City improvement districts in South Africa : an exploratory overview

Abstract

This article discusses the City Improvement District as a recent phenomenon in urban South Africa. The reason for doing so stems from a lack of basic information on the concept in the local literature. The findings, based on a study conducted in the second half of 2004 and including all the Improvement Districts in operation in the country at that time, are presented in three key areas of the concept – land use profiles, financial aspects and services rendered. This is done within the context of the international situation with regards to the concept, and compared with an international study conducted in 2003, as basis.