planning and politics

The quote below illustates one tactic for dealing with the problem of politicians and developers striking deals that contravene planning policies. Los Angeles chief planner Gail Goldberg understands the importance of the less visible aspects of planning that pass under the radar of politicians, who are mainly interested in the high-profile mega-projects.

From the LA Times:

In February, Goldberg was in City Council chambers when billionaire Eli Broad declared that another mega-project, downtown's Grand Avenue plan, "changes the entire complexion of the center of the city." Goldberg wasn't called on to offer an opinion.

Shortly after the vote, Goldberg offered a tense smile when asked by a reporter if she was miffed about it. No, she said.

"In the best case, I look at it more closely and love it," she said. "But what if I don't love it? Then I create enemies and I don't think enough will be gained to make it worth it. I am willing to jump in and make a tough decision, but I don't want to win the battle and lose the war. I want to build relationships."

Goldberg believes there are ample development opportunities without having to rely on mega-projects. The key is to steer clear of neighborhoods that want to stay as they are and help communities that want her help — thereby creating examples the rest of the city can see.

Goldberg is talking about the issue of how to bring growth to a city that wants to grow, but the approach could be used on transport planning. Some transport mega-projects are useful, but many are driven by political ambition and don't form part of a cohesive planning framework. Where the most effective changes can be made is often in the institutional processes and structures that guide decision-making, and in operational aspects — things that politicians rarely concern themselves with.

An interesting article by Stephen Boshoff in the Cape Argus in April 2007 adds to the discussion about the need for integrated system-based planning that doesn't rely so much on big signature projects. Single projects, whether they be Cape Town's N2 gateway or the Gautrain or a World Cup stadium, cannot meet all needs. They become overburdened with expectations, and sometimes they fail and are abandoned, to be replaced by the Next Big Thing.

Boshoff argues:

To succeed, [a city's] strategy needs to recognise that any settlement has at least four different investment needs. It has to provide [for] the basic needs of citizens; it has to maintain its assets and functions; it has to provide for crisis and disaster and fix past mistakes; and it has to invest productively, making the city better for the future.

A successful strategy needs to mobilise external resources to create alternative funding streams, and be guided by leadership that is inspired and committed to sticking to the plan. It also needs to provide the right environment for public sector money to leverage private sector investment.

In an excellent interview in the Feb/April 2007 edition of Delivery magazine, Jeremy Cronin (Chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Transport in South Africa) points out that government-subsidised recapitalisation of taxis, without changing their operating conditions, will result in the fancy new taxis ending up in the same condition as the old ones. Their business model is not strong enough to support good wages and well-maintained, insured vehicles — not to mention safe driving practices. He points out that within the stratified taxi industry there are some operators who do have healthy businesses, and they will recapitalise on their own.

There are challenges in changing the framework within which public transport operates, but many of them lie within the sphere of influence of municipal and provincial officicals, and don't face obstacles from national government or politicians. The long-awaited establishment of new transport authorities around South Africa, as mandated by legislation, is a case in point.

With the right legislative, regulatory and planning framework it should be possible to create an environment that will support the emergence of businesses that not only are financially sustainable, but meet the needs of the traveling public.