ISSN 2039-2117 (online) ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy Vol 5 No 25 November 2014 44 Diversified Housing Developments for Socio-Economic Integration in South Africa’s Urban Human Settlements Ms Tlou Ramoroka University of Limpopo, Department of Development Planning and Management Millicent.Ramoroka@ul.ac.za Doi:10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n25p44 Abstract This paper investigates the diversification of housing development in South Africa as a means to promote socio-economic integration in urban human settlements. The need to encourage the establishment and improvement of diversified housing developments in urban areas has been widely recognised as an appropriate measure to ensure that people from different social and economic groups share the same neighbourhoods. In South Africa, socio-economic diversity in towns and cities was introduced in the early 19th century as an attempt to put people from different backgrounds in one place in order to address the inequalities which existed as a result of the past settlement planning system. Furthermore, the strategy was meant to limit the degree of isolation that the poor are faced with due to the past urban planning in order to maintain community stability, social bond and cohesion within human settlements. Theoretically, the paper argues that socio-economic diversity of housing developments have the ability to promote economic integration, social cohesion and community stability in urban human settlements. The pragmatic effects of housing development diversity can be realised through measures such as densification, mixing of different building structures that accommodates people from different backgrounds and equal accessibility to infrastructure, amenities and services, among others. The paper concludes that socio-spatial diversity within urban housing developments can be used as strategy to bring together people from different social and economic backgrounds in order to address inequalities that are associated with segregation. Keywords: Housing developments, Socio-economic integration, Diversity, Urban areas and South Africa 1. Introduction In reaction to the continuous challenges posed by the past social and spatial segregation in current towns and cities, there has been an increasing call for greater socio-spatial integration and mix in housing developments and neighbourhoods in recent years (Ge & Hokao, 2006; Jacobs & Appleyard, 2007; Putnam, 2007; Talen, 2008; Denisova, Eller, Frye & Zhuravskaya, 2012; Sharma, 2012; Gądecki, 2014). The socio-spatial integration is especially the case in South Africa, where fragmentation remains a major challenge within towns and cities (Christopher, 2004; Todes, Karam, Klug & Malaza, 2010; Musakwa & Van Niekerk, 2013; Kovács & HegedĦs, 2014). South Africa’s towns and cities have, since 1994, experienced varying degrees of socio-spatial transformation, which necessitates a reconsideration of the current status quo and the levels of diversity and integration or lack thereof in urban areas (Todes, Karam, Klug & Malaza, 2010; Musakwa & Van Niekerk, 2013; Güzey, 2014). It is argued that socially and spatially mixed developments and neighbourhoods can support place diversity and contribute to safer and more sustainable human settlements (Ge & Hokao, 2006; Jacobs & Appleyard, 2007; Putnam, 2007; Talen, 2008; Denisova et al., 2012; Sharma, 2012; Smigiel, 2014). One of the most significant factors changing the urban landscape in South Africa has been the increase of townhouse complexes or sectional title schemes. In South Africa, however, the concepts of diversity and integration are often used in a very broad sense, without common agreement of what this would entail in practice. What would it mean to say our neighbourhoods and housing developments are socio-economically diverse? Or on what do people base statements that there is a lack of integration within housing developments or within neighbourhoods? It is against this background that this paper theoretically investigates the effects of diversification of housing developments in South Africa as a means to promote socio-economic integration in urban human settlements. The paper explains planning and design principles of socio-economic diversity and integration and clarifies the benefits and effects of diversified housing developments for socio-economic integration, especially in urban areas.