Danie du Plessis – Senior Research Analyst

People / By

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Contact Info:

T: 021 808 3126
F: 021 808 3109
E: ddp@sun.ac.za

Research Interests:

  • Spatial planning and management
  • Urban systems and networks
  • Integrated development planning
  • Urbanization and migration
  • Advanced spatial analysis.

Biography

Danie du Plessis is a town and regional planner with 20 years of experience in the fields of urban management, policy development, and spatial and statistical analysis of cities and urban systems. He spent 17 years as town and regional planning consultant involved in research and contract assignments both locally and internationally. These include spatial development plans and frameworks, housing plans and strategies at local, regional and national level, long term city development strategies, regional growth and development strategies, Integrated Development Plans, and Environmental Management Frameworks. He has been senior researcher at the Centre for Regional and Urban Innovation and Statistical Exploration (CRUISE) at Stellenbosch University since 2009 focusing on spatial statistical analysis and modeling of cities and urban systems.

Qualifications

  • MSc (Geography and Environmental management; Cum Laude) – North West University, 2010
  • Art. et. Scient. (Planning) – University of Potchefstroom, (now North West University), 1989

Publications

  • Geyer, H.S. & D.J. du Plessis 1994. Existence level differences and spatial industrial restructuring in South Africa: RDP imperatives. Development Southern Africa.Vol.11, No.4, pp.599–616.
  • du Plessis D. J., H. S. Geyer & A. van Eeden 2011. On the role of the informal sector in the changing socio-economic landscape of the Cape Town metropolitan area. Social Space, 1(1):1–20.
  • du Plessis D. J. & A. van Niekerk 2011. Growth potential of towns in the Western Cape : Flow map modeling of journey-to-work data. A research report for the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning of the Western Cape Provincial Government.
  • Donaldson R. & D. J. du Plessis 2011. Analysis and highlighting of lessons learnt from and best practices in the urban renewal programme. Research report prepared for the City of Cape Town.
  • Geyer H. S., H. C. Coetzee, D. J. du Plessis, R. Donaldson & P. Nijkamp 2011. Recent business transformation in intermediate-sized cities in South Africa. Habitat International , 35(2):265–274
  • Van Niekerk, A., R. Donaldson, D. J. du Plessis & M. Spocter, 2011. A revision of the 2004 growth potential of towns in the western cape study. discussion document. A research report for the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning of the Western Cape Provincial Government.
  • du Plessis D. J., A. van Niekerk, M. Spocter, S. Ferreira & R. Donaldson 2012. Growth potential of towns in the Western Cape .Sensitivity analysis: The impact of methodology on development potential classification. A research report for the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning of the Western Cape Provincial Government.
  • Donaldson R. & D. J. du Plessis 2012. The urban renewal programme as an area based approach to renew townships: the experience from Khayelitsha’s central business district, Cape Town. Habitat International 1–7.
  • Donaldson R., A. van Niekerk, D. J. du Plessis & M. Spocter 2012. Non-metropolitan growth potential of Western Cape municipalities. Urban Forum, 23:367–389.
  • Donaldson R., M Spocter, D. J. du Plessis & A. van Niekerk 2012. Towards generic interventions to stimulate growth potential in small towns of the Western Cape province, South Africa. South African Geographic Journal, 94(2):120–136.
  • Geyer H. S. Jr., H. S. Geyer, D. J. du Plessis & A. van Eeden 2012. Land quality, urban development and urban agriculture along the Western Cape garden route. SANPAD Working document.
  • Geyer H. S., B.Schloms, D. J. du Plessis & A. van Eeden 2012. Land quality, urban development and urban agriculture within the Cape Town urban edge. Town and Regional Planning, 59:43–55.
  • Geyer H. S. Jr., H. S. Geyer & D. J.du Plessis, 2012. Future trends in the form of African Cities in 2050, CRUISE Working Document.
  • Geyer H. S., H. S. Geyer Jr. & D. J. du Plessis 2012. Migration, geographies of marginality and informality – impacts on upper and lower ends of urban systems in the North and South. European Planning Studies 20(4) : 1–21.
  • Geyer, H. S., D.J. du Plessis, H. S. Geyer Jr. & A. van Eeden 2012. Urbanisation and migration trends in South Africa: Theory and policy implications. In M. Brezzi, M. Piacentini, K. Rosina, D. Sanchez-Serra (eds.),Redefining “urban”: a new way to measure metropolitan areas, OECD Pp.58-89. DOI :10.1787/9789264174108-en http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/urban-rural-and-regional-development/redefining-urban_9789264174108-en;jsessionid=1q63e513hl213.x-oecd-live-02
  • Geyer H. S. Jr., H. S. Geyer & D. J. du Plessis 2012. Differential urbanisation: Population redistribution trends in South Africa between 2001 and 2007, Working Document.
  • Geyer H. S. Jr., H. S. Geyer, D. J. du Plessis & A. van Eeden 2012. Differential urbanisation trends in South Africa – national, regional and local equivalents. Environment and Planning A. 44(12) : 2940–2956.
  • Donaldson D., D. J. du Plessis, M. Spocter & R Massey 2013. The South African area-based urban renewal programme: experiences from Cape Town. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, DOI 10.1007/s10901-013-9348-3
  • Donaldson R. & D. J. du Plessis 2013. The urban renewal programme as an area-based approach to renew townships: The experience from Khayelitsha’s Central Business District, Cape Town. Habitat International, 39:295-301.
  • du Plessis D. J. 2013. Approaching two decades of post-apartheid urban spatial planning in South Africa: A critical reflection on intentions and outcomes. Peer reviewed Proceedings of the IGU Urban Commission.
  • Morudu D. M. & D. J. du Plessis 2013. Economic and demographic performance of municipalities in South Africa: An application of Zipf’s rule. Town and Regional Planning. Forthcoming.
  • Morudu D. M., Naidoo G. P. & D. J. du Plessis 2013. Simulating key estimates for socio-economic development models at a local level: applications of Zipf’s rule. Working Paper.
  • Mukwevho N. & D. J. du Plessis 2013. Assessment of the feasibility of the National Development Plan employment and economic performance targets and its spatial implications. Working Paper.
  • Naidoo G. P. & D. J. du Plessis 2013. The potential application of supply-side statistics for analysing municipal service delivery trends in South Africa. Africanus.
  • Schmidt I. M. & D. J. du Plessis 2013. A critical evaluation of the analytical and operational application of various settlement typologies in South Africa. Town and Regional Planning. Forthcoming.
  • Van Niekerk A & D. J. du Plessis 2013. Growth Potential of Towns in the Western Cape – Quantitative analysis of development potential at settlement and municipal level. A research report for the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning of the Western Cape Provincial Government.
  • du Plessis D. J. 2014. A Critical Reflection on Urban Spatial Planning Practices and Outcomes in Post-Apartheid South Africa. Urban Forum, DOI 10.1007/s12132-013-9201-5.
  • du Plessis D. J. 2014. Land-use mix in South African cities and the influence of spatial planning. South African Geographical Journal. Forthcoming.
  • du Plessis D. J. & Boonzaaier I. 2014. The Evolving Spatial Structure of South African Cities: A Reflection on the Influence of Spatial Planning Policies. International Planning Studies. Forthcoming
  • Geyer, H. S. Jr., Geyer, H. S. & du Plessis, D. J. 2014. Primary cities in Sub-Saharan Africa: Quasars, Loose Connections, and Black Holes. International Planning Studies. Forthcoming
  • Geyer, H. S., Geyer, H. S. Jr., du Plessis, D. J. & van Eeden, A. (2014) Recent morphological trends in metropolitan South Africa, in D. O’Donoghue, Daniel (ed) Urban Transformations: Cities, Peripheries and Systems, Ashgate Publishers, UK. Forthcoming.
  • Principal author of 44 municipal Integrated Development Plans (2000–2008).
  • Principal author of 22 Spatial Development Frameworks/Structure Plans (1998–2008).
  • Principal author of 27 Local Economic or related Development Plans (1998–2008)
  • Principal author of 42 Environmental Impact Assessments/Environmental Management Frameworks/Strategic Environmental Assessments (2003–2008).

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