世界银行-南非一揽子政策_优先事项3_使城市成为增长和经济包容的引擎（英）-2025_24页_3mb

Summary of "Making cities engines of growth and economic inclusion"

Core Content

This document outlines a strategy for transforming South African cities into engines of growth and economic inclusion by improving urban mobility and promoting more compact urban development. It emphasizes the need to address the historical and systemic issues that have hindered urban mobility, such as underinvestment in public transport and urban sprawl. The report identifies three key priorities and proposes 10 actions and 24 short-term recommendations to guide policymakers in achieving these goals.

Main Points

• Urban Mobility Challenges: South Africa's urban mobility is inefficient and costly, especially for low-income workers. The average transport cost for the poorest segment is 80% of their earnings, and their daily commute can take up to 2-3 hours. These costs significantly hinder productivity and economic inclusion.

• Urban Sprawl and Spatial Inequality: Cities in South Africa have historically expanded into suburbs due to cheaper land, resulting in lower population densities compared to similar cities in Latin America and East Asia. This has exacerbated spatial exclusion, with poor neighborhoods being far from business centers and job opportunities.

• Decline of Public Transit: The public transit system has deteriorated over time, with subsidized services failing to keep up with urban growth. The government has not provided sufficient funding or support, leading to a decline in service quality and reliability.

• Rise of Minibus Taxis (MBTs): MBTs, which are privately owned and operated, have become the dominant mode of transport, but they are not well-integrated with the public transit system and often lack regulation, leading to inefficiencies, safety issues, and higher costs.

• Need for Urban Compactness: To improve economic inclusion, cities must become more compact, reducing the distances between businesses, workers, and consumers. This requires changes in urban planning and zoning regulations to encourage densification in strategic areas.

Key Priorities and Actions

Priority 1: Enhancing the Performance of Passenger Railways

• Action 1: Incentivize PRASA to perform better
  Apply a results-based approach to allocate transfers to PRASA, using performance metrics similar to the energy sector's conditional debt relief model. This could include opening funds to competition.

• Action 2: Leverage Information Technologies
  Implement digital dashboards and real-time data analytics to improve the efficiency and management of rail services. Introduce e-ticketing and e-payment systems to reduce transaction costs and enable targeted subsidies.

• Action 3: Consider Alternative Models for Rail Investment and Operations
  Explore public-private partnership models, such as the Gautrain Rapid Rail Service, which has shown success in providing high-quality, efficient services. Legal reforms are necessary to empower municipalities to choose the best investment and operational models.

Priority 2: Improving the Efficiency and Affordability of Minibus Taxis

• Action 4: Reduce Transportation Costs for Poor Customers
  Distribute vouchers to the poorest households to subsidize MBT travel, helping them retain more of their earnings. This can be done through mobile applications or electronic cards.

• Action 5: Foster Integration of MBTs into the Public Transit System
  Encourage cooperation and coordination between MBT operators and the public transit system to create an integrated and efficient transport network. This includes the use of digital technologies and standardized payment systems.

• Action 6: Incentivize Individual Operators to Cooperate and Organize
  Promote collaboration among MBT operators through incentives and support, aiming to improve service quality, safety, and affordability.

Priority 3: Redirecting Urban Planning Toward Higher Densification

• Action 7: Adjust Zoning and Land Use Regulations
  Modify regulations to encourage development in dense, economically dynamic areas, particularly near business centers. This can help reduce spatial inequalities and improve access to jobs and services.

• Action 8: Adjust Pricing Mechanisms
  Use pricing strategies to guide development toward strategic urban areas, ensuring that land use is aligned with economic activity.

• Action 9: Facilitate Access to Finance for Strategic Projects
  Provide financial support for development projects in areas that are crucial for urban compactness and economic integration.

• Action 10: Use Digital Tools for Urban Planning
  Develop and use digital spatial planning platforms to collect and share integrated data, enabling better coordination and management of urban development projects.

Supporting Elements

• Virtual Connectivity: Digital tools can reduce the need for physical travel by enabling virtual transactions and improving access to services, though challenges such as high data costs and limited digital literacy remain.

• International Lessons: Public-private partnerships in urban transit systems have shown success in countries like Australia, the United States, and Brazil, emphasizing the importance of long-term contracts, transparent risk-sharing, and integrated infrastructure planning.

• Policy Recommendations: Five actions have been identified as the most technically and politically feasible, impactful, and timely, with a focus on results-based funding, e-payment systems, regulatory reform, financial incentives for social housing, and digital spatial planning platforms.

Conclusion

Improving urban mobility and promoting compact city development are critical for South Africa's economic growth and inclusion. The proposed actions aim to address both the immediate and long-term challenges, requiring political will, financial investment, and collaboration between public and private sectors. The ultimate goal is to create more efficient, affordable, and integrated transport systems that support sustainable urban development and enhance the quality of life for all residents.