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The changing spatial economy of cities: An exploratory analysis of Cape Town

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  • Ken Sinclair-Smith
  • Ivan Turok

Abstract

The spatial economy of South African cities is generally believed to be experiencing selective deconcentration, which may exacerbate social inequality because of the physical disconnection between jobs and population. This paper assesses whether the locational pattern of economic activity across Cape Town is following this trajectory, using data from the Regional Service Council levies between 2001 and 2005. One of the main findings is that the city centre and areas close to the centre have maintained their economic dominance, therefore Cape Town remains a monocentric city. Yet the pattern of recent growth is more dispersed than the prior distribution because suburban nodes have gained a disproportionate share of new activity. In addition, the pattern of recent growth is skewed towards the high-income suburbs and away from the Cape Flats where most of the city's poor live. This uneven growth trajectory may be a source of concern for economic, social and environmental reasons.

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  • Ken Sinclair-Smith & Ivan Turok, 2012. "The changing spatial economy of cities: An exploratory analysis of Cape Town," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(3), pages 391-417, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:deveza:v:29:y:2012:i:3:p:391-417
    DOI: 10.1080/0376835X.2012.706037
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    Cited by:

    1. Horn, Anele, 2018. "Letting go: Evaluating spatial outcomes and political decision-making heralding the termination of the urban edge in Cape Town, South Africa," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 176-184.
    2. Wong, W.H. & Cheung, Tommy & Zhang, Anming & Wang, Yue, 2019. "Is spatial dispersal the dominant trend in air transport development? A global analysis for 2006–2015," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 1-12.
    3. Andrew Kerr, 2017. "Tax(i)ing the Poor? Commuting Costs in South African Cities," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 85(3), pages 321-340, September.
    4. Andrea Pollio, 2019. "Forefronts of the Sharing Economy: Uber in Cape Town," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(4), pages 760-775, July.
    5. Andrew Charman & Thiresh Govender, 2020. "The Creative Night‐Time Leisure Economy of Informal Drinking Venues," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(5), pages 793-808, September.
    6. Jacomien van der Merwe & Stephan Krygsman, 2020. "The relationship between transport accessibility and employment duration," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-56, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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