ABSTRACT
The term “livable cities” is a directional one, not an end of state. Priorities for improvement, therefore, will vary from country to country. Part 1 presents the introduction to the chapter. A framework of performance qualities underpinning the concept is then developed using four main sources: emerging international tendencies, planning theory, the law and contextually specific developmental filler. This framework is then applied to the city of Cape Town, South Africa, and concludes that, despite its beautiful natural setting, for the majority of its citizens, it performs poorly. In the final section, a way forward is discussed and the spatial principles which inform future planning are identified.
