A Management Concept for Driving Sustainability in Marginalised Communities in South Africa

Cities are the frontline for addressing issues of global sustainability. This notion has been inducted into the development discourse of the Global North with varying degrees of success. However, urban environments in the Global South face unique challenges, and Western-derived perceptions of sustainability are inappropriate for these regions. This paper examines issues of sustainability within impoverished urban communities in South Africa. Survey interviews helped inform and examination of South Africa’s urban morphology to determine the specific obstacles to sustainable urban development of marginalised communities in South Africa. In response, the study proposes the application of the principles founded in facilities management (FM) at a macro/urban scale. Urban facilities management (UFM) is a new alignment of FM that advocates a holistic view of an urban precinct to facilitate systemic solutions with a variety of urban role-players. A conceptual framework for a UFM aligned development process for marginalised communities of the Global South is developed based on issues identified through the interviews. This framework seeks to enable a comprehensive integration of social, environmental, economic, and institutional dimensions of sustainability into an urban development model. In doing so, it holds the promise of unlocking the opportunities for developing/emerging countries to pioneer global sustainability.