Spatial economic evolution of the airport-centric developments of Cape Town and OR Tambo international airports in South Africa

Among other categories of literature on the relationship between airports and land use, planning models of airport-led development are becoming bandwagons hailed by the proponents as key to the future of cities. While acknowledging the insights of literature, it is argued that concerted focus is required on analysing the spatial economic evolution of airport-centric developments. The aim of this article is to explore the evolution of the airport-centric developments of Cape Town and OR Tambo international airports in South Africa. Through the use of topographical maps, aerial photography and historical literature, the evolution is traced over six decades, namely the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. The article discovers that, despite policy and planning efforts, airport-centric developments occur over fairly long time frames. It is also imperative that the planning of airports and surrounds be informed by the integration of, among others, spatial, economic, and transportation planning at different scales.&nbsp

Inclusion of warehousing and distribution in the Cape functional region’s spatial plans

Processes of logistics, which facilitate the flow of goods, are crucial in contemporary economies. Largely responsible for the physical distribution component of logistics, warehousing and distribution (W&D) facilities are pertinent to urban and regional planning because they are, inter alia, the most space-extensive component of logistics and supply chain. Despite the importance of logistics, the regulation of the location of logistics facilities has been insufficient because of the poor relationship between logistics planning and urban policy. Using the study area of the Cape functional region, the article aims to analyse the inclusion of W&D in the spatial plans. The study was based on qualitative interviews conducted with nine urban and regional planners as well as content analysis of the applicable spatial development frameworks (SDFs). It was discovered that the SDFs in the region do not sufficiently address W&D. It is, therefore, recommended that policymakers as well as urban and regional planners align policy documents to facilitate the development of W&D facilities. It is also recommended that policy documents be informed by the intricacies of W&D instead of merely being based on broad industrial land use.&nbsp

Foundation for a Theoretical Framework on the Location of Manufacturing Firms in the Vicinity of Airports

Manufacturing plays a crucial role in economic development. Peculiar geographical patterns of production are accordingly observable, wherein the environs of airports are some of the areas that accommodate the concentration of manufacturing firms. However, most of the literature on the placement of manufacturing firms relative to transport infrastructure focuses on road, rail and sea. The objective of this paper is thus to advance a foundation for a theoretical framework that analyses the spatial economic factors that influence the location of manufacturing firms in the vicinity of airports. The paper draws upon research conducted on the case study of the environs of Cape Town International Airport in South Africa. The analysis conducted in the underlying study explored the interconnections between the concepts of space, proximity, linkages, agglomeration economies, clustering and pattern. These concepts are accordingly used as building blocks towards the foundation for a theoretical framework. The contribution hinges on five layers of the economic space: the airport’s environs, municipal area, functional region, other parts of a country and multi-country economic space. Different forms of manufacturing establishments’ clustering, proximity and intensity of intra- and inter-firm linkages characterise these interrelated layers. The paper sensitises policymakers, spatial planners and authorities to the spatial economic dynamics of manufacturing firms situated near airports

A theoretical foundation for investigating the spatial economic attributes of airport-centric developments

The paper establishes a conceptual foundation for analysing airports and surrounds; and employs it to identify a theory that is most suitable for investigating spatial economic forces that drive airport-centric developments. In the background of globalisation, the classical location theories, regional science, growth pole theory and new economic geography are scrutinised against their relational interpretation of the concepts of space, proximity, firm, scale and pattern. Given that it portrays a relational perspective of the aforesaid concepts, the paper proposes that while acknowledging the relevancy of other theories, the growth pole theory is suitable to be the main framework for analysing airport-centric developments.Among the various areas of interest on the topic of airports and  the geographical distribution of land use, one pertinent theme is the spatial economic analysis of airports and their environs. However, the existing literature predominantly focuses on describing the land-use composition of airport-centric developments, without unpacking the spatial economic forces at play. This gap brings to the fore the need to employ an appropriate theoretical lens to guide the spatial economic analysis of airports and their environs. The aim of this theoretical  review paper is thus to identify concepts that are relevant to the analysis of airports and their environs; and to use those concepts to systematically identify the existing theory that is most suitable for investigating the spatial economic forces that drive airport-centric developments. Against the background of globalisation, we scrutinise classical location theories, regional science, growth pole theory and new economic geography against their relational interpretations of the concepts of space, proximity, firm, scale and pattern. Given that it portrays a relational perspective of the aforesaid concepts, the paper concludes that growth pole theory is suitable as the main framework for analysing airport-centric developments. It is therefore recommended that growth pole theory be empirically used to guide the analysis of airports and their environs, and subsequently be used as the basis for developing a theoretical framework tailored for airport-centric developments

Spatial economic attributes of airport-centric developments in Cape Town and Johannesburg

Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2016.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The existing knowledge lacks empirically informed description and explanation of the economic fundamentals driving the forces of attraction of airports. This void is arguably a result of the absence of an appropriate theoretical framework to guide the analyses. The aim of the study was therefore to contribute towards a theoretical framework that describes and explains forces that drive the location and mix of airport-centric developments. Towards achieving this aim, the objectives of the study were: one, to establish the type of economic activities that are located on and around the Cape Town and OR Tambo airports, and analyse the reasons for locating there; two, to identify a propulsive economic element found around the Cape Town and OR Tambo airports, and analyse the linkages they have with the airport-centric developments and airports; three, to analyse the spatial, economic and structural linkages within the airport-centric developments of the Cape Town and OR Tambo airports, between the airport-centric developments and the airports, as well as the airport-centric developments’ linkages with their metropolitan areas and other regional, national and international airport-centric developments and locations; four, to establish the changes that have occurred over time in the form of the airport-centric developments of the Cape Town and OR Tambo airports. To address the research objectives, the study adopted a case study approach, centred on the Cape Town and OR Tambo international airports and surrounds in South Africa. A survey was used as a main data collection method, with the investigations informed primarily by the conceptualisation of the growth pole theory. From the findings, the Cape Town and OR Tambo airports were discovered to have propulsive economic qualities that act as significant forces of attraction in the clustering of firms. Together with their airport-centric developments, the two airports were discovered to have growth pole properties because of the linkages that occur within the study areas, and the linkages that exist between the airport-centric firms and the airports. It was noted that the transport-oriented firms (typified by couriers and freight carriers) act as anchors in some fellow airport-centric firms making use of elements of urbanisation economies, particularly as regards the use of the two airports for airfreight services. The study contributed towards a spatial economic theory of airport-centric developments, using the following concepts as building blocks: economic space, relational firm, geographical and organisational proximity, relational scale and pattern; understood in terms of their interconnections with the concepts of linkages, agglomeration economies, clustering, and the propulsive economic element. The theoretical framework is summarised as follows. One, airport- centric firms are not atomistic islands that merely transmit market transactions, but are characterised by intra-firm and inter-firm linkages. Two, the economic space that airport-centric firms are part of is not equivalent to geographical space. Three, in their business operations, airport-centric firms rely on a combination of geographical proximity and organisational proximity. Four, geographical scale does not restrict the operations of the economic space of airport-centric firms, resulting in a combination of spatial clustering and organisational clustering.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die bestaande kennis is daar ’n gebrek aan empiries geïnformeerde beskrywing en verduideliking van die ekonomiese grondbeginsels wat die kragte van aantrekking van lughawens dryf. Hierdie leemte is moontlik ’n gevolg van die afwesigheid van ’n gepaste teoretiese raamwerk waarvolgens analises gerig kan word. Daarom was die doel van hierdie studie om by te dra tot ’n teoretiese raamwerk om kragte wat die ligging en vermengsing van lughawe-sentriese ontwikkelinge dryf te beskryf en te verduidelik. Om hierdie doel te verwesenlik is die oogmerke van die studie die volgende gewees: een, stel vas watter soort ekonomiese aktiwiteite in en rondom die Kaapstad en OR Tambo Lughawens geleë is, en analiseer die redes vir die keuse van hierdie ligging; twee, identifiseer ’n voortdrywende ekonomiese element wat rondom die Kaapstad en OR Tambo Lughawens te vinde is, en analiseer die koppelvlakke wat hulle met die lughawe-sentriese ontwikkelings en lughawens het; drie, analiseer die ruimtelike, ekonomiese en strukturele koppelvlakke binne die lughawe-sentriese ontwikkelinge van die Kaapstad en OR Tambo Lughawens, tussen die lughawe-sentriese ontwikkelinge en die lughawens, sowel as die lughawe-sentriese ontwikkelinge se koppelvlakke met hulle metropolitaanse areas en ander streeks, nasionale en internasionale lughawe-sentriese ontwikkelinge en liggings; en vier, stel vas watter veranderinge in die vorm van lughawe-sentriese ontwikkelinge van die Kaapstad en OR Tambo Lughawens oor tyd plaasgevind het. Om die navorsingsoogmerke te bewerkstellig, het die studie ’n gevallestudiebenadering gebruik en dit toegespits op die Kaapstad en OR Tambo Lughawens en omliggende omgewings in Suid-Afrika. ’n Opname is as die belangrikste dataversamelingsmetode gebruik, met die ondersoeke primêr geïnformeer deur die konseptualisering van die groeipoolteorie. Aan die hand van die bevindinge is ontdek dat die Kaapstad en OR Tambo Lughawens voortdrywende ekonomiese eienskappe het wat as beduidende kragte van aantrekking in die saambondeling (clustering) van firmas optree. Saam met hulle lughawe-sentriese ontwikkelinge, is ontdek dat die twee lughawens groeipooleienskappe het, as gevolg van die koppelvlakke wat in die bestudeerde areas voorkom, en die koppelvlakke wat tussen die lughawe-sentriese firmas en die lughawes bestaan. Daar is gelet dat die vervoer-georiënteerde firmas (tipies koeriers en vragdraers) as ankers in sommige mede- lughawe-sentriese firmas optree en gebruik maak van elemente van verstedelikingsekonomieë, veral rakende die gebruik van die twee lughawens vir lugvragdienste. Die studie het bygedra tot ’n ruimtelike ekonomiese teorie van lughawe-sentriese ontwikkelinge, deur gebruik te maak van die volgende konsepte as boublokke: ekonomiese ruimte, relasionele firma, geografiese en organisatoriese nabyheid, relasionele skaal en patroon; verstaan in terme van hulle interkonneksies met die konsepte van koppelvlakke, opeenhoping-ekonomieë, saambondeling, en die voortdrywende ekonomiese element. Die teoretiese raamwerk word vervolgens opgesom. Een, lughawe-sentriese firmas is nie atomistiese eilande wat bloot marktransaksies oorbring nie, maar word ook gekenmerk deur intra-firma- en inter-firma- koppelvlakke. Twee, die ekonomiese ruimte waarvan lughawe-sentriese firmas deel is, is nie ekwivalent aan geografiese ruimte nie. Drie, in hulle sake-werksaamhede maak lughawe-sentriese firmas op ’n kombinasie van geografiese nabyheid en organisatoriese nabyheid staat. Vier, geografiese skaal beperk nie die werksaamhede van die ekonomiese ruimte van lughawe-sentriese firmas nie, wat lei tot ’n kombinasie van ruimtelike saambondeling en organisatoriese saambondeling

The volatility of institutional arrangements that influence development: The case of Bram Fischer International Airport in South Africa

Hailed as the best integration of the airport and urban development, models of airport-led development are used worldwide to promote the ideal land-use mix and spatial form of airport environs. Despite the growing popularity of airport-led development, there is a lack of literature investigating how the institutional arrangements of African cities can facilitate or inhibit the implementation of such development. Using Bram Fischer International Airport in South Africa as a case study, this article describes the nature and evolution of the institutional arrangements that influence development on and around airports. Informed by the conceptual framework of historical institutionalism, the findings unveiled two contradictory phases in the evolution of institutional arrangements at the case studied: firstly, a period of harmony where all actors worked towards a common goal and, secondly, a period characterised by the absence of cooperation among stakeholders

Spatial Configuration of Logistics Firms Relative to Cape Town International Airport, South Africa

Background: A multi-faceted analysis of the positioning of logistics facilities relative to airports is a topical aspect of the interconnections between transport infrastructure and the spatial configuration of economic activities. Regardless of the wide range of studies that exist on the topic, little is known about the logistics catchment of airports. Towards extending the literature, the objective of the paper is to analyse the spatial configuration of logistics firms relative to Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) in South Africa. Methods: The inclination of logistics facilities to locate in industrial areas is widely acknowledged in the literature. As such, the data on the main industrial and economic nodes in the City of Cape Town metropolitan area were obtained from the City of Cape Town municipality and used to ascertain the extent of the industrial areas across the metropolitan area. The resultant geographic information system (GIS) shapefile of the industrial and economic nodes was used to obtain the logistics firms’ data from AfriGIS. Following the cleaning of the data from AfriGIS, ArcGIS 10.8 and QGIS 3.16 were used for spatial analysis (buffer, kernel density and network analysis) to establish the spatial configuration of the logistics firms relative to CTIA. Results: The results showed that of the 985 logistics firms in the metropolitan area, 937 were located within 20 km of CTIA. Furthermore, the kernel density results showed that high density values were found in the environs of the Cape Town central business district (CBD), Port of Cape Town and Milnerton. The results of the network analysis indicated that the furthest firm was 50 km and 64 min away on the shortest route to CTIA, while it was 55 km and 49 min away on the fastest route. Conclusions: Relative to the literature, the results show that CTIA has the potential to facilitate the emergence of a logistics hub at the city or metropolitan scale

Spatial Configuration of Logistics Firms Relative to Cape Town International Airport, South Africa

Background: A multi-faceted analysis of the positioning of logistics facilities relative to airports is a topical aspect of the interconnections between transport infrastructure and the spatial configuration of economic activities. Regardless of the wide range of studies that exist on the topic, little is known about the logistics catchment of airports. Towards extending the literature, the objective of the paper is to analyse the spatial configuration of logistics firms relative to Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) in South Africa. Methods: The inclination of logistics facilities to locate in industrial areas is widely acknowledged in the literature. As such, the data on the main industrial and economic nodes in the City of Cape Town metropolitan area were obtained from the City of Cape Town municipality and used to ascertain the extent of the industrial areas across the metropolitan area. The resultant geographic information system (GIS) shapefile of the industrial and economic nodes was used to obtain the logistics firms’ data from AfriGIS. Following the cleaning of the data from AfriGIS, ArcGIS 10.8 and QGIS 3.16 were used for spatial analysis (buffer, kernel density and network analysis) to establish the spatial configuration of the logistics firms relative to CTIA. Results: The results showed that of the 985 logistics firms in the metropolitan area, 937 were located within 20 km of CTIA. Furthermore, the kernel density results showed that high density values were found in the environs of the Cape Town central business district (CBD), Port of Cape Town and Milnerton. The results of the network analysis indicated that the furthest firm was 50 km and 64 min away on the shortest route to CTIA, while it was 55 km and 49 min away on the fastest route. Conclusions: Relative to the literature, the results show that CTIA has the potential to facilitate the emergence of a logistics hub at the city or metropolitan scale

Spatial economic attributes of O.R. Tambo and Cape Town airport-centric developments in South Africa

Background: The concentration of development around airports is a topical subject on the relationship between transportation, accessibility and the distribution of land use. Notwithstanding the existing literature on the analysis of airports and surrounds, and normative models of airport-led development, extensions are required on the empirical analysis of spatial economic attributes of airports and surrounds. Objectives: Objectives of the article were twofold: firstly, to establish the economic activity mix and reasons for the location of firms on and around O.R. Tambo and Cape Town international airports; and secondly, to analyse linkages between firms on and around the two airports as well as linkages those firms have with their metropolitan, regional, national and international contexts. Method: The article focused on the South African case studies of O.R. Tambo and Cape Town international airports and used a telephone survey as the primary data collection method. Results: The article discovered that the developments around O.R. Tambo and Cape Town international airports are spatial clusters that are also linked with other airports in South Africa and beyond. Conclusion: The article extended existing knowledge by providing insights on the spatial economic characteristics of airports and surrounds. The findings can be improved upon with work on other case studies, and potentially be used as bases for extending a theoretical framework that describes and explains the spatial economic forces that drive development on and around airports

Exploring the nexus between transdisciplinarity, internationalisation and community service-learning at a university of technology in Cape Town

Background: The ability of the South African citizenry to overcome a myriad of challenges (which include the triple challenges of inequality, poverty and unemployment) can be called into question. This alleged inability could, in part at least, be linked to the role of higher education, which is at a vantage point of equipping the citizenry with the requisite values, skills and knowledge. Aim: The aim of the article is to discuss attempts that were employed towards imparting transdisciplinary and collaborative skills to students at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). Setting: The article reports on the collaboration between a number of stakeholders, viz. CPUT, University of Michigan, St. Mark’s Church and District Six Museum. The aim of the collaboration was to develop an interactive Web map, which would display the socio-spatial information based on the baptismal records of the former residents of District Six. Methods: The article explores interconnections between transdisciplinary education, internationalisation of higher education and community service-learning. The discussion is based on the authors’ reflective analysis of the deployment of the triad of concepts in the initiative reported on. Results: Intricate interdependencies were discovered between transdisciplinarity, internationalisation of higher education and community service-learning. Conclusion: It is proposed that future teaching and learning initiatives employ a critical lens and the notion of complexity to meticulously explore the aforesaid concepts towards extending the frameworks for higher education