Abstract
The development corridor concept has been regarded as an important development instrument in spatial planning and geography for many decades. Expanding literature on the theme indicates that development centres or nodes play an important role in the establishment of such corridors. Flows of goods and information between such centres are essential in creating conditions that are potentially favourable for further urban development along the communication axes connecting such centres. Combined, the various nodes form a unique flexible exchange environment allowing for dynamic synergies of interactive growth to achieve scope economies aided by fast and reliable corridors of transport and communication infrastructure. In the South African development sphere, there is strong belief that functional relationships between nodes can play a decisive role in the establishment of development corridors. The research showed that the degree to which economic activities are concentrated in the greater Gauteng region; the resulting current or emerging multinodal structural composition; and the flows of economic activities between the various nodes result in the creation of development corridors that channel and focus economic growth between networks of cities. This confirms the importance of corridors as spatial and economic development instruments. The research concluded that the core cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria are the central driving force in corridor development in Gauteng. They feature as the most dominant nodes, exerting great forces of attraction on the distribution of development and economic growth in the region. The research also suggests a degree of polycentrism whereby economic growth is channelled between networks of cities, however development potential is most favourable in areas in close proximity to primary centres and tends to be functionality driven.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bähr, G. (1976). Die Achsenkonzeption als Leitvorstellung für die städtebauliche Ordnung in Hamburg. Veröffentlichungen der Akademie für Raumforschung und Landesplanung, 113, 201–240.
Bailey, N., & Turok, I. (2001). Central Scotland as a polycentric urban region: useful planning concept or chimera? Urban Studies, 38(4), 697–715.
Batten, D. F. (1994). Network cities: creative urban agglomerations for the 21st century. Sprawl a compact history. Stockholm: Sweden.
Berry, B. J. L. (1959). Ribbon developments in the urban business pattern. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, XLIX, 1–26.
Boudeville, J. R. (1974). Problems of regional economic planning. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Cameron, J. W. M. (1998). Draft report on the study tour of South African Urban Spatial Development Initiatives. Pretoria: TRC Africa.
Capello, R., & Rietveld, P. (1998). The concept of network synergies in economic theory: Policy implications. In K. Button, P. Nijkamp, & H. Priemus (Eds.), Transport networks in Europe (pp. 57–83). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Castells, M. (1996). The rise of network society. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Christaller, W. (1933). Central places in Germany. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
CoCT (City of Cape Town). (2012). Cape Town spatial development framework. Western Cape Province, City Space, Planning Cape Town.
Crush, J., Williams, V., & Peberdy, S. (2005). Migration in Southern Africa. A paper prepared for the Policy Analysis and Research Programme of the Global Commission on International Migration. http://womin.org.za/images/impact-of-extractive-industries/migrancy-and-extractivism/Crush%20%20Williams%20and%20Peberdy%20-%20Migration%20in%20Southern%Africa.pdf.
CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) (2013). Overview: South African functional settlement typology & analyses. Pretoria: Spatial Planning and Systems.
Doxiadis, C. A. (1969). A city for human development. Ekistics, 25, 374–394.
Doxiadis, C. A. (1970). Man’s movement and his settlements. Ekistics, 29(174), 296–321.
Fauvell-Aymar, C., Hartmann-Pickerill, R., & Wendy Landau, W. (2014). Migration and employment in South Africa: An economic analysis of domestic and international migrants. MiWORC Report. Migrating for Work Research Consortium. http://www.miworc.org.za/docs/MiWORC-Report-6.pdf.
Fensham, J. (1998). Wetton Corridor Project: Urban management.
Friedmann, J. (1966). Regional development policy: A case study of Venezuela. Cambridge, MA: MIT-Press.
Friedmann, J. (1972). A general theory of polarized development. In Hansen, N.M. (Ed.), Growth centers in regional economic development. New York: The Free Press.
Fujita, M., & Thisse, J. F. (1996). Economies of agglomeration. Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, 16(1), 91–104.
Geyer, H. S. (1988). The development axis as a development instrument in the Southern African development area. Development Southern Africa, 4(2), 271–301.
Geyer, H. S. (1989). The terminology, definition and classification of development axes. The South African Geographer, 16(1/2), 106–120.
Geyer, H. S. (2008). The Urban Function Index of the urban system of South Africa. Statistics South Africa.
Geyer, H. S., du Plessis, D. J., Geyer, H. S. Jr., van Eeden, A. (2012). Urbanisation and migration trends in South Africa: Theory and policy implications. In OECD redefining “Urban”: A new way to measure metropolitan areas, OECD, pp. 58–89.
Geyer, H. S, Jr, Geyer, H. S., du Plessis, D. J., & van Eeden, A. (2012). Differential urbanisation trends in South Africa—National, regional and local equivalents. Environment and Planning A, 44(12), 2940–2956.
Geyer, H. S, Jr, & Geyer, H. S. (2015a). Disaggregated population migration trends in South Africa between 1996 and 2011: A differential urbanisation approach. Urban Forum, 26(1), 1–13.
Geyer, H. S, Jr, & Geyer, H. S. (2015b). Polarisation reversal in South Africa: How widespread is the trend? South African Journal. doi:10.1080/03736245.2015.1028986.
Geyer, H. S., Geyer, N. P., & Geyer, H. S. Jr. (2015). The South African functional metropolis—A synthesis. Journal of Town and Regional Planning (in print).
Geyer, H. S., & Steyn, H. S. (1989). The measurement of intra-metropolitan geo-economic space in South Africa: The PWV area as an example. Journal of Town and Regional Planning, 26, 8–18.
Gottmann, J. (1961). Megalopolis: The urbanized North-eastern Seaboard of the United States. Cambridge, MA: MIT-Press.
Graham, D. J., & Dender, K. (2010). Estimating the agglomeration benefits of transport investments: some tests for stability. London: Imperial College.
Graham, S., & Marvin, S. (1996). Telecommunications and the city: Electronic spaces, urban places. London: Routledge.
Haggett, P. (1983). Geography a modern synthesis (3rd ed.). New York: Harper & Row.
Hohenberg, P. M., & Lees, L. M. (1985). The making of Urban Europe: 1000–1950. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.
Hoover, E. M. (1937). Location theory and the shoe and leather industries. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Howitt, P. (2004). Endogenous growth, productivity and economic policy: A progress report. Rhode Island: Brown University.
Hurd, R. M. (1924). Principles of city land values. New York: Real Estate Record Association.
Isard, W. (1956). Location and space-economy. Cambridge, MA: MIT-Press.
Kloosterman, R. C., & Lambregts, B. (2001). Clustering of economic activities in polycentric urban regions: The case of the Randstad. Urban Studies, 38(4), 717–732.
Koch, T. P. (1976). Grundsätze für die Verwendung von Achsen in der Landesplanung auf Grund von Erfahrungen in Schleswig-Holstein. Veröffentlichungen der Akademie für Raumforschung und Landesplanung, 113, 181–195.
Krugman P. (1991). Increasing returns and economic geography. Journal of Political Economy, 99(3), 483–499.
Lamont, T. (1999). Mdantsane-East London Development Corridor progresses in East London.
Lösch, A. (1954). The economies of location. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Marrian, B., Freeman, P., & Ziv, J. C. (2001). Towards a general theory of corridor development in South Africa. In CSIR Transportek, 20th South African Transport Conference South Africa, ‘Meeting the Transport Challenges in Southern Africa’.
Marshall, A. (1920). Principles of economics. London: Macmillan.
Mayer, J. (1996). Implications of new trade and endogenous growth theories for diversification policies of commodity-dependent countries. UNCTAD/OSG/DP/122.
McCann, P. (2004). Urban and regional economics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Meijers, E. (2004). Polycentric urban regions and the quest for synergy: Is a network of cities more than the sum of the parts. Urban Studies, 42(4), 765–781.
Nafziger, E. W. (2006). Economic development (4th ed.). Cambridge New York: Cambridge University Press.
Nicholson, P. (2003). The growth story: Canada’s long-run economic performance and prospects. International Productivity Monitor Number, 7, 3–23.
Ohlin, B. (1933). Interregional and international trade. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Oranje, M. C. (1995). The need for an appropriate system of urban development control: Arguments and characteristics. Town and Regional Planning, 39, 22–33.
Pacione, M. (2009). Urban geography: A global perspective. London: Routledge.
Papaioannou, J. (1969). Comment on the corridor concept. Ekistics, 28, 354–355.
Parr, J. B. (2002). Agglomeration economies: Amgiguities and confusions. Environment and Planning, 34(4), 717–731.
Perroux, F. (1955). Note sur la notion de pole de croissance. Economie appliqué, 7(1/2), 307–320.
Pottier, P. (1963). Axes de communication et developpement economique. Revue Economique, 14(1), 58–132.
Rosenburg, M. T. (2014). Gravity model, predict the movement of people and ideas between two places. www.Geography.about.com/librart/weekly/aa031601a.htm.
South Africa (1975). National physical development plan. Office of the Prime Minister. Government Printer. Pretoria.
South Africa (1980). A spatial development strategy for the PWV-complex. Office of the Prime Minister. Government Printer. Pretoria.
South Africa (1981). Good hope plan of South Africa. Department of Foreign Affairs and Information. Government Printer. Pretoria.
South Africa (1999). National Department of Transport: Moving South Africa: The action agenda. Pretoria.
South Africa (2000). Department of Transport: National Land Transport Transition Act, 2000 (Act No. 22 of 2000).
South Africa (2006). National spatial development perspective: The Presidency. Pretoria.
South Africa (2009). National urban development framework: Harnessing a common vision for growth and development of South Africa’s towns, cities and city-regions. Pretoria: Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and The Presidency and in partnership with the South African Cities Network.
South Africa (2011). The Gauteng spatial development framework. Gauteng Province—Economic Development RSA.
South Africa (2012). Statistics South Africa: Census 2011. Pretoria.
South Africa (2013). National development plan 2030. Sherino: Printers Boksburg.
Taylor, P. J. (2009). World Cities: Organizational Networking and the Global Urban Hierarchy. In H. S. Geyer (Ed.), International handbook of urban policy, Volume 2: Issues in the developed world, pp. 93–127. Edward Elgar: Aldershot, Hants.
Tuppen, J. N. (1977). Axial regions: An appraisal of their formation, evolution and definition. Discussion paper in Geography, No 4, University of Salford.
Voyer, R. (1997). Emerging high-technology industrial clusters in Brazil, India, Malaysia and South Africa. International Development Research Centre: Nordicity Group Ltd.
Whebell, C. F. J. (1969). Corridors: A theory of urban systems. Ekistics, 28, 348–353.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
All the work presented in this paper is our own work and the paper has not been submitted anywhere else for publication.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Brand, A., Geyer, H.S. & Geyer, H.S. Corridor development in Gauteng, South Africa. GeoJournal 82, 311–327 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-015-9683-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-015-9683-x