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Sharon Biermann |
A new CSIR demonstrator shows the simulation of urban growth scenarios in future and presents various development patterns and past trends. The CSIR-developed Toolkit for Integrated Planning (TIP) is an initiative in support of integrated development planning across sectors and scales.
"TIP is an electronic information platform, developed to provide enhanced information and better evidence as input into spatial analysis and integrated development planning processes, and to support the evaluation of alternative planning decisions," explains the CSIR's Sharon Biermann.
TIP currently consists of two main components:
- Profiler, which is a collation of cross-sectoral spatial and temporal information on current patterns and trends, limited to the period between 1995 and 2007. The information is represented at various scales in the form of interactive maps and/or quantitative tables.
- Simulator - a set of illustrative urban growth scenarios that were formulated to demonstrate the simulation capability that is being developed, including a set of illustrative indicators and indices to measure the impact of these scenarios.
"General users in government and planning practice can currently access TIP via a web-based user portal," says Biermann. "The main intention with this first phase of the project was the development of the user portal to demonstrate the content and capabilities of TIP to potential users by means of a case study area. This means that the content currently available is for parts of the country only and in the case of the Simulator component, is for illustration and demonstration purposes only," she explains.
The information layers in the Profiler component can be viewed and used as interactive maps. Information is also presented in tabular or quantitative form, where applicable. The scoping and selection of what information was included and updated in the Profiler was done on the basis of the information input requirements of the urban growth simulator, but the information is useful on a stand-alone basis as a resource for improving the evidence-base in a range of integrated planning initiatives.
TIP is a demonstrator, or working prototype, providing information for a selected case study area at three geographic scales. These are:
- Broad functional region: The entire Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces and parts of Limpopo and North West, including the Moloto corridor
- City: Gauteng (metros and districts)
- Corridor: The Moloto corridor, as well as a housing demand tool that could be applied at community level.
"In terms of sectoral emphasis, the focus of the current version is on housing and transport. Our planned future enhancements of TIP include a widening of the spatial scope to include the entire South Africa, as well as the inclusion of more key development sectors," comments Biermann.
TIP is the result of an 18-month project undertaken at CSIR Built Environment, funded by the Department of Science and Technology. "There has been significant up-take of parts or the whole product by key stakeholders, with further work for customisation commissioned by, notably, the departments of Social Development and Housing and the South African Cities Network," says Biermann.
In addition, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the Department of Trade and Industry, Treasury, the Department of Provincial and Local Government, the Gauteng Spatial Planning Forum, the World Bank and the German-supported Enerkey initiative have all demonstrated a level of buy-in through commitment to further involvement during the next phase of the project.
"We are currently being contracted for the second part of the project, during which we'll collaborate further with the Human Sciences Research Council and academics from universities," concludes Biermann.
Enquiries: CSIR Communication |
