Building a case study for transdisciplinary thinking: the inclusion of Green Infrastructure as part of Spatial Planning education

Abstract

Green infrastructure (GI) is continuously gaining importance as an integral part of spatial planning approaches. The increased usage of GI calls into question the extent of its inclusion in current tertiary planning programmes which directly correlates with the successful transdisciplinary application of GI in the built environment. In an attempt to define GI in terms of spatial planning and subsequently guide future training initiatives this research firstly identified linkages between spatial planning and transdisciplinarity, secondly established the importance of GI within spatial planning and thirdly identified the importance of transdisciplinary education approaches relating to both GI and spatial planning. The South African Council for Planners (SACPLAN) competencies and standards report was employed as point of departure to guide the empirical research. The planning curricula of three purposefully selected planning schools in South Africa (selected in terms of level of qualification provided) were accordingly evaluated to determine the extent of GI inclusion and .level of transidicplinarity in each of the programmes. A quantitative research method was further employed whereby 40 professional planners completed an online questionnaire to capture expert perspectives regarding the understanding, interpretation and application of GI, as well as the need for further education regarding GI among practising planners. The results of these questionnaires were statistically analysed and interpreted to provide further insight relating to building a case for transdisciplinary thinking in terms of GI and spatial planning education. Based on the results of the research, recommendations were made to further enhance and integrate GI as part of transdisciplinary urban planning curricula that would ultimately contribute to the development and transformation of the planning profession.