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The physical separation of people from economic activities creates spatial disparities, fragmentation, and unequal access to opportunities. Contemporary South Africa displays spatially divided communities. Affluent locations are socio-economically integrated with fewer crime activities, while poor communities are disintegrated from economic activities with high crime occurrences. The study explores the relationship between spatial mismatch and violent crime in South African metropolitan areas. The study used regression modelling and choropleth mapping to analyse and present the relation. Data used were acquired from Stats SA, CSIR, and SAPS National Crime Statistics. The findings revealed that areas located closer to jobs are associated with low levels of violent crime. In contrast, poor areas are located away from job opportunities and have high levels of violent crime. The study concludes that spatial mismatch determines the level of violent crime in South African metros. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial location of job opportunities contributes to people’s livelihood outcomes. Privileged communities are well located and have access to advanced educational systems, while poor communities are marginalized with deprived education outcomes. Understanding the influence of spatial mismatch on educational attainment requires information about job locations and education levels. Using a regression model, the study examined the role of spatial mismatch in explaining education attainment in South African metropolitan areas. Data were acquired per sub-place from Stats SA, CSIR, and GeoTerraImage. The regression models in all metros confirmed the relationship between spatial mismatch and educational attainment, which is valuable for area-based and people-based development approaches. The findings presented a significant relationship between spatial mismatch and educational attainment. Through the results, the study concluded that spatial mismatch is one of the significant determinants of educational attainment in South African metro areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities, Cultural Policy and Governance. 2012. Edited by Helmut Anheier and Yudhishtihir Raj Isar. London: Sage Publications 448 pages. Soft cover ($52.99) ISBN: 978-1-4462-0122-0 Cities, cultural policy and governance discusses [...]

The need to understand the spatiotemporal change in South African unemployment trends underlies this research. The country has undergone significant socioeconomic change since the fall of apartheid in 1994. Not only has the labor market expanded, but unemployment has also increased. This necessitates a detailed spatial understanding to ensure effective policies at the municipal level to address unemployment. A database of unemployment statistics at the municipal level between 1991 and 2007 was created and used to spatially group municipalities. The results showed that metropolitan municipalities had unique unemployment characteristics and, contrary to findings elsewhere, an overall decrease in the dissimilarity between the unemployed and employed took place after 1991. Therefore, policies should promote economic growth and skills development in municipalities where education levels are low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]