Polycentric development in the Cape Town city-region: Empirical assessment and consideration of spatial policy implications

Figures & data

Figure 1: Morphological polycentricism versus functional polycentricism

Figure 2: Map showing the study area and settlements identified within the study area

Figure 3: Rank-size distribution for 2011 (30 settlements included in the analysis)

Figure 4: Framework for assessing functional polycentrism: strength, structure and symmetry 2009).

Source: Based on Limtanakool et al. (2007, 2009)

Figure 5: Slope of the rank-size of settlement regression line by the number of settlements included in the regression

Table 1: Population and population growth for the largest 20 settlements within the Cape Town city-region

	Population					Percentage of population^a					Average annual growth (%)
Settlement (ranked by 2011 population size)	1991	1996	2001	2011		1991	1996	2001	2011		1991–96	1996–2001	2001–11	1991–2011
Cape Town	1 991 313	2 366 880	2 691 654	3 421 605		78.8	78.5	78.5	75.9		3.5	2.6	2.4	2.7
Somerset West	96 057	113 452	117 528	220 098		3.8	3.8	3.4	4.9		3.4	0.7	6.5	4.2
Paarl/Wellington	114 845	141 131	145 929	199 287		4.5	4.7	4.3	4.4		4.2	0.7	3.2	2.8
Worcester/Rawsonville	63 077	78 653	83 420	100 161		2.5	2.6	2.4	2.2		4.5	1.2	1.8	2.3
Atlantis	52 877	58 904	66 531	82 275		2.1	2.0	1.9	1.8		2.2	2.5	2.1	2.2
Stellenbosch	51 805	58 436	60 249	80 313		2.0	1.9	1.8	1.8		2.4	0.6	2.9	2.2
Hermanus/Hawston	14 256	19 966	30 106	46 857		0.6	0.7	0.9	1.0		7.0	8.6	4.5	6.1
Malmesbury	17 590	22 632	25 706	39 657		0.7	0.8	0.7	0.9		5.2	2.6	4.4	4.1
Vredenburg	16 958	20 712	27 088	38 382		0.7	0.7	0.8	0.9		4.1	5.5	3.5	4.2
Grabouw	11 107	15 993	21 593	31 290		0.4	0.5	0.6	0.7		7.6	6.2	3.8	5.3
Saldanha	14 471	16 820	21 774	28 644		0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6		3.1	5.3	2.8	3.5
Franschhoek	3 967	6 546	8 944	17 346		0.2	0.2	0.3	0.4		10.5	6.4	6.8	7.7
Caledon	9 115	8 994	11 151	13 983		0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3		−0.3	4.4	2.3	2.2
Moorreesburg	6 165	8 280	8 574	12 882		0.2	0.3	0.3	0.3		6.1	0.7	4.2	3.8
Wolseley	4 866	5 885	8 188	12 132		0.2	0.2	0.2	0.3		3.9	6.8	4.0	4.7
Piketberg	6 891	6 915	9 271	12 075		0.3	0.2	0.3	0.3		0.1	6.0	2.7	2.8
Saint Helena Bay	4 242	5 982	8 102	11 532		0.2	0.2	0.2	0.3		7.1	6.3	3.6	5.1
Velddrif	4 630	5 576	7 327	11 019		0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2		3.8	5.6	4.2	4.4
Darling	4 757	5 013	7 550	10 422		0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2		1.1	8.5	3.3	4.0
Villiersdorp	3 544	4 825	7 569	10 005		0.1	0.2	0.2	0.2		6.4	9.4	2.8	5.3

Note: ^aPopulation within the settlement as a percentage of the total urban population of the Cape Town city-region.

Figure 6: Morning commuting flows between Cape Town and adjacent settlements:

(a) total flows (sum of both directions), (b) bidirectional flows and (c) net flows

Limtanakool, N, Schwanen, T & Dijst, M, 2009. Developments in the Dutch urban system on the basis of flows. Regional Studies 43(2), 179–96. doi: 10.1080/00343400701808832

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Limtanakool, N, Dijst, M & Schwanen, T, 2007. A theoretical framework and methodology for characterising national urban systems on the basis of flows of people: Empirical evidence for France and Germany. Urban Studies 44(11), 2123–45. doi: 10.1080/00420980701518990

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