Study title

This dataset was gathered primarily in the first quarter of 2018 with planning professionals and planning educators in South Africa. The purpose of the project was to assess the changing needs within planning education as South Africa has evolved over the last 20 years to determine whether planning education is fit for purpose in its current configuration. The data demonstrates a high level of confidence by participants in the fundamentals of planning education but that there were still considerable issues to tackle in terms of planning for informality and drawing on theoretical perspectives that have greater relevance for the Global South. Included in this dataset is an (anonymised) small survey that was undertaken with planning practitioners in South Africa in 2017 examining their attitudes toward the profession and its future in the country. The survey was sent to practitioners identified via membership of the South African Council for Planners (SACPLAN) the body for professional acreditation for planners in South Africa.International institutions such as the United Nations have highlighted the significance of planning as a discipline in promoting more sustainable environments and dealing with the core economic, social and environmental challenges faced by Africa. Delivering successful urban planning training in SA Higher Education will thus make a key contribution to addressing SA national Government priorities around equity, social justice and democracy. For many years post-colonial and post-apartheid SA has modelled its urban planning practices on Western systems which has been reflected in HE curricula. Concerns have been raised about the relevance and applicability of these Western theories and methods when planning African cities (Watson, 2003, 2009). To date, there has been little or no sustained work that brings together post-colonial and Southern debate theories with an examination of transferring northern planning theories to South Africa. Major...