Assessment of Restructuring Zones as an Urban Restructuring Tool
A national evaluation for the SHRA of whether Restructuring Zones work as a spatial restructuring tool, covering 73 gazetted zones and GIS analysis of 39 zones across 8 municipalities.
2017 · Social Housing Regulatory Authority · Policy evaluation and research · 4 months duration
Key contributors: Zama Mpanza Essien
The Social Housing Regulatory Authority appointed Cadre Plan (Pty) Ltd to evaluate Restructuring Zones (RZs) as an effective spatial restructuring tool, assisting the Department of Human Settlements in measuring the success of the programme. The draft 2014 guidelines required an evaluation of current RZs before any expansion, and the steering committee directed the focus towards implementation rather than impact.
Cadre reviewed the relevant legislation, policies and guidelines, examined IDPs, SDFs and Housing Sector Plans across the restructuring zones, and conducted an extensive literature review. The 73 originally gazetted RZs served as base data. Poorly demarcated boundaries limited spatial analysis, so GIS assessment covered 39 RZs in 8 municipalities, with detailed profiles of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Tshwane and Buffalo City.
The study answered how far social housing projects contribute to spatial, economic and social restructuring goals, and proposed improvements: alignment with National Treasury programmes, performance criteria for social housing projects, and a hybrid approach combining both.
Key figures: 73 gazetted Restructuring Zones as base data | 39 zones GIS-analysed in 8 municipalities | 4-month national study