forced rural women to develop their own strategies for income earning in order to support their families. In facing the challenges many women organized themselves into groups and made use of the available resources to establish income-generating projects (lGPs). Income generating projects are initiatives to generate income and employment in order to deal with the scourge of poverty. However, the projects are often too small to generate any meaningful income, particularly when viewed in relation to the time and effort invested on them. According to Muchena (1987:44), the projects are often within the realms ofwomen's traditional roles of sewing, knitting and baking. This study focuses on these projects. While IGPs sprung up as ways to alleviate poverty, there are questions as to their effectiveness. Mayoux (1989:1) states that, IGPs have not been economically viable, they have had serious problems and they have not achieved their aims. Despite this, women have continued to initiate and engage in such projects. Furthermore, men have also participated though to a lesser extent.
Shopping leakage facing Maseru town.
(2005) Osuigwe, Chukwuemeka Ezenwa.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
This dissertation is an attempt to understand shopping leakage from Maseru to Bloemfontein and Ladybrand. It investigates the patterns of shopping leakage and factors that contribute to the leakage. Theories were understood to prove the on going shopping leakage from Maseru. The rentral plare theory was explored to show how a hierarchy of plares influenres retail and shopping activities. Other location theories such as theory of tertiary activities was utilised to explore the impact of income, types of employment and buying power on retail location and shopping activities. Rationality theory was employed to verify the rational in the shopping movement from Maseru to Bloemfontein and Ladybrand. The study was based on focus groups, interviews and observation. The patterns of shopping from Maseru to Bloemfontein and Ladybrand are mainly for higher order goods and specialised goods such as quality clothes, shoes, jewelleries, and furniture. However some people who have cars buy groreries from Ladybrand that is closer to Maseru than Bloemfontein. The shopping trips were multi purpose activities. A shopper combines shopping with two or more activities such as banking recreation, hospital checkups, salon and tourism. Maseru does not have enough thresholds for some high order goods and services, and this leads to the shopping leakage. Although the employment rate in Maseru is high, income is generally lower. Shopping leakage was trared to rertain aspects of consumer behaviour, the characteristics of the shopping trip, retail facilities and types of shops available. Socio-economic factors also influenre shopping pattern, as do entertainment activities. Government and corporate bodies such as banks, through their regulations and laws created an impact on the shopping leakage from Maseru to Ladybrand and Bloemfontein. It is assumed that topography and burning of retail buildings in Maseru in September 1998 also limits the retail facilities in the town. Finally, the growth of Maseru is slow and steady, therefore it can be implied that retail trading in Maseru is following the same sequenre as the growth of the town.
Small and micro enterprises as a means to fostering local economic development in African townships : the case of Inanda.
(1995) Dass, Melanie.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
Abstract not available.
South Africa's spatial development initiatives : the case of the Lubombo SDI and the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park.
(2005) Zaloumis, Andrew Phillip.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
A varied literature has emerged assessing the history and principles of the SDI programme and its individual initiatives. Within the literature, a widespread critique has developed that views the SDIs as falling short in two crucial areas. First, the SDIs have, in general, had limited developmental impacts . Second, many of the initiatives failed to develop adequate institutional responses to the specific conditions they faced in their various localities. The study describes the Lubombo SDI and its anchor project, the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. It argues that the Lubombo SDI, from the outset, took institutions seriously with a long view of development. It did not seek to deliver large-scale investment in a short period. Rather, it focused on shifting the development fundamentals - including key aspects of the Lubombo region's institutional arrangements - and concentrating its resources on facilitating a major project capable of pulling the various agencies with a stake in the region's development onto a common platform. This concentration of effort, and the creation of a dedicated authority with a clear statutory mandate to promote development and conservation, has brought advances to an area where development was effectively blocked for many years. But the dynamic nature of the institutional environment remains a key challenge affecting the GSLWP and the execution of the Authority's mandate. The ability of the Authority to continue mediating the multiple tensions and complexities affecting the GSLWP will be crucial if the agenda first set by the Lubombo is to be carried forward in the coming years.
Towards integrated sustainable development planning : the integration of the Agenda 21 principles and approach into integrated development planning at district scale : a case study of the Ugu District Integrated Development Plan (KwaZulu-Natal) : a pragmatic approach.
(2003) Luckin, Pat.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
Abstract not available.
Well-located land for low-income housing as a means towards achieving improvements in living standards and quality of life of low-income people : a case study of East Wiggins Fast Track.
(2000) Mpantsha, Dolly Ntombifuthi.; Todes, Alison Elaine.
Abstract not available.