Map of the month

As we come to grips with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, urban population density is being examined critically by urban scholars and policy makers. Building on the April 2020 Map of the Month, this month's map tackles the density debate with a 3D population density representation of Gauteng, as well as an interactive visualisation, to explore the feasibility of proposed de-densification in the context of COVID-19.

April 2020 marks the 100th edition in the GCRO’s Map of the Month series. This month's map revisits population density, which has been a recurring theme in the series. It uses a simple technique to show how half of Gauteng's population lives on just 2% of the Province's land.

The world is reeling as COVID-19 infections spread. This Map of the Month aids an understanding of the localised risk factors that might contribute to transmission of COVID-19, or amplify its health and socio-economic impacts in Gauteng communities. It explores two key themes: (1) the multiple risk factors to maintaining social distance and preventative hygiene; and (2) the multiple risk factors for health and socio-economic vulnerability during an outbreak or broader shutdown.

Previous maps of the month, such as that for October 2018, have shown how the number of residential buildings in Gauteng grew by 60% in the 15 years between 2001 and 2016. Here we map three residential types: gated communities, informal dwellings and government housing projects. The maps reveal that to understand ongoing spatial segregation in Gauteng we must not only look at the settlement patterns inherited from apartheid, but also what has been built where over the last three decades.

The year 2020 marks 20 years since the final phase of local government restructuring which saw, among other things, the establishment of metropolitan government in South Africa. This map of the month outlines the evolution of municipalities in Gauteng since 2000 as well as future prospects. It is clear that although the consolidation of municipalities in 2000 was referred to as the final phase, contestation over the most appropriate shape of local government in Gauteng has continued, and is likely far from over.