Port Elizabeth's prioritisation of the Coega Port/IDZ over municipal services

This detailed case study and comparison of the Coega Port and Industrial Development Zone with the city of Port Elizabeth (25 kilometers away) allows a variety of social, economic and ecological factors associated with resource utilisation to be considered. The contrast between the Spatial Development Initiative (SDI) approach and a development strategy based on meeting basic needs could not be greater. A basic needs infrastructure investment and cross-subsidization strategy would generate both human comfort and economic activity that transcends the current provision of municipal services. Coega is envisaged as a transport and industrial production node