District Socio-Economic Profile and Development Plans

Atkinson, D and Marais, L (2007), District Socio-Economic Profile and Development Plans, Arid Areas Research Programme Vol. 1, Centre for Development Support, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein.   Introduction The arid areas comprise a major part of South Africa’s land surface. These areas are the Karoo (including the Little Karoo), Namaqualand and Kalahari, and straddle…

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Public policy and small towns in arid South Africa: The case of Philippolis

Van Niekerk, J and Marais, L (2008), Public policy and small towns in arid South Africa: The case of Philippolis (Free State, South Africa), Urban Forum, 19, 363 – 380.   Abstract Internationally and in South Africa, small towns have been subjected to several external factors leading to their decline, with decentralisation processes placing increased…

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Urbanisation and the future urban agenda in South Africa

Atkinson, D and Marais, L (2006), “Urbanisation and the future urban agenda in South Africa” in Democracy and Delivery: Urban policy in South Africa, edited by Richard Tomlinson and Udesh Pillay, Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria. The book can be downloaded for free at: http://www.hsrcpress.ac.za/product.php?productid=2153   Democracy and Delivery: Urban Policy in South Africa tells the…

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Low-income housing policy in practice in arid and semi-arid South Africa

Marais L, Cloete, J, Matabesi Z, Sigenu K, Van Rooyen D (2010). Low-income housing policy in practice in arid and semi-arid South Africa: Policy lessons and implications. Journal of Arid Environments, 74: 1340-1344. Article can be accessed at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014019631000090X   Abstract The paradigms in respect of arid areas have shifted from efforts to prevent desertification…

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Towards a post-mining economy in a small town

Marais, L and Atkinson, D (2006), Towards a post-mining economy in a small town: Challenges, obstacles and lessons from Koffiefontein, South Africa, Paper presented at the Desert Knowledge Conference, Alice Springs, Australia, 2-4 November.   Introduction  Mining closure has been an international phenomenon as resource depletion has continued and economic changes have resulted in the…

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The tourism potential of Beaufort West

Van Staden, J-W and Marais, L (2005), The tourism potential of Beaufort West: a study based on visitor demand. Development Southern Africa Vol. 22, No. 2.   Abstract Tourism is increasingly viewed as a key strategy for promoting local economic development. The integrated development planning (IDP) process of the Beaufort West municipality on the north-eastern…

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Making plans against all odds

Human, F, Marais, L, Botes, L (2008), “Making plans against all odds: Local Economic Development in small towns of the Free State”, 2008, Africa Insight, 38(1) 2008, pp53-66.   Abstract Since the transition to democracy, there has been an increasing emphasis on local economic development (LED) in South Africa. The LED efforts in three small municipalities of…

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Promoting small town development

Van Rooy, R and Marais, L (2012), “Promoting small town development: The case of the Apollo Development Association, in R Donaldson and L Marais (eds), Small Town Geographies in Africa: Experiences from South Africa and Elsewhere, Nova Press. Lochner Marais can be contacted at maraisjgl@ufs.ac.za; book for sale from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Small-Town-Geographies-Africa-Experiences/dp/162100001X).  

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