TTPod 4.4: "A Hill to Die On?" Unpacking South Africa's NSDF: National Spatial Development Framework

In this episode of the Talking Transformation Podcast, our subject is South Africa's National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF) - a long-term spatial plan that sets South Africa's spatial agenda and trajectory towards 2050. As a legally mandated plan via SPLUMA, it completes the "set" of government spatial plans adding to the provincial and municipal spatial development frameworks prepared over many years.

It also advances the ambitions and directives of the 2030 National Development Plan (NDP).

It's a critical document for South Africa outlining the ambitions, growth and transformation objectives for urban and rural areas in South Africa.

Zouna Meades and Rajesh Makan from the NSDF "champion", the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRD), give us their take on the document and an in-depth assessment of the plan's process, plan and core themes.

We also talk about the challenges of alignment and coherence across the spheres of government and seek to understand how planners and other built environment practitioners can embed the thinking and implementation aspects of the NSDF into their routines and work.

Access the NSDF via:

https://sacplan.org.za/wp-content/uploads/Booklet-NSDF.pdf

Watch the YouTube video via this link:

https://youtu.be/pQnaAKkUZUc?si=EiJ3pqCj-xtb_QGV

Recorded 2nd May 2024