New Directions in Spatial Planning? Linking Strategic Spatial Planning and Infrastructure Development

There are growing arguments for linking strategic spatial planning to infrastructure development, particularly within developing countries. This article assesses potentials and challenges of these approaches, focusing particularly on an emerging approach in Johannesburg, South Africa. In Johannesburg, this approach provides more powerful sets of mechanisms than planning has had in the past but is demanding and confronts significant challenges. While linking strategic spatial planning and infrastructure has commonsense appeal, the potential for these approaches is likely to vary contextually, and their role and impact may be more partial than anticipated.