This discussion document is prepared by The Presidency, the department of provincial and local government (dplg) and the South African Cities Network (SACN) in preparation for the development of a National Urban Development Framework (NUDF).

The purpose of this draft national urban development framework (NUDF) is to provide a common nation-wide view on how to strengthen the capacity of South Africa’s towns, cities and city-regions to realise their potential to support national shared growth, social equity and environmental sustainability.

There are compelling arguments for such a framework to address the distinctive challenges and opportunities facing South Africa’s towns, cities and city-regions. These flow from a recognition that urban challenges require an inter-governmental response that deploys the considerable powers of national government in ways that build upon and reinforce the efforts of other spheres of government and other sectors of society.