Advances in Spatial Analysis to Support a more Nuanced Reading of the South African Space Economy

This paper illustrates how advances in spatial analysis contribute not only to an enhanced understanding of the complex dynamics of social and economic spatial patterns, but also to exploring the implications thereof for development policies. The paper reflects on a set of incremental advances in spatial analysis achieved recently in South Africa, illustrating the value to a project undertaken to inform national urban policy development. The unique challenge of the project was to conduct a more nuanced, national level spatial analysis, moving beyond administrative boundaries, to enable the identifying, describing, and comparing of a range of settlement types in South Africa in terms of key characteristics and functional roles. The paper illustrates how recent advances in spatial analysis have enabled identifying and defining the wide range of densely settled clusters, local towns and service centers, regional service centers, cities, and bigger city-region areas, all forming part of a polycentric network (or backbone) of towns and cities. In conclusion, it is argued that advances in spatially nuanced and relational analysis are not only invaluable in generating a more nuanced understanding of the space economy, but also in enabling commensurate and context-specific investment and policy responses, contributing to development and urban management discourses.