How Cities Learn Tracing Bus Rapid Transit in South Africa

How Cities Learn traces the circulation of bus rapid transit (BRT) to understand how and why it was widely adopted in South Africa.

• Investigates the global proliferation and localization of BRT
• Examines the production and distribution of transportation knowledge in the global south
• Addresses the spatial and social legacy of apartheid in South African cities
• Reveals a new way of understanding the intersections between policy, people and place
• Essential reading for scholars of geography, politics, sociology and transportation, as well as urban planners and practitioners

Astrid Wood is an Assistant Professor in the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology at Newcastle University, UK. Dr. Wood is an urban geographer specializing in infrastructure, governance and transportation. 

List of Figures viii

List of Abbreviations x

Series Editors’ Preface xii

Acknowledgements xiii

1. Introduction 1

BRT Arrives in South Africa 1

Understanding the South African City 2

Transport Geography, Policy Mobilities and Learning in and from the South 5

Using Policy Mobilities as a Methodology 9

Structure of the Book 13

2. Geographies of Knowledge 16

Building an Analytic for Tracing 16

Tracing through Policy Models 18

Tracing through Actors and Associations 20

Tracing through Cities 23

Tracing through Temporalities 25

3. Translating BRT to South Africa 27

Introduction 27

The Geography of BRT 28

Forming the Bogotá Model of BRT 31

Introducing BRT in South African Cities 35

Johannesburg’s Rea Vaya 36

Cape Town’s MyCiTi 39

Tshwane’s A Re Yeng 41

Rustenburg’s Yarona 44

Nelson Mandela Bay’s Libhongolethu 45

eThekwini’s Go Durban! 46

A South African Interpretation of BRT 48

About the Station Platform 51

About the Bus 52

About the Bus Lane 53

About the Route 55

BRT and Taxi Transformation 58

The South African Taxi Industry 59

State Intervention in Transportation 61

Negotiating with Taxi Operators 65

Conclusion 68

4. Actors and Associations Circulating BRT 70

Introduction 70

An Analytic for Studying Policy Actors 71

Redefining the Role of Policy Actors 74

Policy Mobilizers of BRT Circulation 75

Intermediaries of BRT Circulation 78

Local Pioneers of BRT Circulation 81

Learning through Networks 85

Networks of Internationals 86

Networks of South Africans 88

Power Dynamics of Networks 94

Conclusion 96

5. The Local Politics of BRT 97

Introduction 97

The International Context of BRT Circulation 98

Learning from South America 99

Learning from Africa 102

Learning from India 105

Learning from the North 106

The National Context of BRT Circulation 107

Political Interactions between South African Localities 108

Technical Exchanges between South Africa Localities 111

The Municipal Context of BRT Circulation 114

Conclusion 117

6. Repetitive Processes of BRT Adoption 119

Introduction 119

Tracing Transportation Innovation in South Africa 120

Planting the Seeds of BRT in South Africa 124

Gradual Processes of Learning 127

Repetitive Processes of Circulation 128

Delayed Processes of Adoption 130

Transportation Innovations Not Adopted 133

Conclusion 138

7. Conclusion 140

Introduction 140

Reflecting on How Cities Learn 141

Reflecting on BRT in South Africa 145

Appendix A: Interview Schedule 147

Appendix B: Features of BRT systems in South Africa 154

References 166

Index 185

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