Community Agency in the New South Africa: A Comparative Approach. Urban Studies v.36:12

Summary. Using South Africa as a case study for the workings of community agency in partnersh ips with the public and non-pro ® t sector, this paper focuses on community-driven developments in townships in the Western Cape. The hypothesis is put forward that although structural factors are a major in ¯ uence on the success of community agency, a formal approach to project management offers a powerful tool for mitigatin g their impact. The paper addresses the stren gths of formal project structure in the development process, and considers its limita-tions. Five development projects in townships in the Western Cape are exam ined for prelim inary evidence on this hypothesis and broader implication s for the nature of participative democratic process are discussed