Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Special Issue

Planning for Sustainable Communities: Green-Spaces in Rural Areas

  • Submission Deadline: 10 June 2015
  • Status: Submission Closed
  • Lead Guest Editor: Ellizelle Juanee Cilliers
About This Special Issue
"To change life, we must first change space". This special issue aims to create a toolbox that will guide future sustainable community planning, focusing on rural areas and green-space provision, with the objective to assist local municipalities in the spatial planning decision-making process. The direct (economic) and indirect (social and environmental) benefits of green-spaces will be captured thoughroughly, based on the South African current reality (within urban and rural areas), in order to draw conclusions on the value of each of these dimensions, and also to be able to create a toolbox to guide future decision-making in terms of spatial planning, that will result in the development of qualitative, lively rural areas.

Sustainable development is a utopian aspiration for most urban and rural areas. Sustainable development, as defined throughroughly in literature, always includes three dimensions: social aspects, the economy and the environment. Sustainable development is a fine balancing act of these three dimensions. However, after ten years since the introduction of the sustainable development concept, it is still not fully realized in practice and implemented in the South African local urban and rural environment. This study evaluates sustainable development (in terms sustainable space, useful spaces and valuable spaces) from a spatial planning perspective, arguing that unequal prioritization between pro-development approaches and pro-environmental approaches the greatest reason is for unsustainability in the urban and rural areas. The economy (along with development pressures) and the environment (along with green-space protection initiatives) should be planned holistic in order to reach a sustainable state. Reality is however, that the environment is often neglected, and sometimes sacrificed to benefit and enhance development. This is mainly due to the planning of spaces and the perceptions of local authorities in regards to the function and value of environmental areas, in comparison to the revenue of development. It is believed that authorities will value green-spaces better when a monetary value can be connected to it. In this way, this study will provide a toolbox for decision-making in terms of spatial planning, based on an integrated approach to value living spaces. It is crucial that South African cities address the current lack of green-spaces in urban and rural areas, in order to be able to provide liveable cities, with sustainable, useful, valuable spaces.

The approach is to re-establish the balance of sustainable development, in terms of all of the dimensions (social – with the focus to strengthen communities, environment – with the focus to develop spaces that will be attractive and economic – with the focus to enhance the marketability of the area). When all three dimensions are equally valued by local municipalities, it will be reflected in the planning and budgeting processes as well. An approach to strengthen the environmental dimension (and to regain the balance of sustainable development) and to justify municipal spending is to determine the economic value of green-spaces, in order to be more measurable and comparable to development revenues. This does not imply that the social and environmental benefits of green-spaces will be neglected. The direct (economic) and indirect (social and environmental) benefits of green-spaces will be captured thoughroughly, based on the South African current reality (within urban and rural areas), in order to draw conclusions on the value of each of these dimensions, and also to be able to create a toolbox to guide future decision-making in terms of spatial planning, that will result in the development of qualitative, lively rural areas.
Lead Guest Editor
  • Ellizelle Juanee Cilliers

    Urban and Regional Planning, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University , Potchefstroom, South Africa

Guest Editors
  • Pavol Otepka

    Department of Sustainable Development, Faculty of European Studies and Regional Development, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia

  • Wei Ding

    Department of Plant Protection, Agronomy College, Northeast Agricultural University PRC, Harbin, China

  • hakim sahito

    Department of Zoology, SALU-Khairpur- Sindh., Pakistan

  • PEGAH MOLLAEI

    , Iran

Published Articles
  • A Framework for Planning Green Spaces in Rural South Africa

    Elizelle Juaneé Cilliers

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 4-1, August 2015
    Pages: 80-86
    Received: 2 April 2015
    Accepted: 2 April 2015
    Published: 27 May 2015
    DOI: 10.11648/j.aff.s.2015040401.20
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    Abstract: The importance of planning for green spaces is well captured in literature, focusing on the direct and indirect benefits which such spaces provides to various beneficiaries, from local authorities to local communities. However, the planning and implementation of such spaces, especially in a rural context, is complex. The value of spaces is perceive... Show More
  • Challenges in Realising Sustainable Community Development in Rural South Africa

    Bernice B. Van Schalkwyk

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 4-1, August 2015
    Pages: 73-79
    Received: 13 April 2015
    Accepted: 24 April 2015
    Published: 27 May 2015
    DOI: 10.11648/j.aff.s.2015040401.19
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    Abstract: The importance of rural development has long since been known but it has specific relevance to South Africa, where the poor quality of life is driving rural resident to migrate toward urban areas. This is turn is causing worrying problems for cities and towns which have to provide housing and services to the increased influx of new residents. The o... Show More
  • Planning for Sustainable Communities: Evaluating Place-Making Approaches

    Sanmarie Schlebusch

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 4-1, August 2015
    Pages: 59-72
    Received: 30 March 2015
    Accepted: 28 April 2015
    Published: 27 May 2015
    DOI: 10.11648/j.aff.s.2015040401.18
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    Abstract: People's survival and their quality of life, are irrefutable dependent on the natural environment in which they reside. To ensure that people's quality of life be maintained in any specific area, it is therefore imperative to find a sustainable equilibrium between the social and economic needs of people and the capacity of the natural resources in ... Show More
  • Addressing Water Concerns Through Spatial Planning Initiatives For Rural Communities

    Hildegard E. Rohr

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 4-1, August 2015
    Pages: 52-58
    Received: 30 March 2015
    Accepted: 9 April 2015
    Published: 27 May 2015
    DOI: 10.11648/j.aff.s.2015040401.17
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    Abstract: Planning in South Africa operates within a legal framework, which strives to ensure that municipalities deliver their developmental duties (in terms of Section 153 of the Constitution). South Africa’s approach to Spatial Planning and Land Use Management is undergoing major changes in order to escape from the legacy of apartheid planning, as well as... Show More
  • Evaluating the Spatial and Environmental Benefits of Green Space: An International and Local Comparison on Rural Areas

    Luan Cilliers

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 4-1, August 2015
    Pages: 45-51
    Received: 2 April 2015
    Accepted: 17 April 2015
    Published: 27 May 2015
    DOI: 10.11648/j.aff.s.2015040401.16
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    Abstract: Many issues exist from isolated planning of urbanized areas and environmental areas. Current approaches focussing on the integration of Urban Planning and Urban Ecology seek to address such issues. Urban Ecology practice aims to describe the study of the joined relationships between humans and nature. Urban Ecology thus forms a major part of Urban ... Show More
  • The Planning and Development of Child-friendly Green Spaces in Urban South Africa

    Zhan Goosen

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 4-1, August 2015
    Pages: 33-44
    Received: 4 March 2015
    Accepted: 13 April 2015
    Published: 27 May 2015
    DOI: 10.11648/j.aff.s.2015040401.15
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    Abstract: The impact that urban green spaces in urban environments have on the sustainability and quality of life of the residents is phenomenal [3,19,40]. The local reality in South Africa confirms that green spaces, specifically child-friendly green spaces, in urban environments are decreasing because of growing populations and increasing urbanization [34]... Show More
  • Planning Child-Friendly Spaces for Rural Areas in South-Africa

    Ma-Rene’ Kriel

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 4-1, August 2015
    Pages: 21-32
    Received: 4 March 2015
    Accepted: 17 April 2015
    Published: 27 May 2015
    DOI: 10.11648/j.aff.s.2015040401.14
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    Abstract: Child-friendly space are not successfully implemented in South Africa due to problems such as urbanization, development pressure, lack of qualitative open spaces and lack of policy and legislation guiding the planning and protection of such spaces. This study explores the possibility of creating qualitative, playful, educational and environmentally... Show More
  • Social Upliftment as a Result of Green Space Provision in Rural Communities

    Nicolene de Jong

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 4-1, August 2015
    Pages: 14-20
    Received: 31 March 2015
    Accepted: 8 April 2015
    Published: 27 May 2015
    DOI: 10.11648/j.aff.s.2015040401.13
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    Abstract: Rural communities, especially those within the South African context, are faced with daily challenges – most of which are associated with a lack of basic social provisions, needs and spaces. This paper introduces the concept of green space planning as an alternative planning approach to address these social challenges within rural South African com... Show More
  • African Approaches to Spatial and Green Planning

    Okeke D. C.

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 4-1, August 2015
    Pages: 6-13
    Received: 24 March 2015
    Accepted: 8 April 2015
    Published: 27 May 2015
    DOI: 10.11648/j.aff.s.2015040401.12
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    Abstract: As spatial planning evolved two notions of green planning emerged: traditional and sustainability notions. The former identifies with the practice in African countries when traditional urbanism is the vogue and popular design tradition in planning managed eco-centric settlements. In this context, spatial and green planning fused and drew impetus fr... Show More
  • The Importance of Planning for Green Spaces

    Elizelle Juaneé Cilliers

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 4-1, August 2015
    Pages: 1-5
    Received: 27 March 2015
    Accepted: 27 March 2015
    Published: 27 May 2015
    DOI: 10.11648/j.aff.s.2015040401.11
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    Abstract: Green spaces are often perceived as a luxury, especially in rural areas in need of basic services and characterized by housing needs. Recent studies proof the necessity of providing green spaces, captured in terms of the social, environmental, health and economic benefits that such spaces offer to (urban and rural) communities, along with the core ... Show More