How Cities Learn

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.

'This carefully written and researched study offers detailed analysis of South African cities’ uneven implementation of bus rapid transit systems. Scholars who participate in the lively global conversation on urban policy will find much to contemplate within this thoughtful book.'Garth Myers, Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of Urban International Studies, Trinity College, Hartford'Urban problems are becoming increasingly complex requiring the actors and institutions of governance to continually learn, adapt and innovate. But how does this learning happen? This book provides an extraordinary case study. It describes with uncommon clarity an intricate process of policy transfer involving global actors and circulations but also embedded local concerns, politics and governmental arrangements. It is essential reading for urban scholars and public policymakers.'Philip Harrison, South African Research Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg“…the book is a significant contribution to urban studies scholarship. It would make an excellent read for anyone interested in the political economy of knowledge transfer, decolonial perspectives on urban transport, and southern urbanism.” – Urban Studies, 2023, Vol. 60(14)

• List of Figures viiiList of Abbreviations xSeries Editors’ Preface xiiAcknowledgements xiii1. Introduction 1BRT Arrives in South Africa 1Understanding the South African City 2Transport Geography, Policy Mobilities and Learning in and from the South 5Using Policy Mobilities as a Methodology 9Structure of the Book 132. Geographies of Knowledge 16Building an Analytic for Tracing 16Tracing through Policy Models 18Tracing through Actors and Associations 20Tracing through Cities 23Tracing through Temporalities 253. Translating BRT to South Africa 27Introduction 27The Geography of BRT 28Forming the Bogotá Model of BRT 31Introducing BRT in South African Cities 35Johannesburg’s Rea Vaya 36Cape Town’s MyCiTi 39Tshwane’s A Re Yeng 41Rustenburg’s Yarona 44Nelson Mandela Bay’s Libhongolethu 45eThekwini’s Go Durban! 46A South African Interpretation of BRT 48About the Station Platform 51About the Bus 52About the Bus Lane 53About the Route 55BRT and Taxi Transformation 58The South African Taxi Industry 59State Intervention in Transportation 61Negotiating with Taxi Operators 65Conclusion 684. Actors and Associations Circulating BRT 70Introduction 70An Analytic for Studying Policy Actors 71Redefining the Role of Policy Actors 74Policy Mobilizers of BRT Circulation 75Intermediaries of BRT Circulation 78Local Pioneers of BRT Circulation 81Learning through Networks 85Networks of Internationals 86Networks of South Africans 88Power Dynamics of Networks 94Conclusion 965. The Local Politics of BRT 97Introduction 97The International Context of BRT Circulation 98Learning from South America 99Learning from Africa 102Learning from India 105Learning from the North 106The National Context of BRT Circulation 107Political Interactions between South African Localities 108Technical Exchanges between South Africa Localities 111The Municipal Context of BRT Circulation 114Conclusion 1176. Repetitive Processes of BRT Adoption 119Introduction 119Tracing Transportation Innovation in South Africa 120Planting the Seeds of BRT in South Africa 124Gradual Processes of Learning 127Repetitive Processes of Circulation 128Delayed Processes of Adoption 130Transportation Innovations Not Adopted 133Conclusion 1387. Conclusion 140Introduction 140Reflecting on How Cities Learn 141Reflecting on BRT in South Africa 145Appendix A: Interview Schedule 147Appendix B: Features of BRT systems in South Africa 154References 166Index 185