Nthangeni, Ngudo Winny and Gumbo, Trynos and Ingwani, Emmaculate and Ekelund, Nils (2024) Chronicles of Peri-Urban Expansion in Small Rural Towns: a Comprehensive Study of Makhado Biaba’s Built-Up Areas from 1995 to 2022. KEEP ON PLANNING FOR THE REAL WORLD. Climate Change calls for Nature-based Solutions and Smart Technologies. Proceedings of REAL CORP 2024, 29th International Conference on Urban Development, Regional Planning and Information Society. pp. 91-102. ISSN 2521-3938
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Abstract
Over the past few decades, the phenomenon of peri-urban expansion has emerged in South Africa as a significant and complex challenge, particularly for small towns across rural municipalities. Traditionally characterized by their rural economies and close-knit communities, these towns now find themselves at the crossroads of urbanization, grappling with the complex implications of expanding urban influence. This paper investigates the dynamic changes in the Makhado Biaba town's spatial landscape post-apartheid era, spanning from 1995 to 2022. The work adopted a mixed methods research approach, which employs both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Google Earth Engine (GEE) was used for supervised classification to evaluate the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms, using Landsat-8 images. Questionnaires were administered to collect qualitative and quantitative data and key informative interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse quantitative statistical data and thematic analysis was employed for qualitative data analysis. Findings reveal that the land cover of the build-up area increased from 1443.0 HA in 1995 to 1936.0 HA in 2011 and further increased to 2279.0 HA in 2022. This significant increase highlights the visible increase of built-up areas, attributed to the rapid growth in population, which drives the escalating demand for land to accommodate housing and infrastructure needs. Leading to the encroachment of urban settlements into neighbouring rural areas, causing the convergence of urban and rural settlements. Due to the communal tenure system, it is frequently difficult for the municipality to facilitate the demarcation of sites and commercial development on tribal land. Limited authority over such areas, makes it difficult for rural municipalities to control growth and align development with the goals of the municipal bylaws. Ultimately, the study recommends sustainable urban development strategies in mitigating adverse effects on the environment and community well-being. Thus, there is a need to reconcile conflicting By-laws to create a cohesive land management framework that accommodates both traditional practices and modern spatial planning and land use management by-laws. There is also a need to formulate peri-urban expansion strategies tailored to rural contexts by considering local needs, minimizing environmental impact, and actively involving the community in the planning process.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | sustainable development, land use, peri-urban, accuracy assessments, small rural towns |
| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HM Sociology |
| Depositing User: | REAL CORP Administrator |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Apr 2024 12:33 |
| Last Modified: | 27 May 2024 07:43 |
| URI: | http://repository.corp.at/id/eprint/1077 |
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