This book explores small town geographical aspects by approaching them from a socio-spatial perspective. The contributions included in this book delve into a range of topics that have not been commonly studied before, such as white privilege, neglect of municipal infrastructure, collaborative governance, livelihoods in small-scale fisheries, housing provision, well-being in mining towns, studentification in rural contexts, election trends, and the historical development of small-town spas.

The book adopts a socio-spatial point of view, providing a holistic understanding of the interplay between social and spatial factors within selected small town case studies. This approach sheds light on the socio-economic, political, and cultural dynamics that shape small towns. This localized perspective allows for a more targeted analysis of issues and potential solutions, taking into account the specific historical, cultural, and political contexts of small town South Africa. The editedvolume serves as a valuable resource for academics, policymakers, practitioners, and anyone interested in understanding and improving small towns in South Africa.

Delves into uncommon geographical aspects of small towns in South Africa Includes case studies to illustrate socio-spatial dynamics in small towns Analyzes how interconnectedness of social and spatial factors within small towns influence each other

Autorentext

Ronnie Donaldson is a professor of urban geography at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. His area of expertise lies in the field of small town geographies. In 2018, he authored a monograph on small town tourism in South Africa. Additionally, Ronnie has an extensive publication record, which includes 130 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, as well as one sole-edited book and six co-edited books. In recognition of his contributions, Ronnie was granted an honorary Fellowship of the Society of South African in 2022. He has served as a visiting scholar at Iceland University, Pécs University, São Paolo University, and Sciences Po (Paris).

Inhalt

1. A Review of Recent Small Town Research in South Africa (Ronnie Donaldson & Musfiqah Majiet).- 2. The Relationship between White Privilege, Segregation, Topophobia and Symbolic Boundaries in Secunda, Mpumalanga ( Tarryn Paquet).- 3. Neglect of Municipal infrastructure in the Mining Town of Phalaborwa ( Manfred Spocter).- 4. Collaborative Governance, Social Capital and Drought: A Case Study of a Collaborative Governance Regime in Graaff-Reinet ( Rebecca Light).- 5. Surviving the Tides: A Study of Small-scale Fisheries and Community Livelihoods in Selected Coastal Towns of the Western Cape, South Africa (Samantha Williams).- 6. The State and Implications of Housing Provision in Small Towns: Experiences in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province (John Ntema, Robert Mongwe & Eliot Mathebula).- 7. The Socio-economic Wellbeing of Small Mining Towns in the Northern Cape (Avril Gardiner & Ronnie Donaldson).- 8. Complex Town-gown Relationships and the Paradoxes of Studentification in the South African Traditional Authority Lands (Nothile Ndimande).- 9. Local Government Election Trends in Small Towns (Stephen Rule).- 10. **** The Historical Development of South African Small Towns as Spa Resorts (Christian M. Rogerson & Jayne M. Rogerson).