The morphological / settlement pattern classification of South African settlements based on a settlement catchment approach, to inform facility allocation or service delivery

Abstract

South Africa, as a developing country, is faced with a number of challenges, one of which is the provision of social facilities in an equitable and sustainable manner. The problem is compounded by uneven and dualistic development arising from the apartheid era as well as geographical variations in respect to resource availability. This has resulted in a wide variety of development patterns and resultant settlement types ranging from well-developed neighbourhoods usually found within city limits to under-developed settlements in deep rural areas. Development patterns impact on the provision of social services as geographical dispersion and low density sprawl are major factors influencing the efficiency of service delivery. With the above in mind, it is of the utmost importance that a critical evaluation of settlement structure and patterns is undertaken to directly inform the manner in which social services are delivered in different settlement types.