The Transformation of Compact Rural Human Settlements in South Africa - The Case of Elim in Limpopo

Abstract

Land-use change entails changes in existing land use usually guided by spatial planning laws and the pollical influence of the state. The paper examined the impact of spatial strategies, laws, and policies on land-use change in Elim. A qualitative case study method was used to achieve the study’s purpose. Historical review of laws and satellite images of Elim in 1964, 1985, 1993, 2002, 2014, and 2020 were used to identify the impact of the rules and the extent of the land-use changes from 1964 to 2020. The study revealed that apartheid laws for creating exclusive homelands and townships for blacks significantly impacted Elim’s spatial pattern. The statutes produced displaced urbanization in homelands represented by large townships, betterment policy modernized traditional villages into compact villages with modernist characteristics, and Integrated Development Planning managed to integrate urban and rural areas to transform Elim into a mixed-use neighborhood. The analysis demonstrated that integrated and spatial development plans could guide development without zoning in rural areas, particularly in communal areas, to promote integration and create mixed-use neighborhoods. Modernist planning adopted a top-down approach, while the integrated development strategy embraces a bottom-up approach. The study will assist planners and lawmakers improve the spatial planning process.