The Evolution of Open Space Planning within a Developing, Biodiverse City (Durban, South Africa)

Cameron T. McLean (), Debra C. Roberts and Rob Slotow
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Cameron T. McLean: School of Life Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Pvt Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
Debra C. Roberts: School of Life Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Pvt Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
Rob Slotow: Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Pvt Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 7, 1-26

Abstract: Conserving and restoring biodiversity is central to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The need to curb biodiversity loss through the mainstreaming of biodiversity considerations within land-use planning is consistently highlighted in global biodiversity assessments intended for policymakers and practitioners. We present a Global South local government-led examination of the mainstreaming of biodiversity issues within a biodiversity hotspot area. Here, we evaluated the four-decade-long evolution in open space planning in Durban, South Africa, in response to shifting urbanisation, governance and policy/legislative contexts. We assessed the role of science in responding to contextual changes, the need for champions, and key institutional interventions undertaken to embed a biodiversity function within local government. In addition, we investigated how biodiversity concerns have been incorporated into land-use planning applications via the city’s environmental planning function. We provide evidence of the advancement of mainstreaming biodiversity concerns within local government processes, institutional functions, and land-use decision-making. This has been achieved through effective and sustained leadership; the use of science and scientific information in advancing the policy and legislative environment and building political support by responding to shifting governance contexts; investment in institutional scientific capacity and generating scale-appropriate biodiversity information. Learnings from this paper may be useful for other local governments addressing biodiversity loss through land-use planning processes, by identifying critical investment areas that may shorten the time required for effective mainstreaming.

Keywords: biodiversity mainstreaming; urban biodiversity; local government; land-use planning; eThekwini (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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