Abstract

Abstract

Urban Planners within the public sector as well as the private sector are on a constant basis faced with a number of challenges relating to/in respect of Land Use Management. These challenges are not only impacting on the day-to-day operations of an Urban Planner, but are also impacting directly on Property Developers thus impacting (directly and indirectly) on urban land markets. A Property Developer must be aware of these possible challenges as this can impact on his or her development when it is least expected with possible major effects on the feasibility of the project. In some (probably most) instances the property developer can do very little to address these issues. It would then be up to the Urban Planner to overcome/address/take care of these challenges or to try and minimize the impact of such challenges. Property Developers should however play an active role in assisting the Urban Planner to timeiously identify and address the challenges.

This paper is set out to challenge Urban Planners as well as Property Developers to identify and to face up to these challenges.

In this paper the reader will be provided with a basic understanding of Land Use Management, the nature of Property Development and the requirements for successful property development to assist in ensuring a common understanding of the basis of this paper.

The more prevalent challenges currently facing the Urban Planner and Property Developer will be identified. It is envisaged that this will encourage the Urban Planner as well as the Property Developer to confront these challenges as well as to identify possible new challenges. If these challenges are not identified and addressed, it can influence urban land delivery and thus impact negatively on urban land markets. It could further impede the notion of co-operative governance as well as the relationship between government and the private sector.

It is important for professionals and developers to work together to overcome these challenges facing Land Use Management and to assist towards creating and implement a system that would be to the advantage of the community it is suppose to serve. If these challenges are addressed, it will be possible for developers to provide products that are affordable and developments that are more cost effective and still attaining the required return on investment.

It is often said that time is money. If there is a time saving on a development from its inception to finalisation, more funds could be available for further developments with the resultant spin-offs.
It is not claimed in/through this paper that the challenges identified are the only challenges that exist. It is also not claimed that these challenges would be the most important in all cases. It is further not claimed that the proposals to address these challenges are the only workable solutions. It can however provide a basis for policy makers and partnerships between policy makers and the private sector in confronting these challenges.