Exploring Nelspruit as a Historical Spatial Jigsaw Corridor-Based Secondary City: A Spatial Governance Geographical Perspective

Nelspruit secondary city is the economic hub of Mpumalanga province under the authority of Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM). Located along the N4 corridor, Nelspruit links Johannesburg, Pretoria, Mozambique and Swaziland. Nelspruit is an expanding city sandwiched in a tourism region. With rapid urbanisation and the implementation of post-1994 apartheid reversal policies, the challenge of managing expanding peri-urban settlements is emerging. Mbombela Local Municipality includes the former Transitional Local Councils of Nelspruit, White River and Hazyview as well as the Transitional Rural Councils of Nelspruit and Nsikazi. Consequently, Nelspruit city reveals a divided urban structure consisting of a previously well-serviced ‘white’ developed core (i.e. White River, Nelspruit and Hazyview) that is surrounded by an under-serviced ‘black’ outer urban and peri-urban periphery (i.e. Matsulu, Kanyamazane, Daantjie, Kabokweni and Nsikazi area). Despite recent improvements such as N4 corridor by-pass, R40 upgrade and proposed bus rapid transport (BRT) routes, the urban housing, industrial, commercial, peri-urban and transport systems remain inefficient. Making use of a transit-oriented development theory and approach, Nelspruit’s urban development opportunities are highlighted while constraints are discussed. It is concluded that Nelspruit’s development model can better integrate land use and transport corridor dividends for enhanced growth of its core and immediate environments. This requires a strengthening of the urban housing, transportation and spatial development frameworks and institutions so that a (new) appropriate, adaptable and resilient system set-up is anchored and reproduced at all scales, places and cultures and over time for inclusive outcomes, outputs and products.