VIRTUAL: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

On the 15th of November 2022, the president of South Africa was probed on how the impact of apartheid planning was being addressed in the country. In response, he stated that the “Country does not have good town planners”. This statement reiterates the findings of numerous policies (JIPSA, LGTAS,ASGISA, NDP) which all emphasized the scarcity of the profession. However, many in the professional community remain unemployed. In light of this, the article seeks to unpack scarcity from the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSETA) definition and from a young planner’s perspective. The study utilized a purposeful sampling technique, which identified Town Planners via LinkedIn and conducted 105 online structured interviews. The interviews found that there is a scarcity in the profession, but not scarcity in the labour force. The scarcity is created through skills gaps, lack of professional registration and BBEE policies. As a result, the Town Planning capacity in the country is fragile due of the complex environment within which it operates. The study seeks to provide insight to the town planning scarcity and put forth recommendations to reduce it.