Town planner: ‘good planning does not resist growth, it manages it responsibly’

TERTIARY EDUCATION CENTRES

- MONISHKA GOVENDER

RESERVOIR Hills is witnessing a significant rise in student accommodation developments, driven by the increasing demand from Durban's growing tertiary student population, according to town planner Nashlan Govender.

Govender, a Sacplan-registered professional town planner and director of town planning zone, said the trend was neither sudden nor unexpected.

Govender has over a decade of experience in strategic land use management, student accommodation approvals, and high-density residential developments across KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

“Reservoir Hills should not be viewed as an isolated suburb,” Govender said.

“Within eThekwini, we are fully aware of where our tertiary education centres are located and the fact that thousands of students from across South Africa relocate to Durban each year. That demand is real and ongoing. The municipality has already recognised this through policy and zoning amendments aimed at better managing student accommodation.”

He stressed the debate should not centre on whether student housing should exist.

“The question is not whether student housing will exist, it already does, but whether it is guided properly through structured town planning, infrastructure alignment, and enforceable conditions.

“If intensification is managed strategically, particularly along transport routes and where services can cope, then it can be accommodated. However, unmanaged or reactive growth creates pressure.”

Govender noted compliance levels across eThekwini was inconsistent. While several developments had been properly approved, others operated outside regulatory frameworks.

“Compliance across eThekwini is mixed. There are properly approved developments, but there are also many properties operating without the correct land use approval or building plan compliance,” he said.