Towards a Framework for Measuring Spatial Planning Outcomes in South Africa

This paper chronicles the process of developing a framework for measuring spatial planning outcomes in South Africa - defining and articulating the desired spatial planning outcomes as well as the mechanisms through which they can be measured. Given that the development of indicator sets and monitoring frameworks for spatial policy are considered as an ever-evolving iterative process as new agendas, challenges and opportunities emerge and others assume less importance, the paper proposes a suite of robust spatial development indicators which translate complex relationships involving a plurality of actors across different operationally independent policy sectors in a way that enables the tracking of spatial trends over time. It also enumerates the key success factors associated with implementing the proposed framework nestled on multiple spatial scales.