Town and Regional Planning is a South African accredited journal for independently adjudicated research articles on applicable topics in town, urban and regional planning. Each peer refereed article is indicated as such in the journal. The editorial staff considers articles in English and Afrikaans, written from any responsible point of view on subjects in any applicable field of scholarship, i.e. town, urban and regional planning. Authors are requested to write their manuscripts in a manner and style that is intelligible to specialists and non-specialists alike. Research contributions, which are peer reviewed, are of two kinds: Review Articles and Research Articles. Book reviews are also considered.

This study investigates the relationship between street trading and urban planning in Enugu City, Nigeria, within the expanding informal economy of the global South. It particularly focuses on the perspectives of urban planners regarding the impacts and management of street trading. The research employed a mixed-method approach, including personal observation, questionnaires, and in-depth interviews, analyzed through basic statistical methods. Findings reveal that urban planners recognize the socio-economic importance and cultural relevance of street trading, despite its negative spatial externalities. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, planners favour negotiated solutions over forced evictions. This study highlights the need for inclusive urban planning practices that accommodate the socio-economic benefits of street trading while addressing its challenges, contributing to the discourse on sustainable urban development.

Urban planning implementation is a crucial process of urban planning to improve, attain, and maintain urban sustainability globally. However, the implementation process for land use demarcated for various urban functions is being confronted by various challenges in the Global South. This study aims to integrate questionnaire surveys of urban and regional planning experts and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), in order to investigate the level of urban planning implementation of land use demarcated for various urban functions to support strategic actions for urban sustainability. Using Abuja, Nigeria, as a case study, an urban plan, urban impervious surface map, and questionnaire data were collected, and an integrated method analysis, including qualitative and quantitative (descriptive, Euclidean Distance Modelling, and Linear Regression Modelling) was deployed. Key findings show that the vast majority of experts in urban and regional planning perceive the implementation of all land use for various urban functions to be between moderate and very high levels, except that of industrial land use perceived to be between moderate and low levels. GIS findings show that, while land uses demarcated for transportation, commercial, educational, and institutional functions are positively and significantly associated with the urban impervious surface, industrial land use and urban green spaces are negatively associated. Findings show that abuse of official privileges by distorting master plans, political interference, compromise by public servants, and inadequate funding are key challenges for urban planning implementation on land use demarcated for various urban functions. The findings in this study are crucial for strategic decision makers in urban planning to improve the implementation process for various urban land-use functions and urban sustainability in the Global South, in general, and in sub-Saharan Africa, in particular.

Home-based enterprises (HBEs), which involve the use of one's residence for commercial activities, have become a prominent research focus in the fields of entrepreneurship, sustainability, and environmental management. Despite this, the lack of data impairs the ability to accurately evaluate the economic merits of this rapidly growing business model relative to its environmental effects. This article, detailing data on the demographic features of HBE operators in Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, contributes to ongoing data mining efforts towards realistic framing of HBEs. The current data represent HBEs from five Ikot-Ekpene neighborhoods: Uruk-Uso, Ifuho, G.R.A, Ibiakpan Akanawan, and Ikot Ekpene Urban. The target population of the survey included operators of HBEs and residents. A total of 400 questionnaires were issued through systematic random sampling across the five neighborhoods. The entire sample yielded 330 valid responses, which underwent a descriptive statistical analysis, compiled, and presented in tables and bar charts. Analysis of the data provided insight into the rating of the economic relevance of HBEs in relation to their associated environmental impacts. These data provide helpful insights for researchers and policymakers involved in regulating and controlling activities in the urban sphere. They also serve as a reference point for more rigorous studies on environmental management and urban informality in cities.

This scholarly book magnifies reflections from young scientists in South Africa, Africa, and beyond on the COVID-19 pandemic. With contributions by upcoming scientists, it provides a synopsis of socio-ecological-economic views on the impact of COVID-19.Through its chapters, the book takes a multidisciplinary approach to reflecting on what it was like to be a scientist during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each chapter reimagines science from the viewpoint of its discipline, offering insights from the perspective of young scientists that could benefit other scholars, academics, and policymakers.

Most cities in the global south have evolved overtime with significant organic changes in their wake. One of the noticeable changes is the emergence of pockets of city-based agricultural activities, a previously rural-based activity. There are varying interpretations behind this new trend. With increased agglomeration arising from rural-urban migration, residents resort to farming as a panacea to urban challenges. Even employed urban residents resort to agriculture for supplementary income. This emerging scenario has generated debates, dialectics, and polemics among stakeholders as to the propriety or otherwise of this development. This chapter, therefore, takes a panoramic view to all the sides of the issue through review scoping of desktop research method. Specifically, it examines the scope of increase in urban agriculture (UA), the types and nature of UA; urban planners’ attitude towards UA, and then propose the management strategies such as promoting agriculture-friendly urban plans for access to agricultural land and practices. The findings revealed that UA takes place on residential land, undeveloped private/public lands, and riverbanks. The prominent UA activities are animal husbandry, aquaculture, cultivation of food and cash crops, etc. The urban-planning measures for integrating UA into the urban environment include inculcating UA-responsive policies in broad plans.