The geography of warehousing and distribution facilities in the Cape functional region

Abstract

Global, regional and local economic systems are characterised by increasing volumes and flows of goods and information. Instead of merely determining the origin, nature and destination of freight, the critical question should lie with how freight is moved and stored at different scales. Despite statistics indicating a massive boom in warehousing growth, sparse research has been conducted on warehousing trends. This incoherence between logistics growth, particularly warehousing and distribution facilities, and current logistics literature is a gap that requires further research. Furthermore, the institutional influences of logistics activities' locational choice decisions are rarely considered, indicating a gap in literature. The aim of the study is, therefore, to analyse the geographical/locational patterns and trends of warehousing and distribution facilities, as well as analyse the inter-relationship between logistics planning and urban policies and frameworks. The thesis uses the case study of the Cape Functional Region in South Africa to answer three research questions, namely: Firstly, what is the geography of warehousing and distribution facilities in the Cape Functional Region? Secondly, how has the geography of warehousing and distribution facilities changed in the Cape Functional Region over approximately nine decades? And thirdly, what is the relationship between spatial planning and the geographical patterns and trends of warehousing and distribution facilities in the Cape Functional Region? Towards answering these questions, the thesis employs spatial analysis, content and thematic analysis of Spatial Development Frameworks and qualitative interviews conducted with urban and regional planners from the City of Cape Town, Drakenstein and Stellenbosch municipalities. Major findings include: one, the evidence of warehousing and distribution facility sprawl as well as the clustering along major infrastructural routes/nodes in industrial areas. Two, policy documents, in general, are not aligned to promote the development of warehousing and distribution facilities, and Spatial Development Frameworks, in particular, tend to overlook the value and intricacies of warehousing and distribution facilities. Contribution to practice include, among others, the proposal that urban and regional planners are capacitated on the importance of warehousing and distribution facilities on factors that influence the geography of warehousing and distribution facilities. It is suggested that policy-makers and urban and regional planners align policy documents to facilitate warehousing and distribution facilities.