The Resilience of South African Cities a Decade after Local Democracy

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4138645
AutoresIvan Turok (0000-0001-5520-2492, Human Sciences Research Council, Private Bag X9182, Cape Town 8000, South Africa, autor de correspondencia)
Año2014
Volumen46
Número4
Páginas749-769
Fecha de publicación2014-04-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaEnvironment and Planning A Economy and Space (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0308-518X • E-ISSN: 1472-3409
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1068/a4697
OpenAlexW2099111295
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas19
Referencias citadas25

South Africa emerged from a cataclysm two decades ago to experience a stable democratic transition during which the local government system was transformed. The creation of large metropolitan municipalities was intended to accelerate socioeconomic development and urban restructuring in order to overcome the legacy of segregation and exclusion. This paper assesses their achievements, ten years on, using the concept of resilience as the analytical frame. Resilience helps to examine cities as interconnected systems open to external influences but with some capacity for self-organisation and learning. It is useful for exploring the coexistence of urban continuity and change. Evidence shows that the responses of South Africa city authorities to globalisation, urbanisation, and democracy have been circumscribed. Continuity and incremental change have been more evident than transformation and development. Hesitant progress exposes cities to the risk of greater social instability. Insights from resilience theory support the idea that enhanced municipal capabilities could facilitate a more enduring outcome

Democracy · Development economics · Economic geography · Economic growth · Economic system · Economics · Geography · Local government · Metropolitan area · Political science · Politics · Psychological resilience · Restructuring · Sociology · Urban planning · Urban resilience · Urbanization · Community Development and Social Impact · Disaster Management and Resilience · Engineering · Psychology · Public Administration · Regional resilience and development