'n Nuwe sonering vir Stads- en Streekbeplanning, naamlik 'n "oop toekoms"

According to Goudappel, the concept future has different facets and meanings. The urbanistic concept identifies three levels of thinking that will influence future scenarios, namely at normative (ideostructural), at theoretical (superstructural) and at practical level (infrastructural). At ideostructural level the future is determined by the values of people. At theoretical level a new theory is sought for future planning, and each decade since 1980 offered a different solution. In practice, planning has not always assisted in making the world a better place. A new zoning could be introduced in which certain spaces are zoned as space with an indeterminate future or “open future" to withdraw land from development for certain periods (10, 20, 50, 100 or 500 years). *This article is written in Afrikaans

The European Union is not a role model for Africa’s Nepad

The European Union (EU) started of as a small trading block and evolved into one big region approaching 500 million people. It is planned around the core of Europe that is concentrated between London, Paris, Milan, Munich and Hamburg and builds on its global economic competitiveness. Most African states that were colonised in the nineteenth century became independent between 1957 and 1964. However they are still dependent for capital, imports and finance on the old colonial powers. In most the standard of living as well as its share in world economy decreased in the last forty years. The Organisation for African Unity (OAU) was created in 1963 but largely focussed on political matters. To improve the economic sit uation and to implement a vision of Africa’s renewal, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) was formed with the African Union (AU) to govern this process. On the surface the European Union and NEPAD might look alike in terms of their objectives and principles. However significant differences in handling the effects of globalisation, fragmentation, governance as well as planning constraints will force Africa to develop its own model for development

From the editor

Spatial ordening is part of the urban and regional planner's task. However, this spatial ordening does not happen in a vacuum - it is being influenced by different factors. For the urban and regional planner who is acting as an adviser in practice, a great deal of his work is being directed by socio- economical as well as by policy and political aspects. Today we are busy with the correcting, or turning around, of the policies of previous governments, and trying to make a better integrated world in a fragmented society. The nature of our profession is no longer only focused on spatial planning, and more and more attention is given to society, while pressure is also exerted from entrepeneurical approaches

Different values lead to alternative approaches to the land debate in South Africa

In South Africa, two traditional cultures, namely the African and the European cultures, meet, each with its own historical view on what land is and how to govern it. This situation is complicated by modernist ideological thinking represented by capitalism and communism. Goudappel’s urbanistic concept is used to show how ideological thinking influences theory and practice when contemplating the land issue. This answer is not a single approach, but a multiple view on land which allows for different regions, each with its own solution coupled with its cultural background, in order for all the different peoples in this country to have a place in the sun. Therefore, this article gives a theoretical explanation that there are different value systems that influence the approach to possible solutions of the land issue in South Africa

From the editor

Nowadays, the media subjects one daily to global events. This news is selective in that only some events are considered news, whereas thousands of other events are not even mentioned. At present, a great deal of attention is paid to the influx of refugees through Eastern Europe to Germany, while the issue of unemployment in South Africa remains in abeyance. In 2015, the American- English television news networks CNN, Sky News, Fox and BBC World reported nearly hourly on the movement of these refugees from one country to the next. These networks emphasise the distress of these people, while the cause of this movement is not being addressed. In The Netherlands, De Volkskrant (2015) reported in a cartoon the reason for these people’s move to the west, namely “Bush promises us democracy and now we are here”. Few politicians had the courage to refer to the cause of the tragedy, namely the destabilisation of countries in the Middle East and North Africa by the USA and its allies. Justifiably, President Jacob Zuma indicated that the West is responsible for these events

From the editor

To understand the present, it is necessary to understand the past. Unfortunately, we often also deal with foul news and the distortion of the past. No wonder George Orwell warned that, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” Therefore, planners must check their facts, as incorrect information can send the future in a wrong direction

From the editor

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND PLANNINGPeter Hall, in his book “Cities of Tomorrow” writes in one chapter about the city of enterprise and mentions that about 30 million people lost their job in the United States in the seventies. It had a tremendous influence on city planning in the sense that instead of controlling development, planners became the people who encouraged development in all possible ways. Thereafter, good urban planning was regarded as a way to create jobs even though it affected the environment adversely. This is also the mentality characterising the pioneer existence of countries. Growth is promoted at all cost and any restriction is disregarded. South Africa’s development originated largely with the discovery of raw materials in the country as well as the government of General JBM Hertzog (1924-1939) with its policy of “South Africa First”. This government realised that not only can we export raw materials, but we must process it to become an industrial country. ISCOR and ESKOM were established under his rule, which would form the basis of the future development of this country, unlike most African states that would stay supply regions for the colonial powers

From the editor

Since the beginning of mankind, human beings have always been subjected to different kinds of inequalities. Some could run faster than others; some could think faster than others, and some were simply bigger and stronger than others. The human being’s character is such that the  ombination of human characteristics was not always what s/he would prefer: the gentle giant with an excellent voice; the crippled deaf genius, the good-to-a-fault labourer, or any other combination

From the editor

UFS: 100 YEARSCongratulations to the University of the Free State, on the celebration of its hundredth year as an institution. It is the oldest traditionally Afrikaans University in the north. Having started out as an English academic institution, it became an Afrikaans-speaking establishment in the 1930s. Subsequently, since the nineties, the university has adopted a bilingual approach (entailing the use of English and Afrikaans). Students can exercise a choice in respect of their language of instruction, since a policy of parallel-medium tuition is followed. Moreover, Southern Sotho as a third language of instruction is envisaged for the future

In Memoriam: Prof. Wallace van Zyl

Prof. Wallace van Zyl was responsible for initating the Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of the Free State in 1975 and was later appointed as the ?rst Chairman of the Urban and Regional Planning Department. During his long career he worked in many countries such as Europe, Australia, U.S.A and Canada and carried this experi-ence into the UFS and the Bloemfontein Community whose interests he took to heart. He died on 3rd September 2009 in Fishhoek at the age of 79. His students and colleagues will remember him for his enthusiasm. Our sincere condolence to his wife and family