Earth observation for sustainable urban planning in developing countries: needs, trends, and future directions

Abstract: Cities are constantly changing and authorities face immense challenges in obtaining accurate and timely data to effectively manage urban areas. This is particularly problematic in the developing world where municipal records are often unavailable or not updated. Spaceborne earth observation (EO) has great potential for providing up-to-date spatial information about urban areas. This article reviews the application of EO for supporting urban planning. In particular, the article overviews case studies where EO was used to derive products and indicators required by urban planners. The review concludes that EO has sufficiently matured in recent years but that a shift from the current focus on purely science-driven EO applications to the provision of useful information for day-to-day decision-making and urban sustainability monitoring is clearly needed

Land reform in South Africa: Commentary by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development: Branch Spatial Planning and Land Use Management

Since coming to power in 1994, the democratically elected government of South Africa has been trying to address the various issues concerning land. It has been acknowledged that the complex and emotive land question relates to inequality in terms of use, accessibility, and skewed ownership patterns. This opinion piece, submitted as a commentary on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development to the Town and Regional Planning Journal and SACPLAN special issue journal, provides an overview of the land-reform programme in South Africa.&nbsp