Advocacy planning in South Africa and its role in contributing to sustainable development/endeavours

Abstract

This commentary briefly examines the literature on legislation and policies that impacted the town and regional planning discipline in South Africa, both before and after the transition to democracy. It explores what the discipline seeks to achieve in terms of living environments for both urban and rural communities. It explains the role of advocacy planning in promoting greater public participation in policy formulation and planning systems. The commentary emphasises the role of planners in advocating for inclusive and context-sensitive planning within communities, living environments, and working environments. It emphasises that the understanding of advocacy planning from a South African context and to a certain extent practising it, empowers communities to understand the benefits of planning and policy that influence their living environments.