Post-apartheid spatial inequalities and the built environment

This chapter investigates the extent to which post-apartheid spatial inequalities and the built environment form systemic pathways and conditions of energy vulnerability in South African cities. In particular, we show how the urban poor are rendered vulnerable to energy poverty through: 1) transportation costs and restricted mobility, 2) the layout and material aspects of the built environment in townships; and 3) a shortage of affordable housing options. This historical and contextual review of state-subsidised housing developments in South African townships contributes to the growing literature on systemic drivers of energy vulnerability.