The President of the Pula Institute of Town Planners (PITP) has called on planners across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to adopt more practical, inclusive and regionally coordinated approaches to urban planning, particularly in relation to informality, professional accreditation, and the use of global and continental development frameworks.
Speaking during a high‑level panel discussion at the 11th National Planning Conference held in Kitwe on Wednesday, the PITP President challenged conventional planning thinking and urged professionals to align theory, policy and everyday planning practice with the lived realities of African cities.
Informality as a Permanent Urban Reality
Addressing the theme of informality, the PITP President cautioned against viewing informal settlements, trading and livelihoods as temporary urban phenomena.
“Informality is not a planning failure; it is a rational response by citizens to exclusion, affordability constraints and limited opportunities in the formal system,” he said.
“As planners, our role is not to wish informality away, but to plan with it, regulate it intelligently and enable it to function more safely and productively.”
He emphasised that informality has become a permanent feature of cities across the SADC region and that attempts to eradicate it through demolition have often proven ineffective and socially harmful.
“For decades we have described informality as transitional, yet it continues to grow. That alone tells us that our planning assumptions need to change,” the PITP President remarked.
Towards a SADC‑Wide Planning Profession Framework
On the question of professional identity, the PITP President proposed exploring the development of a SADC‑wide planning profession recognition framework to complement existing national systems.
“Our development challenges do not respect national borders, but our professional systems still do,” he observed.
“There is value in harmonising standards, competencies and qualifications across SADC while respecting national regulatory frameworks.”
He clarified that a regional framework would not replace national professional bodies, but would promote mutual recognition, professional mobility and regional cooperation.
“This is about coherence, not uniformity,” he added.
“A shared regional framework would strengthen the voice of the planning profession and open pathways, especially for young planners across the region.”
Making Global Frameworks Relevant on the Ground
Turning to the relevance of global and continental frameworks, the PITP President acknowledged that planners often experience the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa’s Agenda 2063 as distant policy instruments.
“Most planners do not start the day thinking in SDG numbers; we think in zoning schemes, layouts and development applications,” he said.
However, he stressed that these frameworks remain highly relevant when translated into practical planning decisions.
“The SDGs and Agenda 2063 succeed or fail in our towns and cities, not in global reports,” he stated.
“They matter when they guide what we approve, where we invest and who ultimately benefits from planning decisions.”
He further highlighted Agenda 2063 as particularly significant for African planners because it reflects regional priorities such as integration, inclusivity and resilience.
A Call to Action for Planners
In his closing remarks, the PITP President urged planners to reaffirm their public service role, and be very intentional in their efforts.
“Planning is not merely technical paperwork; it is a social and ethical responsibility,” he concluded.
“The decisions we make every day quietly shape opportunities, livelihoods and resilience for future generations.”
The panel discussion was among the most well‑attended sessions of the conference and generated robust debate among delegates from across the SADC region.
